education for rural people 6 years later

Education for Rural PeopleEducation for Rural People

6 Years Later6 Years Later

David AckerDavid AckerProfessor and Associate DeanProfessor and Associate Dean

College of Agriculture and Life SciencesCollege of Agriculture and Life SciencesIowa State University, USAIowa State University, USA

November 28, 2007November 28, 2007RomeRome

PurposePurpose

Present a global synthesis of lessons learned since Present a global synthesis of lessons learned since the launch of Education for Rural People in 2002the launch of Education for Rural People in 2002

SourceSource

Education for Rural People: Education for Rural People:

What have we learned?What have we learned?

Acker & GasperiniAcker & Gasperini

Journal of International Agricultural Journal of International Agricultural

and Extension Educationand Extension Education

Spring 2008Spring 2008

What is Education for Rural People?What is Education for Rural People?

ERP: dedicated to bringing about ERP: dedicated to bringing about transformation of rural communities transformation of rural communities through capacity building of rural people.through capacity building of rural people.

Worldwide Worldwide call to actioncall to action focusing on focusing on education for rural-based children, youth, education for rural-based children, youth, and adults through formal and non-formal and adults through formal and non-formal education.education.

ERP ObjectivesERP Objectives

Improving:Improving:– access to basic education for rural peopleaccess to basic education for rural people– quality of basic education in rural areasquality of basic education in rural areas– national capacity to implement education national capacity to implement education

programs to address learning needs of rural programs to address learning needs of rural peoplepeople

Overcoming the urban/rural education gapOvercoming the urban/rural education gap

ERP: A Rich Resource CollectionERP: A Rich Resource Collection

33 books and conference proceedings33 books and conference proceedings

57 virtual publications 57 virtual publications

7 published articles7 published articles

8 newsletters8 newsletters

3 theses 3 theses

93 featured activities93 featured activities

ERP ToolkitsERP Toolkits

HistoryHistory

1990: Education For All Declaration and Plan 1990: Education For All Declaration and Plan of Action led by UNESCO in Jomtien, Thailand of Action led by UNESCO in Jomtien, Thailand

HistoryHistory

2000: World Education Forum, Dakar, Senegal2000: World Education Forum, Dakar, Senegal– early childhood developmentearly childhood development– literacy educationliteracy education– girls educationgirls education– education in emergency situationseducation in emergency situations– school healthschool health– aids, schools and healthaids, schools and health– teachers and quality of educationteachers and quality of education– education and disabilityeducation and disability– education for rural peopleeducation for rural people

HistoryHistory

2002: ERP launched at the World Summit for 2002: ERP launched at the World Summit for Sustainable Development, Johannesburg Sustainable Development, Johannesburg

The majority of poor, food insecure, illiterate adults, and The majority of poor, food insecure, illiterate adults, and out of school children live in rural areas and suffer from out of school children live in rural areas and suffer from inequitable access to schools, health care, roads, inequitable access to schools, health care, roads, technology, institutional support and markets. technology, institutional support and markets.

Addressing the educational needs of this "neglected Addressing the educational needs of this "neglected majority" directly contributes to achieving the MDGsmajority" directly contributes to achieving the MDGs

Dr. Jacques Diouf, Director-General of FAODr. Jacques Diouf, Director-General of FAO

ERP Contributes to MDGs:ERP Contributes to MDGs:

1: Eradicating extreme poverty & hunger1: Eradicating extreme poverty & hunger

2: Achieving universal primary education 2: Achieving universal primary education

3: Promoting gender equity, empowering women3: Promoting gender equity, empowering women

7: Ensuring environmental sustainability7: Ensuring environmental sustainability

ERP ImplementationERP Implementation

Policy formation through informed dialoguePolicy formation through informed dialogueParticipatory processes to involve stakeholdersParticipatory processes to involve stakeholdersDecentralization of educational servicesDecentralization of educational servicesMulti-sectoral approaches to rural development Multi-sectoral approaches to rural development Opportunities for donor supportOpportunities for donor supportEducational managementEducational management

Ministries Ministries of of

AgricultureAgriculture

UNESCOUNESCO(including IIEP, etc)(including IIEP, etc)

Ministries Ministries of of

EducationEducation

DonorsDonors

NGOs andNGOs andcivil societycivil society

ADEAADEA

FAOFAO

PresentationPresentation

12 Challenges12 Challenges

12 Lessons12 Lessons

12 Examples12 Examples

Access to EducationAccess to Education

Senior level government representatives Senior level government representatives from 11 African countries reiterated the from 11 African countries reiterated the need to address the gross inequalities that need to address the gross inequalities that marginalize rural peoplemarginalize rural people

