EDUCATION & EDUCATION REFORM

 

Agriteam has extensive experience implementing education reform in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. Our focus is on improving learning outcomes and sustainable livelihoods through systemic change; this includes supporting professional education management at the national and sub-national levels and improving pedagogical leadership and community participation at the school level.

 Education decentralization has been a major international focus over the past 30 years. Agriteam draws on the extensive primary, secondary, technical and university best practices and experience that Canada has to offer from its unique education systems across its provinces and territories. Looking forward, Agriteam will continue to improve inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning.

 

OUR EXPERTISE INCLUDES:

Primary and Secondary

  • Technical assistance in developing education reform policies: human resource planning, internal and external communications strategies, teacher accreditation, pre and in-service training
  • Decentralized school management: technical assistance and training in data collection, information management, e-governance, school improvement plans, monitoring and evaluation
  • Teacher training and professional development including: awareness raising on national education frameworks, sensitivity to intercultural and ethnic minorities, pedagogical leadership, student-centered learning, emotional intelligence, environment, gender equality and the child friendly classroom
  • Innovations including: professional learning communities, distance education, action research, case studies, peer learning, fora and interregional exchanges on local best practices

Technical and University

  • Study tours, transfer of technology and technical procurement
  • Market-oriented curriculum development
  • Vocational training and skills development for employment
  • Gender sensitized innovations: women’s participation in non-traditional trades

Agriteam has implemented multi-year, multi-million dollar education projects in Vietnam, Egypt, Jordan, Honduras, Peru, China, Bangladesh, South Africa, Mali and Morocco.

OUR EDUCATION & EDUCATION REFORM PORTFOLIO HIGHLIGHTS

ETHIOPIA: Strengthening Education for Mining (STEM) (Global Affairs Canada, 2017-2021)

The objective of STEM is to increase domestic employment in the mining industry in Ethiopia by strengthening key Ethiopian universities to develop more industry-driven geology and mining engineering undergraduate programs that will improve the employability of university graduates; and by supporting the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system to deliver training on high priority occupational standards, and implement innovative short-term training programs to improve the employability of local communities in mining-related fields, particularly women with low levels of education. By the end of the project, it is expected that male and female graduates from the mining programs of the targeted universities should have excellent employment opportunities within Ethiopia either with mining companies, as self-employed consultants or within the Government of Ethiopia. Likewise, universities and TVET institutions will have established strong relationships with the mining companies and be capable of adapting the curriculum and supporting other institutions with more fledgling programs for the mining sector by sharing instructors for modular courses, sharing curricula, sharing laboratory and library resources, and sharing good practices and lessons learnt for female student success in mining programs. In addition, women and men from local communities around targeted mine sites will have some basic skills to gain mine-related employment. Socio-cultural barriers to women’s employment will be reduced, and the trainers and institutions involved in the project will be capable of offering relevant training to women and men in local communities that can make them ready for employment at the mine sites.

VIETNAM: Vietnam Skills for Employment Project (VSEP) (Global Affairs Canada, 2014-2020)

VSEP will contribute to sustainable economic growth in Vietnam by improving the enabling environment for investment, supporting rural small and medium-size enterprise development and enhancing access to skills for employment. Working in partnership with the Vietnam National University – Ho Chi Minh, Agriteam will strengthen Vietnamese capacity for Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) leadership and management, and enable the knowledge-building and sharing of best practices in TVET institutions by developing two Training Centres of Advanced Management in Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi. The project is also strengthening management of the TVET system at the provincial level in Hau Giang, Vinh Long and Binh Thuan; improving the performance of one leading TVET institution in each of the target provinces; and improving the performance of select community colleges throughout the country.

HONDURAS: Strengthening Education Management at the District Level in Honduras (FORTA) (Global Affairs Canada, 2013-2019)

FORTA is building the education management and pedagogical leadership skills of the Ministry of Education’s district (DMu) and department (DDE) education offices. FORTA is strengthening the knowledge, skills and attitudes of male and female education leaders to deliver professional education services and provide direction for school directors, teachers, students and local community stakeholders to optimize the learning outcomes of students. FORTA offers technical assistance, training and coaching through developing local professional learning communities, inter/intra departmental peer learning opportunities, action research and through increasing the mobility and technology required to improve the quality, relevancy and efficiency of basic education in Honduras. FORTA is active in seven DDEs working directly with local management and technical personnel in 126 DMus as well as the Ministry’s Department of Human Resources to institutionalize and potentially nationalize FORTA training processes in pedagogical leadership, education management, community participation, and education governance that is transparent and informed by gender equality and green practices. FORTA will indirectly strengthen the quality of education delivered to approximately 970,000 students and provide improved education and pedagogical support to approximately 41,000 teachers. www.proyectoforta.org

INDIA & NEPAL: Improving Education Quality and Learning for Tibetan Children in India and Nepal (IEQL) (Global Affairs Canada, 2015-2017)

Agriteam worked with the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) to improve the quality of education and learning for more than 22,000 Tibetan children at 68 schools in India and Nepal. IEQL supported the Department of Education (DoE) by providing training and other professional development activities for teachers and educators; supporting the development and provision of improved curricula and teaching and learning materials in the Tibetan language; implementing activities that strengthen science education, increase parental involvement in child learning and improve student test preparation skills; and investing in critical facility improvements and basic operations support for targeted vulnerable schools. The project provided in-service and pre-service training for over 1,000 teachers and school principals in modern pedagogy and Tibetan language, and developed the capacity of DoE staff in results-based management. The project supported the translation of textbooks and teaching materials into Tibetan language, established student-led mobile science exhibitions, provided coaching to help students prepare for exams and certification, developed draft guidelines for Parent Teacher Associations, and provided operational support to the most vulnerable schools while they explore options for stable long-term funding.

