Education

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Training on elections

Primary schools in Niger are facing the problem that relationships among residents, parents and school representatives are not functioning well.

Accordingly, JICA has supported the development and proliferation of a school management committee model since 2004. The school enrollment rate has expanded significantly as a result of this and other activities.

Schools by and for the Community

School management committees comprising residents, parents and school representatives have been established at primary schools in Niger. A major problem, however, is that the committees are not functioning efficiently. With JICA's support, the Project on Support for the Improvement of School Management through Community Participation (School for All) was initiated in 2004 in which residents, parents, school representatives and administrators come together to suggest ways to build a more effective school system.

The committees take the lead in formulating and implementing an action plan for the improvement of school environments. The learning environment is improved with school building expansion and renovations by the local labor force and more textbooks and teaching materials purchased with donations from the community. At the same time, the studying environment at home has been improved by raising the awareness of the need for schooling among residents who have taken part in school improvements.

Significant Improvement in School Enrollment and Completion Rates and Expansion to Neighboring Countries

A "minimum package" introduced under the project in the Tahoua and Zinder regions was found to be effective in invigorating school management committees. This package entails (1) democratic election of committee members (to form an organization that can be trusted), (2) introduction of a school action plan (planning and implementation of activities to improve education using own resources), and (3) creation of a monitoring system (establishment of a support system by educational administrators and school management committee). Planned and highly transparent initiatives (improving facilities, promoting girls' attendance, providing health education, preschool education, education benefiting lifestyle and environmental education, and holding mock exams, etc., through participation by local citizens and caregivers) have played a big part in improving school environments.

Smiling children at a school in Niger

In light of these results, the School for All Project entered its second phase (four-year period) in 2007 with the cooperation of JICA. A tie-up with the World Bank combined with training on elections and school action plan formulation has enabled the minimum package to be introduced at 6,800 schools in six other regions. Technical Cooperation has also been strengthened based on the monitoring system and community needs.

As a result, school environments are being improved at around 10,000 schools nationwide through community participation. The school enrollment rate, which was around 50% in 2004, climbed to around 68% in 2009 (980,000 to 1.55 million schoolchildren). The school completion rate has risen to almost 50%, while both school enrollment and completion rates have increased for girls.

JICA has also supported the establishment of community kindergartens, which are managed by local citizens with input from school management committees. Around 160 kindergartens had been built by the end of 2009, giving some 10,000 children the opportunity for preschool education.

Following its success in Niger, JICA launched similar projects in neighboring West African countries such as Senegal, Mali and Burkina Faso. The projects are being implemented to improve learning environments by establishing school management committees at around 3,800 schools (for approximately 620,000 children).