creating partnerships, educating children: case studies from catholic relief services

Creating Partnerships,Educating Children

Case Studies from Catholic Relief Services

Published by:Catholic Relief Services209 West Fayette StreetBaltimore, Maryland 21201-3443USA

Written by:Christine Capacci Carneal and Michael PozniakCatholic Relief Services

Graphic Design by:Jim Doyle

Edited by:The New England Writers Group

Photo Credits: Sean Sprague, Michael Hoyt, Rebecca Janes, Bill Crandall,Tom Price, Renee Fischer

Copyright 2004ISBN: 0-945356-13-7

Readers may copy, translate or adapt this book for non-profit use, provided copies,translations or adaptations are distributed free or at cost. Please give appropriatecitation credit to the authors and to Catholic Relief Services. Any organization orperson wishing to copy or adapt any part or all of this book for profit must firstobtain permission from Catholic Relief Services.

Since 1943, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has held the privilege of serving the poorand disadvantaged overseas. Without regard to race, creed, or nationality, CRS pro-vides emergency relief in the wake of natural and man-made disasters. Throughdevelopment projects in the fields of education, peace and justice, agriculture, microfi-nance, health and HIV/AIDS, CRS works to uphold human dignity and promotebetter standards of living. Today, CRS assists people in need in 94 countries and ter-ritories across five continents, and supports education programs in over 30 countries.

Creating Partnerships,Educating Children

Case Studies from Catholic Relief Services

Christine Capacci Carneal and Michael PozniakCatholic Relief Services

4

Education for sustainable development is a means to

achieving many, if not most, of the Millennium

Development Goals…Realizing and reaching those

goals may take time, but providing all with educational oppor-

tunities will have an immediate, verifiable and measurable

impact on the well being of the people of the world and on

their sustainable development.

—Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the Vatican's permanent observer to the UnitedNations, before the Committee of the General Assembly concerned with the

Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (October 23, 2003)

“

”

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ContentsAcknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Foreword by Beryl Levinger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Acronym List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

PART 1:From Participation to Partnership: Redefining the Role of Communities inImproving Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Ghana: From School Feeding to Advocacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12India: From Work to School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Reflections on Community Partnerships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

PART II:Strengthening Civil Society Through Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Macedonia: The Path to Civil Society Begins at School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Kosovo: Parent Teacher Councils as a Positive Force for Change . . . . . . . . . 27Haiti: The Rise of PTA Federations and Grassroots Networks . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Reflections on Strengthening Civil Society Through Education . . . . . . . . . . 35

PART III:Fostering Partnerships to Shape Education Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Vietnam: Inclusive Education in a Child-Friendly Nation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38Burkina Faso: Building on a Long Relationship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41Serbia: Establishing Networks for Early Childhood Care and

Development (ECCD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Reflections on Institutional Partnerships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

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CREATING PARTNERSHIPS, EDUCATING CHILDREN

AcknowledgementsCRS gratefully acknowledges the support provided by USAID, DCHA/Food for

Peace under the terms of Award Number FAO-A-00-98-00046-00. The support ofFood for Peace has been instrumental in helping us to significantly expand our edu-cation portfolio and broaden our base of education programming interventions.This increased capacity is highlighted in these case studies. The views expressed inthis publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the viewsof USAID.

We are grateful for the contributions of Akanksha Marphatia, who conductedfield visits, developed multiple rough drafts and provided invaluable ideas through-out the development of these case studies. We are also grateful for the expert guid-ance provided by Cornelia Janke of the Education Development Center (EDC) inhelping to conceptualize and review these cases over many months. In addition, weappreciate the insightful input and feedback from our CRS headquarters colleagues.

Most importantly, CRS acknowledges our many dedicated and tireless staff andpartners in Ghana, India, Macedonia, Kosovo, Haiti, Vietnam, Burkina Faso andSerbia. The work documented here is a result of their commitment to excellence. Anyerrors or omissions are solely those of the authors. We are also inspired by the numer-ous communities and parents around the world with whom we work in partnership,and who struggle every day to ensure their children’s right to a basic education.


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ForewordIn many countries around the globe, lives have been transformed through recent

technological advances. Change is fast paced, and the latest innovations often defyimagination. But for 1.2 billion members of the human family who live on less than$1 a day—one of every five people in the developing world—change has been any-thing but quick. Indeed, it is the entrenched nature of this absolute poverty thatdefies imagination.

When progress occurs, it is often fleeting. Thus, the world bore witness to a declinein the number of absolute poor between 1993 and 1996, but the trend was short-lived.With the advent of the global financial crisis in 1997, the number was once again onthe rise. And, when China is excluded from the analysis, the number of people livingon under $1 a day has actually been steadily rising since 1987. Indeed, in sub-SaharanAfrica, average income levels are now lower than they were at the end of the 1960s.

This stark reality served as the backdrop for the Millennium Summit held inSeptember 2000. There, 189 countries endorsed eight goals that serve as an exit rampfor those trapped on the highway of perennial poverty. The goals are readily under-stood if not necessarily readily achieved: (1) eradicate extreme poverty and hunger;(2) achieve universal primary education; (3) promote gender equality and empowerwomen; (4) reduce child mortality; (5) improve the health of mothers; (6) combatHIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; (7) ensure environmental sustainability; and,(8) create global partnerships that support the achievement of these goals.

Education—getting more children to enter better schools and then complete theprescribed course of study—is a key ingredient of the "magic potion" that will turnthis rhetoric into reality. Hunger, disease and poverty cannot be eradicated withoutconquering illiteracy. Women cannot assume their rightful place in society if morethan one half billion of them cannot read, write or perform basic arithmetic functions(as was the case in the year 2000).

Today, more than 325 million children are out of school at primary and second-ary levels. Why? Here are five answers that provide most, though not all, of theexplanation:

� It is too burdensome for families with members who live on less than one dollarper day to meet both the out-of-pocket and opportunity costs of school atten-dance; children need to contribute to the family’s economic survival;

� Parents often view existing educational opportunities to be of very low quality;they perceive that the investment they must make to send their children to schoolis unwarranted in light of anticipated returns;

� Poor countries—despite dedicating a relatively high proportion of their nationalbudget to education—often cannot educate all the children who wish to attendschool. This leads to the practice of rationing school places through policies thatsystematically exclude or discourage populations deemed to be marginal (e.g., specialneeds students; children from ethnic and linguistic minority communities; girls);

� Millions of children are too sick or hungry to attend school; they are trapped in a

8


downward spiral that begins with poor attendance, progresses to academic failure,and concludes with abandonment of the education enterprise; and

� Education systems are insensitive to what it takes to bring more girls to the class-room: schools that are close to home; separate toilet facilities for girls; encouragingteachers; instructional materials with female role models; and, whenever possible,child care facilities for younger siblings who have not yet reached school age.

The present volume contains eight case studies that offer important insights intohow these five challenges can be met. Vignettes from Ghana and India illustrate howparents and other community members can become actively engaged in demandingand contributing to the availability of quality education for their children. Parentalinvolvement has been shown in numerous studies around the world to be of criticalimportance in improving educational access and quality.

The case studies from Macedonia, Kosovo and Haiti allow us to explore themutually reinforcing and reciprocal linkages between civil society and education. Ifthere is one lesson that has characterized the evolution of development practice overthe last decade, it is this: strong civil society is a necessary precondition for sustainabledevelopment. Schooling is both cause and effect; universal education helps to createthe bonds of trust among citizens that are the underpinning of a functional civil soci-ety. At the same time, schooling becomes more accessible and of higher quality whenpeople work through civil society organizations to demand accountability from teach-ers and other government officials for what children learn.

We learn through reports from Vietnam, Burkina Faso, and Serbia how external aidorganizations (here, Catholic Relief Services) can serve as a critical link between localcommunities and policy-making bodies thereby helping to give voice to the voiceless.Collectively, these three cases also present a roadmap for how international organiza-tions can form and maintain partnerships with national authorities to benefit vulnerablechildren. Within the broader field of development, we have clearly entered the "era ofpartnership." Given this new context, these studies are especially timely and valuable.

In summary, these case studies allow us to gain a rare "from the ground" view ofwhat is needed to address each of the five challenges noted earlier. The cases alsoopen our eyes to the important role external actors can play in helping to create anenabling environment that favors universal basic education.

The eighth Millennium Development Goal challenges people in both the Northand South to create global partnerships that support the ambitious vision endorsed bymost of the world’s nations. This is a lofty aspiration. But, the eight case studies pre-sented here offer an array of invaluable insights into how this can be achieved. Assuch, they make for important reading.

