International Development Division : IDD
December 2008
EDC, USAID Agree to Extend Madagascar/Comoros Education Program
After helping the Ministries of National Education in Madagascar and the Comoros foster significant change in their education systems over the past two and a half years, Education Development Center recently signed an agreement extension with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to continue and expand its work in the two countries. The modified agreement will allow EDC to support the ministries’ respective educational reform programs through November 2010 by extending the Support Technology for Educators and Parents (STEP, also known as ATEC for its initials in French) project, which began in January 2006.
In Madagascar, EDC has helped first- and second-grade teachers improve their instructional practices by means of an Interactive Radio Instruction (IRI) program, helped communities support their schools via a radio program and school improvement grants, and helped teachers engage in their own professional development through the formation and support of teacher networks. In addition to expanding those efforts in its second phase, STEP/ATEC will now assist the ministry in its move toward improving English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction. “Our data show that teachers are using more active, intellectually engaging techniques and communities are getting more involved in education,” said Norma Evans, the program’s Senior Technical Advisor. “We look forward to reinforcing those gains and expanding our efforts in order to help Madagascar meet its Education for All goals.”
The STEP/ATEC Comoros activities to date have focused on improving the quality of public education by helping the Comorian National Ministry of Education and the Ministries of Education of the country’s three autonomous islands to expand their distance education initiatives. Initial products are designed to enrich pre-service and in-service teacher training and inform parents of the characteristics of quality schools. Efforts have also been expended to reinforce the teaching of English at the tertiary level. “Having helped to establish an enabling environment for further improvements, STEP/ATEC will continue to work closely with the Ministries and to ensure that all three islands maximize their usage of the products developed and distributed during Phase I,” Evans said.
The prospects for having additional impact look good thanks to productive relationships established with the host country governments in the planning and implementation of Phase I of the program. “The Ministries of Education in both countries have fully embraced the work of STEP/ATEC and are incorporating it into their nationwide plans for education reform,” said Evans. “Participants from the school level to the central government level feel ownership of this program.”
The added USAID funding for Madagascar is $1.9 million, bringing the total STEP/ATEC assistance for that country to $4.15 million. In Comoros, an additional $450,000 for the extension marks an increase to $911,000 over the life of the program. The new end date of November 30, 2010 will mark just under five years of EDC support for the two countries.
IDD is a division of Education Development Center (EDC), an international, nonprofit organization with more than 325 projects dedicated to enhancing learning, promoting health, and fostering a deeper understanding of the world.
© 2009 Education Development Center