Fees and other costsFees and other costs

Distance to schoolsDistance to schools

Challenge # 1Challenge # 1

Access to EducationAccess to Education

School attendance in rural areas has improved School attendance in rural areas has improved significantly since 1999 primarily due to:significantly since 1999 primarily due to:– Removal or reduction of school feesRemoval or reduction of school fees– Free access to learning materialsFree access to learning materials– School constructionSchool construction

1999 to 2004: primary school enrolments1999 to 2004: primary school enrolments– 27% increase in Sub-Saharan Africa 27% increase in Sub-Saharan Africa – 19% increase in South and West Asia19% increase in South and West Asia

UNESCO, 2007UNESCO, 2007

Lesson # 1Lesson # 1

Education for Rural AdultsEducation for Rural Adults– Farmer Field SchoolsFarmer Field Schools

Farmers play an active role in determining training Farmers play an active role in determining training content and in managing training eventscontent and in managing training events

Example # 1Example # 1 Access to EducationAccess to Education

Quality of EducationQuality of Education

Quality of education Quality of education available in rural available in rural areas lags behind areas lags behind urban areasurban areas

Quality remains a Quality remains a critical foundational critical foundational aspect of any aspect of any advance in ERPadvance in ERP

Atchoarena and Gasperini, Atchoarena and Gasperini, 20032003

Quality depends onQuality depends on– facilities facilities – teaching teaching – materials materials – evaluationevaluation– leadershipleadership– curriculumcurriculum– links to communitylinks to community


Quality of EducationQuality of Education

Critically important link between quality and relevance, Critically important link between quality and relevance, vital to increasing the appeal and utility of education for vital to increasing the appeal and utility of education for rural people.rural people.

Contextualized Contextualized learning allows learning allows students to study and students to study and solve real-life solve real-life problems and to problems and to acquire life skills acquire life skills


Relevance of learning through school Relevance of learning through school gardening programsgardening programs

Example # 2Example # 2 Quality of EducationQuality of Education

Flexibility & Local AutonomyFlexibility & Local Autonomy

Centralized curriculum developmentCentralized curriculum development

Rigid implementation of curriculumRigid implementation of curriculum

Lack of community involvement leads to Lack of community involvement leads to disenfranchisementdisenfranchisement



Systems that combine national curricular Systems that combine national curricular standards with some local content standards with some local content determined through community input determined through community input processes have proven successful.processes have proven successful.

Flexibility in academic schedules to Flexibility in academic schedules to accommodate weather, cropping patterns accommodate weather, cropping patterns and the movement of nomadic people. and the movement of nomadic people.



In Thailand, for example, as much as 40% of the In Thailand, for example, as much as 40% of the curriculum was permitted to be based on curriculum was permitted to be based on community and local needs community and local needs

FAO/UNESCO/IIEP, 2002FAO/UNESCO/IIEP, 2002

Example # 3Example # 3

Parent & Community InvolvementParent & Community InvolvementSchools are often viewed as impenetrable Schools are often viewed as impenetrable institutions belonging to the central institutions belonging to the central governmentgovernment


Parent & Community InvolvementParent & Community InvolvementParental and community involvement are key to Parental and community involvement are key to successful and sustainable schoolssuccessful and sustainable schools

Participatory and community-based approaches Participatory and community-based approaches have helped to increase educational access and have helped to increase educational access and to increase community ownership of schools to increase community ownership of schools (FAO/UNESCO/IIEP, 2006). (FAO/UNESCO/IIEP, 2006).

Rural families need to see that the education Rural families need to see that the education their children receive is relevant. their children receive is relevant.


Parent & Community InvolvementParent & Community Involvement

Parent–teacher organizations has a significant impact Parent–teacher organizations has a significant impact on resources available to the schoolon resources available to the school

Improved monitoring Improved monitoring of quality, relevanceof quality, relevance

School lunch School lunch programsprograms


Gender Responsive EnvironmentsGender Responsive Environments

Accommodations must be made to attract and Accommodations must be made to attract and retain school-aged girls and adult womenretain school-aged girls and adult women


GGender ender Responsive Responsive EnvironmentsEnvironments

Flexible timetables to Flexible timetables to accommodate peak labor demand accommodate peak labor demand for girls and adult women for girls and adult women Well-supervised boarding facilities Well-supervised boarding facilities safeguard female children safeguard female children School meals for all children School meals for all children Take-home rations for female Take-home rations for female children to compensate for the children to compensate for the labor lost when they attend school labor lost when they attend school



Gender Responsive EnvironmentsGender Responsive EnvironmentsHalf-day long farmer training short courses Half-day long farmer training short courses geared toward women that have geared toward women that have responsibilities at home.responsibilities at home.