Beryl LevingerDistinguished Professor of Nonprofit Management

Monterey Institute of International StudiesMonterey, California

February 22, 2004


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Acronym ListAED Academy for Educational DevelopmentBED Bureau for Educational DevelopmentCCE Center for Civic EducationCFMC Community Food Management CommitteeCRS Catholic Relief ServicesCSC Community Steering CommitteeECCD Early Childhood Care and DevelopmentEDC Education Development CenterEPIP Education Participation Improvement ProjectESP Education Support ProgramfCUBE Free Compulsory Universal Basic EducationFFP Food for PeaceGES Ghana Education ServiceKDOE Kosovo Department of EducationLMSSS Lodi Multipurpose Social Service SocietyMEBA Ministry of Basic Education and LiteracyMGBS Mandala Grameena Bhagsyama SamsthaMoE Ministry of EducationMoES Ministry of Education and ScienceMOET Ministry of Education and TrainingMVF Mamidipudi Venkatarangaiya FoundationNATO North American Treaty AllianceNDI National Democratic InstituteNGO Non-Governmental OrganizationNIES National Institute for Education SciencesPC Parent CouncilPDDEB Plan Décennal de Développement de l’Education de BasePSP Parent-School Partnership PTA Parent Teacher AssociationPTC Parent Teacher CouncilPTF Technical and Financial PartnersQUIPS Quality Improvement in Primary SchoolsSMC School Management CommitteeSPIP School Performance Improvement PlanSQA Scottish Qualifications AuthorityUNDP United Nations Development ProgrammeUNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural OrganizationUNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for RefugeesUNICEF United Nations Children’s FundUNMIK United Nations Mission in KosovoUSAID United States Agency for International DevelopmentVIP Villages in Partnership

FROM PARTICIPATION TO PARTNERSHIP:Redefining the Role of Communities inImproving Education

Case Studies from GHANA and INDIA

Decentralization has emerged asan important trend in currenteducation reform strategies

undertaken by governments in differentparts of the world. This creates a grow-ing opportunity for local communitiesto exert their right to quality and rele-vant education, and to redefine theirown roles in making this happen. Italso, however, increases the likelihoodthat communities may bear a dispropor-tionate burden of the costs of education.As the role of communities in support-ing education continues to evolve, it isimportant to re-examine the nature oftheir participation carefully.

Active participation by communitiesin education can help accomplish manygoals. Among them are increased accessto and retention of children in schools(in particular girls), better links betweenlearning programs and the needs of thepopulations they serve, and improvedteacher attendance and accountability.Mobilized communities are more will-

ing to contribute scarce resources toeducation, and in many cases, even par-ticipate in managing local schools.Given these many contributions, it istime for communities to move frommerely participating in projectsdesigned by others to becoming genuinepartners involved in education systems,influencing and making joint decisionson projects and policies.

This begins by distinguishingbetween the terms participation andpartnership. Participation has beendescribed as a process through whichstakeholders influence and guide devel-opment initiatives and the decisionsand resources that affect them.1 Whilein theory participation is good andsomething to strive for, in reality itoften denotes a contribution to anexternally initiated project. By contrast,partnership is a relationship of mutualcommitment built upon a shared visionand spirit of solidarity.2 Building effec-tive partnerships with communities isan ongoing effort, requiring much moretime and work than merely ensuringparticipation.

The following case studies illustratehow CRS has both facilitated and mod-eled partnerships in Ghana and India,enabling communities to move beyondproject-oriented goals to genuine part-nerships that aim to improve education,especially for the most vulnerable chil-dren. Both cases underscore the impor-tance of partnership and are testamentsto the idea that no single entity—gov-ernment, non-governmental organiza-tion (NGO), or community—can pro-vide quality education on its own.

CREATING PARTNERSHIPS, EDUCATING CHILDREN PART ONE

11

1 The World Bank (1996), The World Bank Participation Sourcebook.2 CRS (2002), Partnership Program Guidance.

GHANA:FROM SCHOOLFEEDING TO ADVOCACY

The northernregions ofGhana are

less developed thanthe southern regionsof the country andexperience higherlevels of absolutepoverty and foodinsecurity. Families

in northern Ghana, and throughoutrural West Africa, make daily choicesthat affect their economic well-being.Many children cannot attend schoolbecause of the demands of subsistencelivelihoods and poverty. The opportuni-ty cost of having girls in school as op-posed to working in the home, caringfor younger siblings, or earning a wagein the marketplace is tallied by eachhead of household. School fees, uni-forms, and books all add to this costand often weigh against enrolling chil-dren in school or allowing them toattend regularly. Many children whobegin primary school are forced to dropout before completing their studies.Children have access to quality educa-tion only when their parents see it as aworthwhile investment. In resource-deprived communities, working withparents so they understand the value ofthis investment is critical.

School Feeding as an EntryPoint for Education

CRS began implementing school

feeding programs in northern Ghanawhen it started working in the countryin 1958. Through its USAID/Food forPeace-supported Education SupportProgram (ESP), CRS hasshown that providing a dailymeal in schools, combinedwith a special-incentive take-home ration for girls whoattend regularly, can have amarked impact on a commu-nity’s willingness to supporteducation. By training thecommunity itself to manage aschool canteen throughCommunity FoodManagement Committees(CFMCs), CRS has enabledpeople in rural, food-insecureareas to tangibly influencefactors that affect their lives.Once a community is mobi-lized to take charge of onetype of resource, it begins to ask howother resources are being managed. Ineducation, this manifests itself in com-munity demands for children to attendschool not only to eat but also to learn.

An evaluation of ESP found that"the success…in promoting communityparticipation in education was, arguably,[its] single most important achieve-ment."3 The evaluation noted that"community participation in ESPschools goes well beyond school feed-ing. Communities have provided laborfor constructing classrooms andkitchens and making other infrastruc-ture improvements. They have plantedorchards and wood lots around schoolperimeters. They have monitored theattendance of teachers, and even dis-cussed the quality of teaching with head

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PART ONE CREATING PARTNERSHIPS, EDUCATING CHILDREN

Taa nye ni jiem (We are grateful)

In the community of Farinsa, aCRS-trained Community FoodManagement Committee (CFMC)manages the school feeding pro-gram. This has brought the com-munity closer to the school.Almost all CFMC members are onthe school compound and interactwith teachers and pupils regularly.Parents now actively speak withteachers about their children’sprogress and contribute to teach-ing and learning materials. PTAChairman Thomas Aparik says,"We now have a picture of whathappens daily in the school, so wewill ensure that pupils are regularand punctual at school."

3 Development Alternatives, Inc. (2001), Final Evaluation of USAID/Ghana’s PL 480 Title II Program.

teachers. In some schools, PTAs haveoffered housing, food, and salary sup-plements to teachers. PTA activism hasalso led to the dismissal of teachers whowere persistently absent or whose teach-ing was not judged adequate."4

Increases in overall enrollment andattendance—the ultimate goals of theprogram—have followed. Over a four-year period, enrollment in programschools increased by 4 percent, and theenrollment of girls increased at a fasterrate than that of boys.5 Average atten-dance rates increased during the periodas well—by 11 percent over baseline forall students and 14 percent for girls.6

The final evaluation credits CRS inter-ventions involving communities andparents for much of this change.

Building on CommunitySuccess

ESP achievements set the stage forCRS to become one of the implement-ing partners for the USAID QualityImprovement in Primary Schools(QUIPS) program for Ghana’s threenorthern regions.7 QUIPS aims toimprove the quality of educationthrough teacher and supervisor train-ing, district-level management training,and enhanced community awarenessand participation. It complements arecent government decentralizationstrategy known as fCUBE (FreeCompulsory Universal BasicEducation), which expresses a nationalcommitment to involve communities inmanaging schools.

CRS’ work with parents and com-munity members provided fertile soil inwhich the technical inputs of QUIPScould take root. Without communitysupport for education as a solid founda-tion, QUIPS would have limitedimpact. Community respect for teach-ers, renewed pride in school infrastruc-ture, and a belief that the time childrenspend in school will ultimately benefitthe entire family can be attributed inpart to the initial achievements made bycommunities to manage that simple yetinvaluable resource: food.

From Participation toPartnership: Steps Along the Way

Moving from participation to part-nership, of course, is a multi-step processthat takes time. In Ghana, CRS pro-motes the following four steps for work-ing in partnership with communities.

1. Involving Communities as Partnersin the Planning Phase. CRS workswith a community in the initialplanning phase to ensure the properassessment of needs. This is done byusing an asset-based approach thatidentifies a community’s strengthsand aspirations, rather than itsproblems and deficiencies. CRSworks with the entire community toidentify why school enrollment,retention, and completion rates arelow. Emphasis is placed on discov-ering and building on the strengths,assets, and best practices of the


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4 Ibid.5 Ibid.6 Ibid.7 Academy for Educational Development (AED) and Education Development Center (EDC) are the other

main implementing partners of QUIPS.

community. As one participant said,"If you look for success, you findmore successes."8 The processinvolves interviewing boys, girls,men, women, and teachers in sepa-rate groups regarding education-related problems. The groups thencome together in a community-widediscussion using activities such asdrama to explore the different wayseach group, and the entire commu-nity, can improve the primaryschool. This lays the foundation forthe next step.

