EDUCATION QUALITY INITIATIVE PROJECT
The SfL/Tzedek Education Quality Initiative Project (EQUIP) contributed to education quality in 13 Districts as an overall education intervention. Five (5) of the 13 Districts benefited under the sustainability approach whilst the remaining 8 Districts were supported under the mainstream intervention.
The project was piloted in Saboba and Chereponi Districts in the 2012/2013 academic year. The project’s management and funders being impressed about the outcome of the pilot further committed funds for extension to cover; Savelugu/Nanton Municipal, Yendi Municipal, Kumbungu, Tolon, Central Gonja and West Gonja Districts under the mainstream project. Mion, Nanumba South, Mamprugu-Moaduri, Gushegu, and Sagnarigu Districts benefited as sustainability approach Districts.
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In each of the beneficiary Districts, selected number of schools were adopted as EQUIP schools and received support of various forms as the Project’s contribution to education quality in these Districts. Among the many support rendered by the project to schools were; in-service training for teachers and head teachers, supply of supplementary text books and other teaching and learning materials, orientation workshops for SMCs/PTAs of beneficiary schools, training workshops on effective monitoring and supervision for Circuit Supervisors. The project contributed to improved learning outcomes in 298 schools within the mainstream project and 100 schools under the sustainability approach intervention. Quiz/reading competition was also organised for pupils from all these beneficiary schools with the aim of inculcating the habit of reading in children and also to encourage independent learning among school children. Over 850 teachers received various kinds of capacity building training from the Project. The training workshops on Lesson Planning and TLM Development and Pedagogical skills development deserve a specific mention.
The other activities are enumerated below;
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Training of selected teachers in learner- centered, mother – tongue, gender sensitive teaching, and the creation of teaching and learning materials from local sources and teaching of reading and writing skills
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Training of head teachers in aspects of school management
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Training of Ghana Education Service school supervisors to perform their roles more effectively
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Provision of materials of various sorts to the schools to promote the culture of reading among children
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Conducting competitions and assessments to test performance and achievements
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Organize orientation workshop for SMC/PTA Executive members on their roles
The key stakeholders/partners of EQUIP include; The Ghana Education Directorates of beneficiary districts, District Assemblies of Beneficiary districts, heads of schools, SMC/PTA, teachers as well as pupils. Whiles the above institutions/personalities are partnering, School for Life is an Implementing partner of Tzedek, which initiates policies/programs with partners and implements the projects on the ground.
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The School for Life/Tzedek EQUIP was implemented by Project Staff made up of District Coordinators, a Project Coordinator and Project Manager. All district coordinators were responsible for activity implementation in their districts and they each reported to the Project Coordinator who in turn was reporting to the Project Manager. The Management of School for Life, exercised oversight responsibility over all EQUIP project staff.