Organizational EfficiencyOrganizational Efficiency

No single institution can provide all No single institution can provide all educational services for rural peopleeducational services for rural people

ERP must be approached systemicallyERP must be approached systemically



Coordination Coordination among extension, among extension, schools, non-schools, non-governmental governmental organizations and organizations and the private sector is the private sector is essential for essential for optimal efficiencyoptimal efficiency



Rural-based agricultural extension officers Rural-based agricultural extension officers are a valuable resource:are a valuable resource:– presentations in their subject area at schoolspresentations in their subject area at schools– conducting adult education classesconducting adult education classes– organizing farmer field schools with both organizing farmer field schools with both

technical and basic educationtechnical and basic education

Rural-based teachers, if trained in the Rural-based teachers, if trained in the specific technical subjects, can support specific technical subjects, can support extension programs during off hours extension programs during off hours


Non-traditional LearnersNon-traditional Learners

refugees and displaced personsrefugees and displaced persons

people in inaccessible and remote areaspeople in inaccessible and remote areas

nomadic and pastoral communitiesnomadic and pastoral communities

out-of-school youthout-of-school youth

disabled personsdisabled persons

ethnic minoritiesethnic minorities

retired child soldiersretired child soldiers

working childrenworking children



Need for multiple educational safety nets to Need for multiple educational safety nets to ensure higher participation ratesensure higher participation rates

Functional adult literacy and alternative basic Functional adult literacy and alternative basic education programs for those who did not have education programs for those who did not have the opportunity to pursue education earlier in life the opportunity to pursue education earlier in life



Integrated Intergenerational Literacy Project in Integrated Intergenerational Literacy Project in Northwest UgandaNorthwest Uganda

Emphasis on both Emphasis on both formal literacy formal literacy and the and the development of development of survival skills survival skills across all age across all age groups. groups.


UNESCO Institute of Life Long Learning

Skills Training for Rural PeopleSkills Training for Rural People

Skills needed to Skills needed to succeed in global, succeed in global, knowledge knowledge economies.economies.



Life skillsLife skills

Food production skills Food production skills

Self-employment skillsSelf-employment skills

Appropriate non-formal skills training for adults Appropriate non-formal skills training for adults and school drop-outs can permit rural people to and school drop-outs can permit rural people to diversify their skills for a more secure livelihood diversify their skills for a more secure livelihood and greater resiliency during times of stressand greater resiliency during times of stress




Junior Farmer Field and Life Schools in Junior Farmer Field and Life Schools in Mozambique that deal with agricultural as Mozambique that deal with agricultural as well as life skills development among well as life skills development among young rural citizens young rural citizens



Redefining Redefining Agricultural Agricultural EducationEducation

Agricultural education: Agricultural education: sharply focused on the sharply focused on the preparation of people preparation of people for on-farm for on-farm employment and employment and public sector positionspublic sector positions


Redefining Agricultural EducationRedefining Agricultural EducationCrowder, Lindley, Bruening and Doron (1999) Crowder, Lindley, Bruening and Doron (1999) redefined traditional agricultural educationredefined traditional agricultural education

Agricultural education must reflect changes taking Agricultural education must reflect changes taking place in rural areas:place in rural areas:– technology changestechnology changes– global supply chainsglobal supply chains– health challengeshealth challenges– on- and off-farm employment on- and off-farm employment – global environmental changesglobal environmental changes– entrepreneurship and small enterprise developmententrepreneurship and small enterprise development


Redefining Agricultural EducationRedefining Agricultural Education

EARTH University in Costa RicaEARTH University in Costa Rica

Four pillars:Four pillars:– Social Commitment Social Commitment – Environmental Awareness Environmental Awareness – Entrepreneurial Mentality Entrepreneurial Mentality – Development of Human Values Development of Human Values


Teachers and Extension StaffTeachers and Extension Staff Recruitment and retention of rural teachers and Recruitment and retention of rural teachers and extension staff present significant challengesextension staff present significant challenges


Teachers and Extension StaffTeachers and Extension Staff

Recruitment practices Recruitment practices – by attracting prospective teachers and extension by attracting prospective teachers and extension

workers who are originally from rural areasworkers who are originally from rural areas