2. Increasing Local Participation inSchool Activities. In this step, com-munity participation begins to gobeyond CRS-organized events. Thecommunity begins to organize andtake part in education rallies andmobilization efforts, works toimprove the school’s infrastructureand environment, provides teachingand learning resources, and monitorsstudent and teacher attendance.Community-based project teams,composed of community animatorsand PTA leaders, work regularlywith the community. The presenceof these teams increases the effec-tiveness of community efforts andheightens the community’s visibilityat the district and regional levels ofthe Ghana Education Service(GES).9

3. Reinforcing Community-LevelOrganizations. In Ghana, PTAs andSchool Management Committees(SMCs) are the main community

associations involved in schools.10

Mandated by the fCUBE, almostevery school has a PTA or SMC,though many are dormant. Sincethese groups are part of both theESP and QUIPS programs, CRShas made concerted efforts to revivethem. CRS trains PTA and SMCmembers in areas such as leadership,volunteerism, communitymobilization, education policy,gender awareness and equity,and fundraising. Results showthat this training has increasedthe capabilities of PTAs andSMCs and also increased theirability to identify the respec-tive responsibilities of thecommunity and local govern-ment in meeting educationneeds. This encourages thecommunity to be accountablefor its actions and to hold thegovernment accountable forwhat it should provide. Withincreased accountability comesincreased community and gov-ernment trust in PTAs andSMCs, enhancing their repu-tation as legitimate partners inthe education system.

4. Enhancing Communities’Abilities to Define andManage Their OwnEducation Needs. OncePTAs and SMCs have beentrained, CRS introduces them tothe School PerformanceImprovement Plan (SPIP).11 TheSPIP is a tool that helps communi-

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8 CRS (2002), The Link: QUIPS in the North, issue 4.9 The GES is an arm of the Ministry of Education responsible for implementing policy at the pre-tertiary level.10 SMCs are comprised of leaders of the PTA and a district assembly person. They communicate commu-

nity concerns to the GES.11 The SPIP tool was developed collectively by QUIPS implementing partners and the GES.

Kobukko CommunityAdvocates for IncreasedResources from theGovernment

The school started as a shed nearthe river. It was hard to reach, pro-vided little shelter from the after-noon sun, and often requiredrebuilding during the rainy sea-son. Initial awareness raisingcampaigns led by CRS helpedKobukko residents understandtheir right to a proper schoolbuilding. Community membersworked together on a SchoolPerformance Improvement Planand used it to appeal to CRS andthe Ghana Education Service(GES) (via a district assembly per-son who participates in the SchoolManagement Committee) for anew school and more teachers.The GES provided two moreteachers. CRS provided materialsand a mason to teach the commu-nity how to build classrooms,which were constructed withintwo months. "We now not onlyhave a three-classroom buildingbut also new skills with which wecan get jobs as masons."

—Interview with communitymembers and GES officials

ties better define their own educa-tional needs, assess whether or notexternal development projects meetthese needs, and develop comple-mentary activities.

CRS introduces SPIP during a com-munity-wide meeting, co-facilitated byCRS and a community member at thebeginning of the school term. Duringthe meeting, the community identifieskey activities that can enhance teachingand learning in the school. It thenselects specific tasks, chooses managersfor each task, identifies resources need-ed, and sets a time frame for achievingtargeted activities. Thereafter, localpartners and community facilitatorsmeet periodically to monitor progresson achieving these goals. During thesemeetings, CRS assists the communityin evaluating its own progress. An

example of a completed SPIP from thecommunity of Kamega is detailed in thetable below.

Equipped with tools such as theSPIP, communities are better able toidentify their own education needs andarticulate their right to quality educa-tion. This SPIP—and the mobilizationskills learned while working with it—helps communities lobby the GES formore resources and support in improv-ing schools.

Through this four-step process,CRS’ relationship with communitiesdeepens and matures as communitiesbegin to see themselves as legitimatestakeholders in the education system.The trust and solidarity that developduring this process transform commu-nities from implementers of a CRSproject to genuine partners in the effortto improve education.


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SPIP for Kamega Primary School

Target Task/Activity Who Is Necessary Time SuccessResponsible Resources Frame Indicators

Provide Levy parents Parents Money October 2002 Availability ofEnglish/math (cash/kind) PTA/SMC Farm produce to April 2003 texts in ratio

textbooks in the Appeal Head teacher desiredratio of 1:1 to to GES Assembly library books person

Construct library Acquire land Chief/elders Money January 2003 Library builtCash contribution Parents Labor to April 2003 and in useContribute food SMC/PTA Land

Contact assembly executives Foodstuffperson and Head teachers,

District AssemblyAssembly person

Acquire sports Levy parents Parents Land October 2002 to Playgroundequipment and Appeal to SMC/PTA Labor December 2002 and sports

playground religious executives Money equipmentbodies, MP, Head teacher in usechief, etc. Chief/elders by children

District sportsorganization

Provide urinal Appeal to NGOs Community Money January 2003 Urinaland toilet facility SMC/PTA Labor to April 2003 and toilet

executives Foodstuff facility builtAssembly person and in use

Looking Ahead: FosteringPartnerships BetweenCommunities and Government

While CRS’ initiatives are changinghow communities contribute to improv-ing schools, it must be recognized thatcommunities alone cannot raise qualityor reform the education system. A con-certed effort from all stakeholders isrequired to achieve this long-term goal.In the long run, the likelihood of theGES following through on promises toimprove quality, and how and where itdoes so, depends on improved partner-ships and dialogue with communities.Fortunately the current policy environ-ment in Ghana creates space for com-munity-government partnerships tomature.

CRS tries to take advantage of thisspace by building stronger bridgesbetween these two actors. As part of theQUIPS project, CRS trains district andregional education officials in commu-nity mobilization techniques, co-man-agement of education initiatives withcommunities, capacity building trainingfor other government officials, andmonitoring and evaluation. Like com-munity members, government officialsare now becoming more engaged andactive in projects because they feel agreater sense of ownership in schools,and because communities value theircontribution. This helps ensure thatgains in education are sustained.Together, these partners work tostrengthen the Ghanaian education sys-tem and ensure that the fCUBE man-date of every child in school is met.

INDIA:FROM WORK TOSCHOOL

Every child not in school is achild laborer.12

It is a simple fact: a child whoattends school is less likely to work,less susceptible to exploitation, and

more likely to experience improvedopportunities in the future. But roughly100 million of India’s children do notattend school and are subject to childlabor.13 Many of these children work inpeople’s homes, on farms, in fisheries, infactories, in mines, or as prostitutes.They do not attend school for a varietyof reasons: poverty; lack of awarenessamong parents about the importance ofeducation; cultural beliefs; inadequatefacilities; irrelevant curricula; and poorteaching. Parents under economic stressmay believe they have no choice but toencourage their children to work. Otherchildren may not attend school formore sinister reasons: they are lured byemployers’ false promises of gifts, arebonded to employers by their parents’debts, or are kidnapped and forced towork. They are stripped of childhood inreturn for their cheap, obedient labor.

Employers often rationalize theexploitation through one myth oranother. Farmers, for instance, haveargued that young girls make the bestcotton pickers because of their heightand "nimble" fingers. Girls aged 7 to14 comprise 85 percent of the totallabor employed in hybrid cottonseed

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12 Motto of MVF, CRS’ local partner in Andhra Pradesh.13 Wazir (2002), Getting Children Out of Work and Into School.

production in India’s southern state ofAndhra Pradesh, the state with thehighest percentage of child labor in thecountry.14 Other work commonly per-formed by children includes cattle

grazing and agriculture, har-vesting of crops (girls), andplowing (boys). Domesticwork, done mostly by girls,includes collecting water,fuel, and wood; taking care ofsiblings; washing clothes; andcooking and other householdwork.15

The MamidipudiVenkatarangaiya Foundation(MVF), an Indian NGOwhose mission is to eradicatechild labor, was founded onthe premise that every childnot in school is a child laborerand that the only way toeliminate child labor isthrough full-time formal edu-cation. CRS’ work in educa-tion in Andhra Pradesh hasbeen greatly influenced andshaped by the philosophy andapproach of MVF.16 It is aholistic approach, gearedtoward working with commu-nity members to stress theimportance of education.Community members them-selves act as advocates to gainbroad support for endingchild labor practices. Theseextensive mobilization activi-

ties undertaken by members of the

community help to ensure that children,parents, and employers value educationas a right of every child.

This approach has now become amovement in Andhra Pradesh, widelyadopted by the government, NGOs,and communities. To contribute to thismovement, CRS facilitates linksbetween its own extensive partner net-work and MVF to maximize thestrengths of each partner and to reachmany thousands of children. The part-ners employ a series of activities toinvolve all community members in theprocess of withdrawing children fromwork and enrolling them in school.These activities are outlined below.17

1. Identify Core Group of VolunteerGrassroots Leaders. Volunteer lead-ers willing to participate in activitiesto eliminate child labor must be ableto internalize the basic philosophythat every child not in school is achild laborer. Volunteers may comefrom youth groups, women’s groups,or teachers’ unions. CRS partnersmobilize and train volunteers onhow to convince parents andemployers that children should bereleased from labor and enrolled inschool. The participation of existingcommunity groups is key to success.Young people, recently educatedthemselves and often the first intheir families to become so, tend tobe the best advocates for educationin a community.


17

From Cotton Fields to BridgeCourse Camps

Fourteen-year-old Bhagya Lakshmi qui-etly explained how, tired of picking cot-ton on a farm and hauling heavy bagsof sand at a construction site while herfriends attended school, she stolemoney from her parents and ran awayfrom home.

