September 2008

1. Rewrite the Future in Côte d’Ivoire September 2006- September 2008 September 2008

2. Current political context … country divided since September 2002 but a peace process is in progress : • Ouagadougou Peace Agreement signed by President Laurent Gbagbo and head of the Forces Nouvelles Guillaume Soro, on 4 March • Guillaume Soro appointed Prime Minister New Government announced 7th April (new Minister of Education) • Public servants in process of redeployment • Presidential elections planned for late 2008

3. The state of education in Côte d’Ivoire • Before the conflict 78% of children were in school (88% of boys, 67% of girls) • Even at this time, an estimated one million children (including 605,000 girls) were out of school • The situation has deteriorated with the conflict: overall enrolment rates in 2005 estimated at 54%

4. Effects of the conflict on education sector Central North and Western Zones • Destruction and pillage of schools • Progressive degradation of infrastructures • Departure/flight of many teachers (over 60% in some regions) • Lack of teaching and learning resources • Reduction in enrolment rates • Failure to hold exams Southern Zones • Overloaded classrooms • Progressive degradation of infrastructures • Lack of teaching and learning resources • Increased violence in schools

5. Rewrite the Future: overall goal • 270.000children in 9 regions of Côte d’Ivoire complete a cycle of quality primary education in safe, participatory learning environments by end 2010

6. Access objective • Enable 45.450 children to gain access to education, thereforecontributing to the Ministry of Education’s goal of increasing overall primary enrolment rates to 95% and girls’ enrolment rates to 90% by 2010

7. Quality objective • To develop capacity of teachers and communities to improve relevance, teaching, learning and participation for children in schools and non-formal education centres by end 2010

8. Protection objective • Key duty-bearers ensure all children (especially vulnerable groups such as girls and children associated with armed forces) are protected and accepted in and around the learning environment

9. Finance objective • To ensure that each school in the Save the Children intervention areas has a budget sufficient to cover its annual running costs by end 2010

10. Save the Children regions of activity 9 DREN (Directions Régionales de l’Éducation Nationale) Save the Children Sweden: Abengourou, Abidjan 1, Bouaké, Bondoukou & Korhogo (5 DREN) Save the Children UK: Abidjan 2, Man, Odienné & San Pedro (4 DREN)

11. Key achievements to date: Access 132 primary schools rehabilitated and equipped Beginning of rehabilitation, Korhogo After rehabilitation, Korhogo

12. Key achievements to date: Access Beginning of rehabilitation, Man After rehabilitation, Man

13. Key achievements to date: Access Support for 45 non- formal education centres (minor rehabilitation, basic furniture and equipment, provision of teaching, learning and recreational kits) Non-formal education centre, Afounvassou, Abidjan II

14. Key achievements to date: Access • Participation with UNICEF’s back to school campaign: logistical and human resource support, children’s participation and development of messages • Partnerships with two local NGOs to campaign and build awareness in communities not targeted by UNICEF

15. Key achievements to date: Quality • Distribution of 50.000 school kits for children in 146 schools • Distribution of teaching kits to 766 teachers • Distribution of recreational kits to 146 primary schools

16. Key achievements to date: Quality Teacher training: • Roll out of the Ministry of Education’s new skills-based learning programme to teachers in all 146 schools • Sessions on child rights, particularly protection and participation

17. Key achievements to date: Quality Training for School Management Committees • Mission and mandate of School Management Committees • Organisational and financial management • School maintenance • Child rights, particularly protection and participation • The school project approach

18. Key achievements to date: Quality Encouraging child participation in School Management Committees: • Including child members as participants in training • Adapting training modules and methods to make them more child-friendly • Developing action plans to encourage children’s involvement in school management and decision-making School Management Committee members, San Pedro

19. Key achievements to date: Protection Training for Teachers • Modules on child rights and protection issues • Development of Teacher Codes of Conduct • Training on positive discipline and alternatives to physical and humiliating punishment

20. Key achievements to date: Protection • Training of School Management Committees on child rights and development of action plans for the protection of children in the school environment • Establishment of Children’s Clubs, with training on children’s rights and development of action plans • Training of 50 staff members of 7 local NGOs on advocacy for children’s rights

21. Key achievements to date: Finance • Training for 146 School Management Committees (including children) in basic financial management skills • Preliminary research on financing in the education sector in Côte d’Ivoire

22. Other achievements • Children’s workshops: Mid-way to the MDGs “School is important because you learn to reflect and to write well. It’s important to know how to read so that I can know what’s happening in my country. The teacher also explains to me the phenomena of my country and the politics of my country. I will be able to earn a living if I go to school. I won’t just sit and do nothing, not knowing how to work. School helps you to evolve. School is a right.” Bamba, 12, President of the Children’s Club, EPP Mont Glas, Man

23. Other achievements Press conference with Good Will Ambassador Kolo TOURE 18 June 2007, marking mid-way to the MDGs

24. Other achievements One year anniversary celebration 12 September 2007 Send-off of 30,000 school kits and children’s press conference

25. Activities March-December 2008 • Continued support for 96 schools from 2006 and 2007 (kits, training, children’s clubs etc) • Continued support to 45 non-formal education centres • Continued support and training for children’s clubs in all schools • Financing of 40 school projects • Regional Education Fora • Rehabilitation and equipment of 44 new schools • Distribution of 50,000 school kits manufactured in CdI • Training for school management committees of 50 new schools • Training for teachers of 50 new schools • Research on child protection issues in the learning environment

26. Financing challenges and difficulties • Ending of Sida financing in 2008 • Programme has been reduced in one region • Funding only secured for xxx crowns in 2009 and 2010

27. Programmatic challenges • Staff are becoming overworked as programme scales up each year • Protection and finance strategies • Repetitive teacher strikes

28. Is Rewrite the Future in Côte d’Ivoire a rights based programme? • Programme strategy is based on CRP(understanding and awareness of HR, CRSA, planning(dimensions of changes), monitoring and evaluation, advocacy, etc) • A balanced combination of activities under the three pillars • Practical, direct interventions • Strengthening existing structures and mechanisms within education sector • Developing the capacity of communities and civil society to realize children right to education • Child participation • Non discrimination

29. What is effective, ethical and meaningful child participation in rewrite the future in Côte d’Ivoire? • Involving children at all stages of the programmes • Incorporate specific elements aimed at increasing children’s participation in the learning environment and beyond

30. Children’s participation in the programme cycle • Research/planning: through consultations,workshops and trainings • Delivery: Child-led initiatives, peers education, children’s clubs, child-led organisations • Advocacy and awareness raising • Monitoring and evaluation: child-led evaluations/participation in GIM process

31. Programme activities aimed at increasing children’s participation • Training of teachers/educators and children in children’s rights and participatory approaches • Support to children’s participation in school administration through school management • Support participation in children’s clubs and school cooperatives • Child-led advocacy and campaigning

32. Some examples of children participation to the programme cycle • Children participation in the Situation analysis Côte d’Ivoire in 2006; • Children expressed their difficulties in accessing quality education • In over 146 schools working with the programme, children have been included as effective members of schools management committees • Children’s clubs have been supported within each school • Representatives from the clubs participated to the development of codes of conduct

33. Challenges • RtF versus national education policy • Lack of child friendly material • Involving younger children in monitoring and evaluation • Involving children in the evaluation of schools activities including their teachers • Negotiating a common agenda between parents associations and children’s clubs • What’s next after 2010 ???

34. Thank you for your attention