JORDAN: School and Field Directorate Improvement Project (SDIP) (Global Affairs Canada, 2010-2016)

This 5-year project contributed to the Jordanian educational reform agenda by working with the Ministry of Education to develop and implement a national program for school planning and improvement in over 3,500 schools and 41 field directorates. Through the project, Agriteam built the capacity of the Ministry, field directorates, and public schools in gender mainstreaming, policy development, leadership, and community engagement. Further technical assistance was provided to the Ministry to develop a national framework for monitoring and evaluating the quality of education in schools, and to develop plans for future school improvements. Results included the development of legislation on the role of school supervisors, and the pro-active engagement of parents and the local community in continued school improvement initiatives.

MOROCCO: Support in Managing Educational Institutions in Morocco (PAGESM) (Global Affairs Canada, 2011 – 2015)

PAGESM assisted the Government of Morocco to support the decentralization/deconcentration process at the local and district levels and improved education equality, teaching capacity and school management. Agriteam worked with school managers to develop, adopt and implement new institutional projects focused on effective school leadership, resource management and accountability. The project team also built the internal management capacity for directors and principals using leading education management best practices and worked with human resource managers to optimize human resource procedures through the introduction of tools and processes to improve the selection process for new education directors. PAGESM also worked with the Ministry of National Education to integrate gender equality within its institutional, staff and education management procedures to improve women’s access to senior-level positions within the school system.

PERU: Improving Basic Education in Peru (PROMEB) (Global Affairs Canada, 2001-2012)

Working in rural areas of Northern Peru, PROMEB developed local capacity to support decentralization of education and increase access, quality and efficiency of early childhood education at the local level. PROMEB staff worked with regional and district leaders to implement national policies in education management, pedagogical coaching, resource management and monitoring and evaluation, and provided technical assistance to align regional and district education plans with national policies. PROMEB had three interrelated components: promoting community engagement in education; providing technical assistance to educators and government employees in education management and pedagogical coaching; and building education governance through awareness of the national legislative framework and normative policies. The project developed and implemented a gender sensitive literacy model based on community participation and the capacity building of teachers, principals and education authorities at the municipal and regional levels to improve learning outcomes. As a result of PROMEB’s success in improving learning outcomes in the project districts, ten of the project schools received the UNESCO Award of Excellence for rural education.

EGYPT: Support to Egyptian Primary Schooling, Phase II (STEPS II) (Global Affairs Canada, 2003-2011)

Agriteam supported the Ministry of Education’s efforts to enhance the quality of primary education through the implementation of national standards and the Ministry’s Strategic Plan. STEPS II built institutional capacity within the Central Directorates of Basic Education while providing in-service teacher training, thereby supporting a critical mass of primary school teachers and leaders in each district to promote quality teaching, effective school leadership, an enabling education system, and enhanced community participation. The project also worked with the Ministry to establish community-elected Boards of Trustees to create school development plans as well as Equal Opportunity Units to promote gender equality at all levels of the Ministry. The professional development programs established by STEPS II have been institutionalized by the Ministry and are being scaled up nation-wide. Over 200 school-based professionals became trainers through STEPS II.

CHINA: Strengthening Capacity for Basic Education in Western China (Global Affairs Canada, 2002-2008)

This project supported the Government of China’s education reform agenda and Western Development Strategy, focusing on strengthening student-centred learning and recognizing education as central to poverty alleviation and economic development. The primary project goal was to strengthen basic education along with its quality and relevance in six poor, largely ethnic minority counties in western China by training teachers and strengthening capacity to develop curriculum and instruction methods.

Because many of the project’s western communities are remote, the project used appropriate distance education methods and information and communications technology (ICT) to reach teachers.

SOUTH AFRICA: Canada-South Africa Teacher Development Project (Global Affairs Canada, 2000-2005)

The Canada-South Africa Teacher Development Project (CSATDP) strengthened the capacity of the national Teacher Development Directorate, the provincial departments of education and their respective school districts and schools to deliver quality education through improving teacher development through developing a national policy and developing the capacity of support mechanisms. At the national level, Agriteam supported the national Department of Education (DoE) in the coordination drafting and implementation of the National Teacher Development Framework and the National Teacher Development Policy and Implementation Plan, and supported the Directorate by building staff capacity in consultation, management, planning and communication skills. At the provincial level, CSATDP worked with DoE organizations to improve their capacity to support teacher development at the district and school levels, and worked with DoE staff to provide ongoing school-based follow-up and support. The project resulted in the development of 12 learning resource centers for teachers, and improved the capacity of 225 school leaders (principals, administrators) and over 1,700 teachers.