Initially, Bhagya was drawn to theschool—part of a program to abolishchild labor developed by CRS partnerMamidipudi Venkatarangaiya Foun-dation—for the security it offered. Onthe farm, if she were caught talkingwith friends, she would work the restof the day without pay. And though sheoften experienced severe chest painsafter weeding the pesticide-soakedsoil—particularly after rain loosenedthe chemicals from the ground—suchailments hardly exempted her fromwork, presenting a sort of catch-22. Ifshe asked for a break, the farmerwould scold her, saying, "Why did youcome if you cannot work?" If shestayed home, he would snap, "Whyweren’t you here?"

Now, free from hard labor, well fed, andsurrounded by friends, Bhagya hascome to appreciate education for itsown merits, realizing she needs "toknow about things." If she needs totravel by bus, for instance, "I can findout for myself by reading [the signs]. Idon’t need to get directions." The bridgeschool’s intensive program coversyears of a curriculum in months, mean-ing Bhagya can matriculate in eighthgrade less than a year after arriving. Asfor her long-term future, she wants tobecome a teacher.

14 CRS (2002), Final Evaluation of Quality Education for the Prevention and Elimination of Child Labor.15 Ibid.16 CRS’ education programs to eradicate child labor in Andhra Pradesh were funded by a two-year grant from

USAID. This funding ended in September, 2002. CRS has since used its own private funding to continuethese initiatives.

17 These activities are adapted from MVF’s approach outlined in Wazir (2002), Getting Children Out of Workand Into School.

2. Raise Community Awareness.Volunteers use a variety of tradition-al methods to attempt to raise com-munity awareness, including streettheatre, pada yatras (processionsthrough the village on foot), publicmeetings, songs, plays, and door-to-door and child-to-child campaigns.Participation from a wide variety ofcommunity members is essential forsuccess. Children talk about theirright to education, teachers aboutthe benefits of learning, and parentsabout the need to find alternativefinancial means.

3. Appeal to Employers. Volunteersappeal to employers’ sense of justiceto release bonded laborers.Community pressure (enhanced by avariety of groups working coopera-tively) plays a pivotal role in chang-ing employers’ attitudes toward chil-dren. When acceptability of childrenas laborers begins to decline in thecommunity, employers can no longeremploy children as easily as before.If this initial approach fails, volun-teers inform employers that bondedlabor violates the law and that theymay face heavy penalties if reportedto authorities.

4. Change Parents’ Beliefs andPractices. Many parents believe theycannot remove a child from bondedlabor until a debt is fully paid.Volunteers inform such parents oftheir rights and that they are underno legal obligation to repay out-standing loans against their child.Other parents are concerned abouthow to get by without the extraincome their children earn.Community mobilizers encourage

parents to take on thewage-earning activities oftheir children and to bar-gain for better wages forthemselves. They alsoencourage parents tochange spending patterns,increase their workinghours, or diversify theirincome sources.

5. Conduct House-to-HouseSurveys. Youth volunteersconduct surveys to deter-mine how many childrenare in the community andhow many are involved inchild labor. The surveyresults are shared at acommunity-wide meetingattended by all stakehold-ers, including communityelders and leaders.

6. Enroll Out-of-SchoolChildren in Bridge CourseCamps. Once all out-of-school children have beenidentified, the most important step isto enroll them in appropriate educa-tion classes. To get these childreninto school, CRS and its partnerssupport residential education camps.Commonly referred to as bridgecourse camps, these schools useaccelerated learning methods toteach children the basics of readingand writing. Because the camps areresidential, children are protectedfrom working even when they arenot in class. The camps provide asafe place for children to live andlearn as they transition from difficultworking environments back intotheir communities and, eventually,

18


Credit the Women

CRS partner Villages in Partnership(VIP) works closely with MandalaGrameena Bhagsyama Samstha(MGBS), a registered community-based organization, to convince par-ents and employers to release childrenfrom work.

Many of the local women did not attendschool themselves because they had towork, and they saw an opportunity tosend their own daughters to school.The small village school was notequipped to take in more than 100 chil-dren, however, and teachers were nottrained to work with children who hadnever attended regular school classes.

Hearing of the success of bridgecamps in other mandals, MGBS askedVIP to start a similar camp in theirarea. VIP in turn appealed to CRS forsupport, and proposed that the womenrun the camp. Women leaders werethen trained to manage residential edu-cation camps.

One year later, they successfullyenrolled over 100 girls and boys in twocamps, oversaw recruitment, facilitatedcommunity teacher trainings, ensuredthat activists continue to build linksbetween the children and parents, andhelped integrate children into regularformal schools. It was a joint commu-nity effort.

into the formal school system.18 It isimportant to understand the role ofbridge course camps not as a finalstep, but rather as a means to an end.Getting working children into for-mal schools to complete a basic edu-cation is the ultimate objective.

Bridge Course Camps

There are two kinds of bridge cours-es: the short-term course of 6 monthsfor primary school–aged children (9–11years) and the long-term course of 18months for older children (11–14 years).(Children younger than 9 are main-streamed directly into formal schools.)Community volunteers, either teachersor others with at least a secondary edu-cation, teach at the bridge camps andserve as role models for the children.CRS partners train these volunteers inchild-friendly and participatory teachingmethodologies. Once children are readyto be mainstreamed into formal schools,CRS partners facilitate the process ofchildren taking an entrance exam.

To get children into bridge coursecamps, one- or two-day events are heldwhere children, parents, and communi-ties interact with teachers, volunteers,and children already in bridge coursesto get a sense of the benefits of educa-tion. Often these events are followed bysetting up temporary "motivation cen-ters" for the most difficult to reachchild laborers, many of whom are girls.These drop-in centers provide a spacewhere children can come and spend afew hours every day and take part infun activities. Parents can also meet

informally there to discuss their hesita-tions about education.

The centers are typically held in aplace easily accessible for working chil-dren, and facilitated by a volunteer fromthe local community. Some centersoperate before the school day begins,others in the afternoon to bring in chil-dren after work. Some use the localschool premises to increase familiaritywith the school in a non-threateningway. Although some literacy skills aretaught, the emphasis is not on formalteaching but on providing a supportiveenvironment where children and theirparents can discuss concerns, shareexperiences, and gain confidence.Because the motivation centers are notpermanent structures, they represent atransitional stage to the bridge coursesand, eventually, to formal school.19

An Approach That Works

This approach of engaging commu-nity members as active partners in get-ting children into school is producing aprofound shift in attitudes in AndhraPradesh. Many parents, though illiter-ate, now have the confidence to demandeducation for their children and makegreat sacrifices of time and money toensure that children stay in school.Work previously done by children hasbeen redistributed among other adultsin the family. Families have also adjust-ed by becoming more organized in theirwork and spending patterns.20 Someparents say that goats and other live-stock are no longer reared becauseinvesting in their children’s education is


19

18 CRS also provides these camps with Title II food commodities from USAID/Food for Peace.19 Wazir (2002), Getting Children Out of Work and Into School.20 Ibid.

worth more than investing in extra live-stock.21 Despite the conventional wis-dom that a child's income plays a cru-cial role in a family’s economy, manyparents have begun to spend moremoney than before on their children.

Above all, parents’ confidence in thecapabilities of their children hasincreased substantially. Parents now takepride in their children’s new status,using the word telavi to describe theirgirls and boys as now smarter and dis-playing more intelligence. Invariably,parents now want their children to con-tinue their education.22

The attitudes of employers, too, arebeginning to change. Community pres-sure has influenced some employers tovoluntarily sponsor children who workwith them to enroll in schools andbridge camps. In the district of Eluru, aceremony was held for landlords whoagreed to release bonded children andwrite off their debts. With the declinein the availability of child labor, largerlandlords have been forced to changecropping patterns. Floriculture, whichdepended to a large extent on childrenduring the flower-picking operations, isno longer popular.

The Importance of PartnerNetworks

MVF’s philosophy has grown intoa movement in Andhra Pradesh,thanks in part to a vibrant partner net-work that CRS has helped to cultivate.One of CRS’ advantages is an exten-sive network of some 2,500 partnersacross India, many of them Catholic

church diocesan groups working inremote, hard-to-reach areas and serv-ing the poorest of the poor (tribalgroups, scheduled castes, and minori-ties). By linking MVF with some ofthese partners in Andhra Pradesh,CRS helps replicate and expand thissuccessful approach.

The way it works is simple. MVFshares its proven methodology of work-ing in partnership with communities tomove children out of labor and intoschool. Catholic church and other part-ners provide access to remote rural com-munities and schools. After CRS linksthese partners, they are trained in MVF’sapproach and adapt it to their ownworking environments. Some of thesepartners are themselves emerging asmovement leaders in their owndistricts—Lodi MultipurposeSocial Service Society(LMSSS) in Warangal, LoyolaIntegrated Tribal DevelopmentSociety in Khammam, SocialService Society in Eluru, andMultipurpose Social ServiceSociety in Cuddpah. Thesechurch partners have evenextended technical support toother, smaller NGOs, whichhave started similar programs.

Without such a network,the success of each partnerwould be confined to its ownparticular area of expertise. CRS addsvalue by linking various partners togetherinto a collaborative network. The resultsare many: MVF expands its successfulmodel; church and other partners buildtheir capacity to mobilize communitiesto support education; and most impor-

20


21 CRS (2002), Final Evaluation of Quality Education for the Prevention and Elimination of Child Labor.22 Ibid.

Working Well Together

"What makes us work well together isCRS’ partnership model, which drawson our comparative strengths of capac-ity and resources. CRS provides techni-cal guidance, strengthens our monitor-ing and evaluation capacity, and pro-vides resources. We match theseresources with our own funds andassign staff members experienced incommunity mobilization to oversee theproject. Together, we are able to formideas on how we can further the leader-ship abilities of communities."

