TheThe BasicBasic EducationEducation inin AfricaAfrica ProgrammeProgramme (BEAP)(BEAP) AA policypolicy PaperPaper –– RespondingResponding toto demandsdemands forfor access,access, quality,quality, relevancerelevance andand equityequity BREDA Publisher: BREDA / IBE-UNESCO / GTZ Responsible: Teeluck Bhuwanee, BREDA Renato Opertti, IBE Lili Ji, IBE Klaus Jahn, GTZ Main contact: Teeluck Bhuwanee UNESCO/BREDA 12, Avenue L.S. Senghor Dakar, Senegal Tel: (221) 33 849 23 47 Fax: (221) 33 823 83 93 E-Mail: [email protected] Text: Wim Hoppers Design: Nikolai Krasomil www.design-werk.com IBE/2009/OP/BE/01 2 Eschborn 2009 Table of contents Foreword . 4 Acknowledgements . 5 Executive Summary . 6 1 Origin and purpose . 10 1.2 Background . 10 1.2 Rationale and objectives . 12 1.3 Educational and socio-economic context . 14 2 What the BEAP is all about . 17 2.1 Focus and scope . 17 2.2 Underlying concepts and principles . 21 2.3 Areas of BEAP concern . 23 3 How the BEAP can work in countries . 27 3.1 Principles guiding implementation . 27 3.2 Policy dimensions of BEAP . 29 3.3 Steps an methods of work . 30 3.4 Ensuring country ownership . 32 3.5 Partnerships and costs . 33 4 Challenges for countries through BEAP . 36 4.1 Curriculum development . 36 4.2 Assessment and certification . 38 4.3 Teacher education, development and support . 39 4.4 Textbooks, learner support materials and ICT . 40 4.5 Diversified modes of provision . 41 4.6 Whole school improvement . 42 4.7 Governance and management . 43 4.8 Linkages with the labour market . 44 4.9 Entrepreneurship education . 45 10. Inter-sectoral collaboration . 46 5 How far the BEAP has come . 47 5.1 Progress since Kigali . 47 5.2 Experiences in The Gambia . 48 5.3 Experiences in Ethiopia and Cote d’Ivoire . 49 5.4 Emerging lessons and challenges . 51 5.5 Emerging lessons and challenges . 52 Acronyms and abbreviations . 53 3 Foreword Since the 1990s, education stakeholders have been launches carried out in the pilot countries – The increasingly asking questions about the direction of Gambia, Ethiopia, Cote d’Ivoire and Tanzania –, basic education development in Africa, within the we believe there is a need for sharing our convictions, framework of various international policy statements as well as updated information on the remarkable and agendas for action. It is well known that, thanks advancements, in both theoretical and practical terms, to international joint efforts, access to primary that have been made since the inception of the BEAP. education has dramatically increased in the region; though many still drop out and the quality of basic In this sense, the Policy Document can be seen as a education remains poor. Education initiatives over the milestone of the BEAP. Through it, we aim to present, last 20 years at least have seen education offered in among other aspects, BEAP’s origin, objectives, philo- a truncated manner and with an emphasis on primary sophical foundations, working modalities, as well as education only. Today, the number and the profile of the comprehensive range of components it has been students completing primary education are changing, conceived to cover: curriculum development (includ- which puts the present type of basic (ECCE, primary ing teaching-learning materials, methods, assessment and post-primary) education under enormous pressure and certification), teacher education, whole school to change. In order to adapt to the dramatic increase development, systemic change as well as linkages with in access at primary levels, more fundamental issues sectors other than education. The introduction of ent- need to be addressed, especially those related to repreneurship education is seen as a major milestone addressing basic education as a whole, including early to reform education systems in order to improve re- childhood education and the former lower secondary levance to better prepare young people for life and education, as well as preparing the youth for life and work. the world of work. While confirming our long-term commitment to the The Basic Education in Africa Programme (BEAP) is BEAP and to the development of basic education in based on an in-depth knowledge of the background Africa in a broader perspective, we warmly welcome of education in Africa including the failure of African new partners to join us in this endeavour. this will education systems to shake off the shackles of inher- greatly contribute to maximizing the impacts of various ited systems. BEAP is an example of the close collabo- initiatives aimed at moving the basic education agenda ration between UNESCO BREDA, UNESCO IBE forward in the region. and other partners since 2006, within the shared and determined pursuit of quality, equity and inclusion in We would like to acknowledge the concrete and regular education. Today, BEAP is referred to as one of the support that the GTZ/BMZ has so far provided to the main lines of action in Africa, under UNESCO’s Programme’s activities and we look forward to further Major Programme I for