More attractive deployment policies:More attractive deployment policies:– bonuses and higher salariesbonuses and higher salaries– loan forgivenessloan forgiveness– provision of subsidized housingprovision of subsidized housing– access to better health careaccess to better health care– posting newly qualified staff in pairsposting newly qualified staff in pairs– establishment of career progression optionsestablishment of career progression options


Teachers and Extension StaffTeachers and Extension StaffMalaysia: a package of incentives Malaysia: a package of incentives including a piece of land and training in including a piece of land and training in agriculture was used to encourage agriculture was used to encourage teachers to stay in rural areas. teachers to stay in rural areas. Lao PDR: profit sharing in school-based Lao PDR: profit sharing in school-based income-generating activities is allowed income-generating activities is allowed – both students and teachers benefit financially both students and teachers benefit financially



InfrastructureInfrastructureSchool facilities represent a significant School facilities represent a significant public investment in rural areas public investment in rural areas


InfrastructureInfrastructure

School building use optimized through double shift School building use optimized through double shift classes and for after-hours adult educationclasses and for after-hours adult education

Satellite schools for the youngest children from Satellite schools for the youngest children from remote areas remote areas

ICT has potential for us in rural areasICT has potential for us in rural areas


InfrastructureInfrastructure

XO ComputerXO Computer


Effective Pro-rural PoliciesEffective Pro-rural Policies

Motivating major changes in policy and Motivating major changes in policy and resource allocation to favor rural citizens is resource allocation to favor rural citizens is difficult to achieve due to the absence of difficult to achieve due to the absence of powerful political forces that advocate for powerful political forces that advocate for rural people. rural people.


Effective Pro-rural PoliciesEffective Pro-rural PoliciesNational policies and strategies that National policies and strategies that effectively address ERP recognize the effectively address ERP recognize the diversity of needs of rural people diversity of needs of rural people – agro-ecological and geographic differencesagro-ecological and geographic differences– socio-economic and cultural differences socio-economic and cultural differences



Effective Pro-rural PoliciesEffective Pro-rural Policies

A strategy for Education for Rural People A strategy for Education for Rural People in Kosovo: 2004 - 2009in Kosovo: 2004 - 2009


What Will Success Look Like?What Will Success Look Like?

A systemic needs-based approach that A systemic needs-based approach that fosters education (including extension) by fosters education (including extension) by expanding access and improving quality expanding access and improving quality for all children, youth and adults. for all children, youth and adults. Rural people engaged in knowledge-Rural people engaged in knowledge-based economies based economies Rural people prepared to learn in order to Rural people prepared to learn in order to adapt to globalization, climate change, and adapt to globalization, climate change, and other forcesother forces

Action at the National LevelAction at the National Level

National people-centered and rights-based National people-centered and rights-based and justice-oriented strategies and and justice-oriented strategies and sustainable rural livelihoods approaches sustainable rural livelihoods approaches

Given an unequivocal associationGiven an unequivocal association between between primary education for rural people and primary education for rural people and food security, sfood security, strong multi-sectoral trong multi-sectoral cooperation is required.cooperation is required.

Burchi and De Muro, 2007Burchi and De Muro, 2007

Action at the International LevelAction at the International Level

ERP needs to become a commitment of all ERP needs to become a commitment of all UN agencies and plans, bilateral donors, UN agencies and plans, bilateral donors, NGOs, private sector and others.NGOs, private sector and others.

ERP is a complement to programs in food ERP is a complement to programs in food security, poverty alleviation and security, poverty alleviation and sustainable natural resources sustainable natural resources management and could be combined with management and could be combined with such programs to increase efficiency. such programs to increase efficiency.

Action: Role of DonorsAction: Role of Donors

Investments in the educational aspects of Investments in the educational aspects of agriculture and rural development are needed. agriculture and rural development are needed. Donor coordination at the national level can be Donor coordination at the national level can be improved by agreeing on an overall vision with improved by agreeing on an overall vision with governments, by coordinating separate funding governments, by coordinating separate funding streams and through regular monitoring and streams and through regular monitoring and dialog. dialog. Leadership from regional and international Leadership from regional and international granting and lending organizations will be granting and lending organizations will be essential for those countries committed to essential for those countries committed to elevating the education levels of their rural elevating the education levels of their rural citizens. citizens.

education for rural people 6 years later

Documents

rural peoplefees

rural peoplehistory2002

education programs

launch of education

rural areasnational

ruralbased children

world education forum

universal primary education