—Father RajaHead of Lodi Multipurpose SocialService Society (CRS partner) in

Warangal, Andhra Pradesh

tantly, thousands more children make thetransition from work to school.

This last point is worth reiterating.The success of CRS’ work in India ismeasured not only by the nature of thepartnerships established, but also byhow well such partnerships accomplisheducation objectives. Data on enroll-ment and attendance for girls and boysin bridge course camps are collected,analyzed and shared with program par-ticipants. Partners also monitor thenumber of children mainstreamed frombridge course camps to formal schools,as well as the number of working chil-dren in targeted communities over time.It is these indicators that ultimatelydetermine the effectiveness of partner-ships with communities.

Looking Ahead: StrengtheningPartnerships with Government

As communities meet their respon-sibility to enroll children in schools,they increasingly look to government toenforce child labor laws and improvelinks between bridge course camps andformal schools. This is now happening:the state government in AndhraPradesh has declared children whoattend bridge course camps exemptfrom exam fees, and has agreed to enrollchildren into formal schools at any timeduring the year. Now CRS and its part-ners are advocating for more accuratereporting by the state government onthe number of out-of-school children.

REFLECTIONS ONCOMMUNITYPARTNERSHIPS

By fostering true partnerships at thelocal level, CRS helps communities and

local organizations do more than con-struct additional school classrooms orrun school canteens. Community mem-bers and local organizations learn howto analyze what is happening in theircommunities and in their schools, andinteract with authorities to design prop-er responses to education problems thatengage all stakeholders. The followingare some lessons learned from Ghanaand India.

� An essential first step in movingfrom participation to partnership isplanning with the community.Cooperative planning in the initialphase of a project helps form a foun-dation of agreement and clarificationof roles while building the localcapacity to sustain partnerships.

� Cultivating partnerships takes time,particularly at the beginning.Having a long-term presence in andcommitment to countries and com-munities facilitates a gradual shiftfrom communities’ participation inspecific projects to their taking onmore of a central role in supportingeducation. Mutual trust and therelationships that develop and takeroot during this time provide thefoundation for strong and effectivepartnerships.

� Partnerships can be establishedbetween and among any groups for avariety of common purposes. It isimportant to build partnerships atmany levels—between NGOs andcommunities, between differentorganizations, between organizationsand government, and between gov-ernments and communities.Expanding our view of partnershipshelps to build stronger, more vibrantnetworks with greater impact.


21

� When communities are engaged astrue partners and networks of com-plementary partners are cultivated,significant progress can be madetoward education for all.

22


STRENGTHENINGCIVIL SOCIETYTHROUGH EDUCATIONCase Studies fromMACEDONIA, KOSOVO,and HAITI

Education systems provide anexcellent means by which tostrengthen civil society. With

their vast reach and ready infrastructure,they offer tremendous potential forshaping democratic attitudes andbehaviors and building vibrant civil

societies. This can bedone directly throughwhat students learn inthe classroom, and indi-rectly through mobiliz-ing parent groups andother stakeholders toparticipate in their chil-dren’s education at localand even national levels.Democratic citizenship,in other words, can beboth taught and prac-ticed through educationsystems.

There are, however,debates about theessence of programs thatwork through education

systems to strengthen civil society.Should they be labeled "education" or

"civil society"? These debates too oftenmiss the point. In reality, such programsrepresent the point at which educationand civil society—or democracy andgovernance—converge. They provideexamples of cross-sectoral integrationand are therefore useful cases for exam-ining lessons that can help shape jointprogramming in the future.

The link between education andcivil society is most apparent in civiceducation programs, whether for chil-dren (school based) or adults (non-school based). Studies indicate that inorder for such programs to be effective,they should use participatory methodsthat reinforce and model how demo-cratic processes should work; offeropportunities for direct politicalengagement; focus on themes immedi-ately relevant to people’s daily lives; andbring parents, teachers, and schooladministrators into school-based pro-grams so that messages are reinforcedoutside the classroom. 23

There is considerably less informa-tion, however, on programs that aim tostrengthen civil society and build demo-cratic citizenship by mobilizing parentand citizen groups to participate in edu-cation systems. Perhaps this can beattributed to the different goals of suchprograms. Some see strengthening edu-cation stakeholder groups as a means toan end, with the ultimate goal beingimproved education for children. Othersview strengthening stakeholder partici-pation as a legitimate goal in itself,regardless of whether specific educationobjectives are met. Rather than resolvethis debate, the cases that follow showthat civil society can be strengthened inschools as well as outside them, in any

CREATING PARTNERSHIPS, EDUCATING CHILDREN PART TWO

23

23 USAID Office of Democracy and Governance (2002), Approaches to Civic Education: Lessons Learned.

place where people come together, andat any time during people’s lives.24

These cases demonstrate the differ-ent ways in which CRS has worked tostrengthen both education and civil soci-ety in Macedonia, Kosovo, and Haiti.All three countries are struggling, withvarying degrees of success and difficulty,toward democracy. These cases representthe two types of approaches describedabove: shaping the nature of what chil-dren learn in the classroom as well ashow stakeholder groups participate inthe education system. In Macedonia,CRS worked with the Ministry ofEducation (MoE) and the Center forCivic Education (CCE) to introduce acivic education curriculum into all of thecountry’s elementary schools. In Kosovoand Haiti, CRS is strengthening theability of school and regional-basedParent Teacher Councils (PTCs) andParent Teacher Associations (PTAs) tobe more active participants in the educa-tion system and beyond. Although eachof these programs operates within aunique context, together they offer sev-eral common lessons.

MACEDONIA:THE PATH TO CIVILSOCIETY BEGINS ATSCHOOL

The Legacy ofSocialism

The legacy ofsocialism inMacedonia is

limited engagement in public decisionsthat affect people’s lives.There is a lack of openparticipation in civil soci-ety by individuals andgroups at the citizen andgovernmental levels, andlimited grassroots and cit-izen-responsive govern-ment initiatives. This isexacerbated by recenttensions between ethnicMacedonians and ethnicAlbanians that have ledto outbursts of violentconflict. Authority andpolitical power strugglesin Macedonia have led to increasinglyweak relations between groups at vary-ing levels of society.

These factors inhibit effective anddemocratic processes of participation bya diverse cross-section of society. Poorlydefined communicationmechanisms, limited oppor-tunities to participate in deci-sion-making, and weak ordysfunctional relationshipsbetween stakeholders furtherchallenge Macedonia’s abilityto transition toward a strongcivil society. The future suc-cess and sustainability of thistransition will depend inmany ways on the next gen-eration of leaders—on theeducation they receive at anearly age and the modelsintroduced to them by adultsin their communities andtheir country.

24

PART TWO CREATING PARTNERSHIPS, EDUCATING CHILDREN

A Very Positive Impact

"There is no doubt that, on the evi-dence available, this project is hav-ing a very positive impact on thelearning experience of studentsfrom kindergarten through tograde 6. It has changed teachingmethods and drawn teachers clos-er together in advising on portfo-lios. As far as teachers are con-cerned, Foundations of Democracyand Project Citizen are embeddedin the schools. [The project] hasinvolved parents more in the workof the school and made them, andthe local community, more awareof civic education issues."

—Mid-term review, Scottish Qualifications Authority

"The civic education program is exactly whatour students need in this

state of transition ofour country and our educational system."

—Golubina GorgjievskaBureau for Educational Development

Ministry of Education, Macedonia

24 Bîrzéa (2000), Education for Democratic Citizenship: A Lifelong Learning Perspective.

Civic Education Makes ItsDebut

In order to foster the growth of par-ticipatory democracy in Macedonia, con-tinued reinforcement of the principles ofdemocracy, cooperative participation,transparency, and respect for diversity isessential in schools. The introduction ofcivic education into the Macedonian for-

mal school curriculum is oneway this transition is beingfostered. Civic education is anintegral part of the process ofeducating citizens about theirroles and responsibilities in ademocratic society. It is alsoimportant for ensuring thatcitizens have the knowledgeand skills to fully participatein their communities andeffectively exercise their civicrights and duties. CRS hasbeen working with theMinistry of Education andScience (MoES) inMacedonia for the past fiveyears to make civic educationa permanent part of thenational curriculum.

In 1998, CRS beganimplementing a USAID-funded civic education projectin 120 elementary schools. Itstwo main partners in this ini-tiative have been the Bureaufor Educational Development(BED) and the Center forCivic Education (CCE). TheBED is part of the MoESand is responsible for curricu-lum development and the

professional development of teachers.The U.S.-based CCE provides technical

assistance in curriculum development forcivic education. CRS manages the proj-ect by facilitating the involvement ofthese partners and bringing in otherstakeholders, such as Parent Councils(PCs) and other international technicalexpertise. The project works with teach-ers, school management staff, PCs, andgovernment officials to introduce theFoundations of Democracy civic educationcurriculum for students in kindergartenand grades 1–4 and the Project Citizencivic education curriculum for studentsin grades 5–6. The curricula for both lev-els were developed by the CCE andadapted to the local context byMacedonian educators at BED.

