Canadian Support for the Medium-Term Investment in Education Program in Mali
Project / Program Summary
I. Basic data
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II. Project / program description
In 1995, Mali began to restructure its education system as part of an overall planning process. The cost of the Medium-Term Investment in Education program (PISE), implemented with the help of donors, is estimated at about US$170M for the next five years. The program favours the development of democratic schools in a decentralized environment, and proposes school - and community-centred reform. The Canadian Support for PISE program was defined in coordination with and as a complement to education sector investments by the Government of Mali and other donors.
- Objectives
The goal of Canadian support is to help increase the effectiveness of basic education in qualitative terms. Its objective is help improve school life by increasing the competence of teachers, strengthening school management, and providing textbooks and furnishings. - Activities / contents
Canadian support for PISE consists of four tiers:
Tier I - Analysis of teacher training needs, provision of textbooks and furnishings ($3.5M over 2 years)
Following the analysis of teacher training needs, the supply of textbooks (grammars and readers), and the provision of 10,000 table-desks will enable teachers and public to realize that the reshaping of the education system has truly begun.
Tier II - Support in coordinating the new educational policy ($1.5M over 5 years) This tier offers support for the steering committee responsible for coordinating, monitoring and evaluating how the restructuring is implemented, by providing it with on-demand special expertise to meet the needs expressed and defined by the committee.
Tier III - Ongoing training of teachers ($13M over 5 years) This ongoing training for active teachers will have a positive impact on student performance. The teacher monitoring and supervision system will be implemented to ensure the application of the knowledge acquired through the training received, and to reduce the effects of attrition.
Tier IV - Participation in a decentralized school management experiment ($1.5M over 3 years) This tier will support the Kayes Regional Education Directorate (DRE) in establishing school management committees in existing public schools. The Paul Gérin-Lajoie Foundation and UNICEF will assist DRE in this experiment. DRE and other partners will help to define a decentralized model of school management. - Expected outcomes / impacts
The four activities defined will help to achieve some of the expected results of the ten-year basic education development program:- by improving the quality of basic education;
- by significantly increasing the enrolment rate by the year 2008;
- by substantially increasing the crude enrolment rate for girls and reducing the gender gap;
- by reorganizing partnership around schools, based on the capacities of decentralized communities, communities and the private sector, which are expected to play a complementary role alongside the state.
- Features in line with the Agenda for Action
Canadian support for PISE is in line with the Agenda for Action, since it focuses both on capacity building as a cross-cutting theme, and on social development, by helping to revitalize the basic education sector.
III. Contact point:
Georges Leclerc
Program Manager
994-3762
(End)
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