the biennium starting in 2010 developing this collaboration. (35 C/5). After successful policy dialogue and BEAP Ann Therese Ndong-Jatta, Director Clementina Acedo, Director UNESCO BREDA UNESCO IBE 4 Acknowledgements As principal officers in charge of coordinating BEAP’s BEAP owns its current achievements to the activism development and implementation, we would like to of our numerous colleagues who have played an express our sincere gratitude to the ADG/Education important role in both technical and operational and to both BREDA and IBE Directors, for their strong terms, in particular: Wahab A. Coulibaly (UNESCO conviction and guidance in the Programme’s advance- Accra), Lili Ji (IBE), Fatoumata Marega (BREDA), ment. Paul Mpayimana (UNESCO Addis Ababa), Florence Elva Ssereo (UNESCO Dar es Salaam) and Philip On one hand, BEAP has been benefiting from a shared Stabback (consultant). vision with ADEA on basic education, especially on post-primary education; on the other, the Programme’s Our special thanks goes to Jahn Klaus and thus to take-off would never have been possible in the absence GTZ on behalf of BMZ for the constant and contin- of African countries’ determination to improve the ued support for the BEAP, not only in making this education of their young generations. Thus, we would publication possible, but also in furthering the BEAP like to thank ADEA for its effort and expertise, as well on the African continent. as the innumerable officials of ministries of education and UNESCO National Commissions who have contributed to BEAP’s setting up in their countries. Teeluck Bhuwanee Programme Specialist We are also grateful to Wim Hoppers, for his analy- UNESCO BREDA tical and rigorous insight while drafting this Policy Document, taking into account the huge amount of Renato Opertti relevant documentation that has so far been produced Programme Specialist within BEAP’s activities. UNESCO IBE 5 Executive Summary Origin and purpose • It is the aim of BEAP to provide clear guidance and • The BEAP is a UNESCO-backed African programme ongoing support to countries wishing to move into that seeks to support a holistic and comprehensive this direction, adapting such support to already reform of basic education in the spirit of EFA. It ongoing work in countries themselves. Specifically, provides a framework for curriculum renewal linked the BEAP assists: to improve the existing curriculum, to a variety of complementary initiatives, which covering a longer cycle and a wider range of learning together may assist towards improving quality, rele- outcomes; to develop meaningful articulation bet- vance and equity in education. By so doing it helps ween basic education and the world of work, as well to increase the responsiveness of education to the as further education and training; to supplement in- expectations and needs of learners and society, and country human resources, by providing technical thus contributes significantly to achieving the goals assistance and capacity development; to review sup- of EFA and of national development. plementary components of basic education, such as diversification of provisions and school models so as • The BEAP has been elaborated by UNESCO as an to enhance inclusive participation in education; and integrated instrument to implement the goals of to encourage sharing of expertise and south-south the Kigali Call for Action (Sept. 2007) within the cooperation. context of the AU Second Decade of Education for Africa (Sept. 2006), taking also into account the • The BEAP comes at a time of increased Africa-wide outcomes of other regional meetings, in particular concerns about the inability of education systems the ADEA Biennale at Maputo (May 2008). The inherited from the colonial powers to meet the programme is coordinated by BREDA and IBE, with serious challenges that have emerged from rapid support of Cluster and National Offices in Africa, socio-economic changes on the continent. These – and the engagement of multiple partners. like increased poverty, inequalities, global competi- tion, migration and conflict – have demonstrated the • The Kigali regional meeting, considering the state need for education to become much more inclusive, of basic education in Africa, concluded that current more responsive, and more directly related to indi- efforts towards expansion and improvement needed vidual needs and circumstances, and the current to be placed within a wider frame of comprehensive expectations and demands of society and economy. reform, based on the principles of social justice, equity and social inclusion, and focussing on three What the BEAP is all about major thrusts: • The expansion of basic education requires an effort (a) The extension of quality basic (primary) educa- to re-conceptualise lower secondary education and tion to a minimum of 9-10 years duration, thus other skill-oriented post-primary programmes, build- including lower secondary education ing upon a reformed, higher quality and more equi- (b) The viewing of this.