Through the Foundations ofDemocracy, younger students are intro-duced to the concepts of authority, pri-vacy, responsibility, and justice. ThroughProject Citizen, older students worktogether to identify and study a public-policy issue in their school or commu-nity, develop an action plan for imple-menting their policy, and produce aportfolio of their work. In several cases,students have succeeded in resolving apublic-policy problem with communityand local government support. Studentsstudying civic education have alreadyexperienced tremendous success apply-ing their new knowledge and skills.

The Program Goes National

Begun in the first year as a pilot in120 schools, Foundations of Democracyand Project Citizen have expanded to all344 elementary (as well as correspon-ding satellite) schools in Macedonia. AllMacedonian elementary school teachershave received in-service training oncontent and teaching methodologies forthe civic education curricula. CRS


25

Students Lobby for Safer School Environment

Fifth-grade students at KoleNedelkovski primary school madea difference in their communitythrough the civic education project.

Their school is located behind oneof the main open-air markets inSkopje. Because of a lack of park-ing space in the market area, vehi-cles were parking in front of theschool and in the school-yard, cre-ating serious safety concerns forthe students and limiting use of theschool’s playground.

Through their work on the civiceducation project, the studentsidentified the problem as an issuethat warranted a communityresponse. They invited a TV jour-nalist to visit the school and pres-ent the problem as a news story.The students also met with con-cerned individuals, including themayor of Skopje, and presentedseveral solutions to the parkingissue. The students’ solutions wereaccepted: the pedestrian crossingand traffic signs on the main streetnear the school were repainted.The municipality also repaired thesidewalks in front of the school. Asa follow-up, the students wereinvited to participate in city councilmeetings to discuss other commu-nity issues and concerns.

organized these trainings, and BEDadvisors, along with select teachers,conducted the trainings after receivingtraining themselves from the CCE.

Civic education textbooks have beendeveloped for students and teachers inkindergarten and grades 1-6 in thethree main languages of instruction:Macedonian, Albanian, and Turkish.CRS published and distributed over280,000 student textbooks and over14,000 teacher guides free of charge toall program participants. In addition, acivic education textbook for grades 5and 6 was developed locally by BEDand published for 34,400 students withassistance from CRS. This textbookintroduces the structure of Macedonianschools and local and national govern-ment, and supports citizen awareness,understanding, and opportunities toparticipate in public-policy decision-making. CRS complements these text-books with a semi-annual civic educa-tion newsletter, Civic Education Today,distributed in three languages to all ele-mentary school students, teachers, andparents in Macedonia.

What Have We Learned?

Stakeholders involved in the civiceducation program cite three keyaspects of its effectiveness:

1. Development of National Standardsfor Civic Education. How can stake-holders build on what has alreadybeen achieved and make civic educa-tion an integral part of everydaypractice in Macedonian elementaryschools? The answer is to developnational standards for civic educa-tion. Since BED had limited experi-ence in this area, CRS involved the

Scottish Qualifications Authority(SQA), an organization that special-izes in developing educa-tion standards.

Experts from SQAvisited Macedonia andworked closely with BEDand CRS. Together theystarted the process fordeveloping measurablestandards on a nationallevel for civic educationand for providing toolsfor teachers to monitorand evaluate students’continued success in thesubject area. These stan-dards make it possible to assesswhat students learn and which skillsand abilities they have acquired forcivic life in the family, school, andwider community. The use of stan-dards is still in the pilot phase, withplans for introduction at the nation-al level by 2005. At that point, civiceducation will become one of onlythree subjects in the Macedonianelementary school curriculum withsuch standards.

2. Institutionalization ofCivic Education throughPedagogical Faculties. Akey to the success of thisproject is that it has notbeen an isolated initiative,outside the mainstreameducation sector inMacedonia. CRS has suc-cessfully involved majorstakeholders to ensurethat civic education isinstitutionalized withinthe educational system. One way toachieve this is through exchange vis-

26


CRS Continued Support

"The experience we have gainedfrom the process of developingstandards for civic education willhelp us to develop standards forother subjects in the social andnatural sciences. We would like toexpress our gratitude to CRS for itscontinued support through thisentire process."

—Gorica MickovskaBureau for Educational

Development

All the Key Elements in Place

"CRS has put in place all the keyelements for the sustainability ofcivic education in Macedonia: con-sultation with all the stakeholders,capacity building of its partners,and implementation by local indige-nous groups, such as the Bureaufor Educational Development andParent Councils."

—Kathy Stermer USAID/Macedonia Senior

Democracy and Local Governance Advisor

its to other countries already imple-menting civic education as part of

their pre-service curriculum.CRS facilitated two such vis-its—to Poland and the CzechRepublic—for Macedonianeducators, including repre-sentatives from the pedagogi-cal faculties and BED staff.These visits helped influen-tial Macedonian educatorssee how their counterparts inother countries have integrat-ed civic education into thepre-service teaching curricu-lum. They also establishedprofessional links betweenthese educators that will con-tinue to play an important

role in sustaining civic education asa core subject in Macedonia.

3. Involvement of MultipleStakeholders. Successful introduc-tion of a new element into the for-mal school curriculum requires thebuy-in of many different stakehold-ers. From the beginning, CRS hasmade a conscious effort to involveBED staff, representatives fromother segments of the MoES, uni-versity professors, individual teach-ers, students, PCs, internationaleducation experts, and USAID.CRS was uniquely placed to con-vene these diverse stakeholdersbecause of its national level contactswith donors and government, and itslocal level contacts with communi-ties and schools. No other partner—government, donor, or communi-ties—maintained relationships atthese different levels. Periodically,CRS has facilitated seminars to con-sult with these various stakeholders

on the strategic direction of theproject. This has allowed all groupsan opportunity to provide input intodecisions. With the involvement ofall stakeholders in this way, the proj-ect has enjoyed broad support.

Actively engaging parents was par-ticularly important in reinforcing theidea of civic education outside the class-room. During project implementation,CRS held workshops for all 344 PCs toincrease parents’ awareness of what theirchildren were learning and how theycould support this learning. The mid-term review found that parents werebecoming more involved in the life andwork of the school as a result of thisprocess. Parents were learning from theirchildren about civic education and howto raise issues of importance to them.

Looking Ahead

The success of the civic educationproject to date has led USAID toextend the project for an additional yearto ensure that work on standards andinstitutionalization has ample time totake root. In the project’s final year,focusing on these two priorities is para-mount to ensure that the impact oneducation in Macedonia is long lasting.

KOSOVO:PARENT TEACHERCOUNCILS AS A POSITIVE FORCEFOR CHANGE

Kosovo has a unique history of com-munity support for education. WhenAlbanian Kosovars were marginalized


A New Vision for the Future

"I think that through the implemen-tation of Foundations of Democracy,the students and teachers will beenriched with new themes neces-sary for a democratic society. Thesethemes were lacking in the time ofcommunism. I believe that now thatthese generations have started tolearn about democracy, they willknow how to choose good andcompetent leaders, they will knowhow to solve problems justly, andthey will have a new vision for thefuture."

—Macedonian teacher

27

by the formal education system inKosovo in 1991, they responded byestablishing an impressive network ofunderground schools supported by lo-cal communities. Until 1999, with theescalation of violent conflict in Kosovo,almost all Albanian Kosovar studentswere educated in this parallel schoolsystem run out of private homes andpaid for from a well-organized systemof private contributions from parentsand community members. This historyof communities mobilizing to meetlocal education needs provided an excel-lent starting point for working in amore formalized manner with civil soci-ety groups.

Building on CommunitySupport to Rebuild Educationin a Post-ConflictEnvironment

When CRS began working inKosovo in 1997, it decided to buildon—and, over time, formalize—thisstrong tradition of community supportfor education. CRS started by trainingand strengthening individual ParentTeacher Councils (PTCs) in partner-ship with the Kosovo Foundation for anOpen Society. These PTCs existed inname before the conflict but were notfunctional. Work with PTCs stalled in1999 because of the war. When theconflict ended and the refugeesreturned, CRS returned with them.Soon after, CRS again took up its workwith PTCs, viewing this as the bestpath to rebuilding shattered communi-ties and schools.25 Efforts were success-

ful, at least in part because there was asignificant amount of money availableto reconstruct and rehabilitate schoolsdamaged in the war. Many in the inter-national community were looking toensure that parents and communitieshad a part to play in reconstruction, andPTCs became a critical vehi-cle for obtaining such input.CRS, though, saw far greaterpotential in PTCs than sim-ply a short-term vehicle forreconstructing schools. In theagency’s long-term view,PTCs could collectively forma vibrant group within civilsociety, capable of playing akey role in rebuildingKosovo’s education system.

PTCs Grow into anInstitutional Force

Within a year after theend of the war, CRS wasalready working with 25PTCs, offering training inareas such as organizationaldevelopment and strategicplanning and promotingawareness of curriculumreform efforts being under-taken by the United NationsMission in Kosovo(UNMIK), the agencyresponsible for transitionalgoverning of the U.N. pro-tectorate. By 2003 the num-ber had more than doubled: CRS wastraining and supporting 57 PTCs.

It was this reputation for working

28


25 CRS’ work with PTCs in Kosovo has been done through what the agency refers to as its Parent-SchoolPartnership (PSP) program which has received funding from CRS private resources as well as a number ofdifferent donors, including USAID, UNDP, UNHCR, and UNICEF.

What a Mobilized Parent TeacherCouncil (PTC) Can Do

The PTC in Vojnovc, Kosovo, offersan excellent example of the impactan effectively trained and mobilizedcouncil can have on a community.Internally displaced Kosovars whowere turned back from the borderduring the 1999 conflict soughtrefuge in this village of 1,100. ThePTC, which CRS had helped estab-lish and strengthen before the war,put together an emergency planand successfully accommodated8,000 displaced Kosovars. Itorganized all available human andmaterial resources in the village,distributing firewood to weakermembers of the community andschool supplies to children.

Spurred on by its initial success,the PTC broadened its activitiesin the post-conflict period tomeet other community needs. Itraised $36,000 toward construc-tion of a new road to link the vil-lage with the region’s main road,1.7 km away. Community mem-bers prepared a detailed pro-posal for the remainder of thefunds necessary to complete theproject. In recognition of the ini-tiative shown by villagers, theWorld Bank donated $75,000 tofund completion of the road.

with PTCs throughout Kosovo thatallowed CRS to become a key player inthe education policy arena. UNMIKrecognized the work being done withPTCs and looked to CRS to play aleadership role in making sure commu-nity involvement was institutionalizedwithin the new education system.During the process of transferringpower to a new Kosovar-led Ministry ofEducation, Science, and Technology,UNMIK officials designed a two-per-son unit, the Division of CommunityInvolvement in Education, within thenew ministry and asked CRS to trainindividuals to lead it. While this nas-cent unit is still defining its role withinthe ministry, the fact that it is nowfunctional is testament to a growinginstitutional commitment to the role ofcommunities in rebuilding Kosovo’seducation system.

From School-Level toMunicipal-Level PTCs

One tangible way this interactionbetween authorities and civil society isbeing fostered is through the formationof municipal level PTAs. A municipalPTA acts as an umbrella group provid-

ing support to multiple,school level PTCs that fallwithin its jurisdiction. Amunicipal PTA comprises atleast one member from eachPTC in the area. Support toindividual PTCs consists oftraining for members instrategic planning and orga-nizational development,fundraising for school recon-struction projects, photo-copying of exams and school

materials, and assistance with conflictresolution in schools and communitieswith mixed Serb and Albanian popula-tions. Municipal PTAs also serve awatchdog role, representing individualPTCs before municipal authorities andadvocating for individual school needs.

CRS has gradually shifted its focusto building the capacity of municipallevel PTAs, so that PTAs, rather thanCRS, can provide technical support toindividual PTCs. CRS has so far facili-tated the creation of five municipal levelPTAs and helped them register as offi-cial non-governmental organizations(NGOs). By facilitating the emergenceof municipal level PTAs, CRS has creat-ed a space for diverse stakeholders andcivil society representatives to contributeto local level, and eventually nationallevel, education policies and priorities.

CRS works with PTAs to make suretheir input is constructive and thatPTAs do not duplicate the work ofschool boards. PTAs and PTCs neitherfunction as parallel structures, nor seethemselves in opposition to the officialschool boards established by UNMIKand endorsed by the government.Though PTAs keep school boardsaccountable by representing the con-cerns of parents and teachers, their rela-tionships with municipal authorities andschool boards have so far been positive.In fact, government structures arealready recognizing PTAs as key playersin the education arena. For example,PTAs in Lypjan and Ferizaj were invitedby municipal education officials to for-mally participate in the selection processfor new school principals in theirmunicipalities. This is a significantaccomplishment given parents’ historicalexclusion from government decisions.

Further evidence of PTAs receiving


29

Building the Capacity of CivilSociety

"The impact that CRS has had in thecommunities we visited confirmedthat they have played a very power-ful role in building the capacity ofcivil society. This is an absolutelycritical function of institutions likeCRS that inter-governmental agen-cies are not as well-positioned toplay because of their institutionalrelationships with authorities."

—Former UN official in Kosovo

greater recognition as legitimate partnersin education comes from the WorldBank’s recent Education ParticipationImprovement Project (EPIP). ThroughEPIP, the World Bank has committed$4.3 million to the Kosovo Departmentof Education (KDOE) to reduce stu-dent dropout rates. KDOE will host anopen competition in which all schoolboards in Kosovo may apply for grantsof up to $15,000 each. It is anticipatedthat by 2006, when the grant ends, halfof all Kosovar schools will have receivedfunds through this mechanism. PTAsestablished by CRS have been identifiedas local watchdog groups that will over-see municipal review of schoolboard–proposed projects. This ensuresgreater transparency in the distributionof funds and gives PTAs a certain legiti-macy within the education system.

Once a national PTA is formed, itwill have a vote on a national govern-ment panel to determine which schoolsare awarded grants. Until then, CRS hasbeen given a seat on this panel with fullvoting rights. The fact that a PTA rep-resentative will be given a seat on thenational board, alongside senior repre-sentatives from the ministry, UNICEF,and UNMIK, speaks volumes about thecredibility and decision-making powerPTAs have gained in Kosovo in such ashort time.

Looking Ahead

It is critical to continue building thecapacity of the newly formed municipallevel PTAs so they can take on the roleof providing support to school-based

PTCs. This will help secure a place forcivil society partners in Kosovo’s emerg-ing education system. It is also impor-tant to continue monitoring the evolv-ing relationship between PTAs andmunicipal authorities. Ensuring thatthis relationship remains constructive,and not competitive, will be key tosecuring the PTAs’ proper place in civilsociety.

There is now a window of opportu-nity to begin frank discussions with theKosovo government regarding this rela-tionship. Toward that end, CRS hascommitted funding to support an initia-tive between PTAs and the nationalgovernment. This will help to clarifyroles and responsibilities between PTAsand school boards, address the long-term sustainability of PTAs, and planfor the development of a national PTA.

A fully independent and sustainablenetwork of PTAs and PTCs able toadvocate for educational quality is thegoal of CRS and its partners in Kosovo.Evaluations thus far indicate that PTCsare aware of reforms taking place in theKosovo educational system and manyare actively overseeing the implementa-tion of learner-centered teaching ap-proaches in their schools.26 The fact thatPTCs are beginning to address issues ofeducational quality is a significantachievement, considering they are stillgrappling with everyday problems relat-ed to overcrowding of schools, lack ofadequate heating, poor plumbing andsanitary conditions, inadequate teachercompensation and the lack of teachingand learning materials.27 Moving PTCsfarther along the continuum from con-cerns about school infrastructure to

30


26 Universalia (2003), Catholic Relief Services Kosovo Education Programme: Mid-Term Review.27 Ibid.

educational quality will require moretime and guidance.

Several other long-term issues alsoneed to be addressed, including contin-ued recruitment and training of mem-bers, funding, stewardship, networking,and relationship building. If PTAs areto emerge as credible, independent voic-es and powerful civil society watchdogs,they must become self-sufficient andsustainable organizations, fully support-ed by their constituents and withoutreliance on the reputation of interna-tional NGOs or the vagaries of interna-tional aid. Kosovo’s PTAs have takensome bold and impressive steps in thisdirection, but they need to continue ifthey are to take their place as viablepartners within civil society.

HAITI:THE RISE OF PTA FEDERATIONS ANDGRASSROOTS NETWORKS

The achievements of PTAs inHaiti may appear modest com-pared with those of groups in

Kosovo, but their progress given Haiti’svolatility is promising. In Haiti, a fun-damental challenge to institutionalizingdemocratic processes is that the vastmajority of citizens continue to beexcluded from basic civic processes thataffect their everyday lives. Widespreadlack of awareness of citizen rights andresponsibilities, and limited understand-ing of self-governing processes, combineto preclude the majority of Haitiansfrom being active participants in civicaffairs. Further complicating this situa-

tion is that it is only through the gen-uine involvement of community groupsand grassroots organizations in local,regional, and national decision-makingprocesses that a truly democratic systemin Haiti will emerge.

On a more promising note, Haiti’seducational system provides a uniqueopportunity for community groups toparticipate in decision-making process-es. With close to 90 percent of thenation’s primary schools operated pri-vately outside the MoE, new schoolsbegun by independent entrepreneursappear often. In this system, parents actmore as consumers, free to send theirchildren to any of a number of primaryschools within their area. Whiledemand for education among Haitianparents is high, however, these sameparents typically regard schools as theexclusive proprieties of school directorsand remain outsidemost decision-mak-ing processes. Parentshave traditionallyseen their role assimply sending theirchildren to school,leaving what happensin school to thedirectors and teachers. This is nowstarting to change as parents cometogether to form local PTAs andbecome increasingly involved in schoolaffairs, and as different PTAs begin tolink with one another in grassroots net-works to achieve common goals.

Evolution of PTAs and PTA Forums

CRS has supported a school feedingprogram in Haiti for many years. In the


31

1990s, with support from USAID/Foodfor Peace, CRS altered the program toinclude activities that address the quali-ty of education. One activity includedstimulating community involvement ineducation through the formation ofPTAs. Initial steps in this processincluded sensitizing parents and teach-ers to the concept of a PTA and therole it can play in the life of a school,talking to school directors about thebenefits of increased parental participa-tion, facilitating democratic elections ofPTA committee members, andenabling newly formed PTAs to effec-tively participate in decisions that affectthe school.

After several years of working withPTAs in this manner, CRS has notedthat the mentality of communitiestoward schools is changing. Discussionswith parents, teachers, and directors infour separate communes indicate thatcommunity members no longer viewschools as the exclusive domain of indi-vidual directors or the state, but as localinstitutions owned by the entire com-munity. This represents a significantshift in thinking. As one parent in thecommune of Saut-Mathurine noted, "Inthe past, we always just sent our chil-dren to school with the understandingthat whatever happened after that wasthe school director’s responsibility. Thisis now changing. We are becomingmuch more involved with what happensat school."

Teachers and directors in Saut-Mathurine schools confirm this, notingthat parents now visit schools regularly,consult with teachers on their chil-dren’s progress, help in the classroomwith daily activities, and check onwhich children are absent and visittheir homes to find out why. For

teachers, this is a welcome change.They say that not only are their rolesas educators in the communityaffirmed by greater parental interest,but the burden of ensuring that chil-dren are in school and prepared tolearn no longer rests solely on theirshoulders.

As PTAs began to take root andflourish, CRS invested its own privatefunding to continue to strengthen them.Ten different regional forums wereorganized so that PTAsfrom the same communecould share lessons andexchange experiences.Before the forums wereheld, each PTA functionedin an isolated fashion. Theforums facilitate grassrootsnetworks and address thevariation in levels of PTAmotivation and activity.

Some PTAs areextremely dynamic andable to achieve impressiveresults, whereas othersseem static and unable toaccomplish much.Numerous focus groupinterviews with PTAmembers revealed that themain factor consistentlypresent in effective PTAs,and missing in less-advanced PTAs, is a schooldirector who is open toand encourages the PTA.One advantage of theforums is that they allowschool directors to hearhow a motivated PTA hastangibly improved aschool. CRS sees theforums as essential as they

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Measuring Success:PTA Rating Chart

In addition to collecting data on atten-dance and enrollment of children inprogram schools, CRS also workswith PTAs to monitor and evaluatetheir progress. The following ratingchart was developed for this purpose.

Level I• Establish PTA in the school• Establish temporary committee

made up of founding membersLevel II• Accomplish Level I• Convene a general assembly of

parents• Democratically elect committee of

seven to nine members• Hold regular PTA meetingsLevel III• Accomplish Level II• Elaborate committee status• Form functional sub-committees

(e.g., school health, school canteen)• Participate in school activities• Develop annual plan• Develop and assess projects• Seek project funding • Initiate legal registration processLevel IV• Accomplish Level III• Manage small projects successfully• Establish annual contribution

among members • Democratically elect or re-elect com-

mittee members every 1 to 2 years• Develop multi-year strategic plan

establish and cement important linksamong PTAs in the same commune, acritical step that has led to the nextstage: PTA federations.

Together, We are Stronger:The Case of Maniche

In the commune of Maniche alongHaiti’s southern coast, CRS organizedand funded a forum for six PTAs intwo consecutive years. After the secondforum, PTA members decided therewas so much value in collaborating thatthey agreed to form a federation to for-mally maintain contact. The objectiveof the federation is to help memberPTAs become stronger by sharing waysto improve their schools and learning

to address common problemstogether. Three representa-tives from each PTA (oneparent, one teacher, and oneschool director) were electedto serve on the federationcommittee. This three-per-son delegation from each ofthe six PTAs makes up thefederation committee.

The nascent federation inManiche is having a positiveimpact on local schools.Recently, when one of theschools in the federationneeded repairs for a dilapi-dated building, parents fromthe other five schools pooledtheir resources and con-tributed money for the sixthschool. "In the past, thiswould have never happened,"said a father from one of theschools that contributedmoney. "Now, we’ve come to

realize that, together, we are stronger.Each PTA used to work for itself, nowwe work for the good of the wholecommunity. We recognize our solidarityas a federation and when one schoolneeds something, parents from all theother schools are there to help."

A well-known Haitian proverbstates, min anpil chay pa lou—withmany hands, the load is not as heavy.The load is getting light enough forone parent to proudly state, "We nolonger need CRS to solve all our prob-lems. We have the capacity among our-selves. Our vision is for our federationto become an institution within thecommunity, an NGO."

A Ripple Effect

The federation idea is catching onin Haiti. CRS supported the request oftwo other communes, Saut-Mathurineand Camp Perrin, to develop similargrassroots networks for their PTAs.CRS worked with them to developstatutes that stipulate how the federa-tions will be governed. CRS then guid-ed them through the process of submit-ting applications to be recognized aslegitimate organizations by theMinistry of Social Affairs. Beingaccompanied by an international organ-ization like CRS gives would-be feder-ations a degree of legitimacy in the eyesof authorities. So far, three separatefederations have been formed and havesubmitted requests for governmentrecognition. It is expected that they willsoon be recognized as official entitiesand form part of a growing movementin Haiti.

As the idea for grassroots PTA fed-erations continues to spread and CRScontinues to receive requests for sup-


33

Bonding for Books

In Maniche, PTA members fromone school decided they wanted aschool bookstore in the village.Parents were tired of spendingmoney traveling to Port-au-Princeto buy textbooks. A local book-store would allow the PTA to pur-chase books in bulk at a lowerprice per book. For parents withlittle means, access to textbooks ata reduced price, and not having tobear the cost of travel, meant thatthe parents could save money forother household needs. In addi-tion, if books were available local-ly, teachers could be sure that allstudents would have the sametextbooks.

The school, however, did not haveany land on which the PTA couldconstruct a bookstore. PTA mem-bers approached local authoritieswith their plans and were success-ful in convincing the mayor todonate land for the new bookstore.Once the land was secured, CRShelped the PTA to purchase materi-als for constructing the bookstore.

port, existing PTA federations growstronger through their involvement indeveloping new federations. For exam-ple, when the commune of Bainetasked CRS to help it establish a PTAfederation, CRS tapped representativesfrom existing federations to serve aslocal experts. These representativestraveled with CRS staff to Bainet tohold a one-day workshop. Experiencedfederation members (both parents andteachers) provided advice to the variousPTAs in Bainet and described theprocesses, challenges, and successesthey faced in establishing their federa-tions. One teacher from a PTA inCamp Perrin stood up during theworkshop’s closing remarks and said,"We should continue our dialogue withone another across communes.Members of PTAs in Bainet shouldfeel free to write us letters and contactus with questions or for advice. Wedon’t need to rely on CRS to always actas the go-between."

A New Awareness of Rightsand Responsibilities

One of the motors behind theacceleration of PTA federations hasbeen the introduction of civic educationfor PTA members. CRS recognizedthat if PTA members were more awareof their own rights and responsibilitiesas citizens, they might take more initia-tive to ensure their children’s right toeducation and mobilize to meet othercommunity needs.

With this in mind, CRS formed apartnership with the NationalDemocratic Institute (NDI). NDI,which had developed a curriculum inHaitian Creole, trained facilitators to

lead civic education sessions for PTAmembers in the three communes invarious stages of forming federations. Aseries of 16 sessions (about one perweek) was held in each commune.Parents, teachers, and directors fromthe different PTAs in the commune at-tended, sharing and learning aboutimportant issues across communities.Each session presented a different topicfor discussion, among them the stateand territory; rights and responsibili-ties; national and local government;democracy; what it means to be a citi-zen; how the national parliamentworks; voting; the environment and itsprotection; population and its growthin the country; and migration withinthe country. The sessions were effec-tive. In a session on voting, one partici-pant exclaimed, "Now I understandwhat it means to be a citizen. Now I’llnever sell my voting card to anyone."

For PTA members, these sessionshave led to more advocacy for andactivity in local school issues. Accordingto one mother in Saut-Mathurine,"Before the civic education sessions, Idid not know what kazeks (localauthorities) and school inspectors did.Now I understand their roles. We mon-itor these individuals to make sure theydo their job. And, we know whichthings are not the responsibility of localofficials, the things we need to takeresponsibility for."

Community members agreed thatunderstanding their own roles andresponsibilities, as well as those of theauthorities, contributed to a more col-laborative spirit between authorities andcitizens. This collaborative spirit is alsohaving an impact beyond education. InSaut-Mathurine, PTA members havediscussed environmental concerns, in

34


particular the amount of trash anddeforestation in their communities, andhow the community’s well-being isaffected. They organized clean-up activ-ities and now ensure that communitymembers do not cut down trees for fuel.These examples represent a significantevolution of PTAs and a clear sign of agrowing awareness of rights andresponsibilities among PTA members.

Looking Ahead: Linking PTAFederations Vertically

Given the lack of exposure to demo-cratic processes among Haitian citizens,the PTA federations stand out as mod-els that hold tremendous promise forstrengthening civil society. Only a fewyears ago, PTAs had little or no experi-ence in civic participation. Now theyform federations with nearby schools,pool their resources, and successfullylobby local authorities to meet schooland community needs. Given the dearthof models for constructive civic engage-ment in Haiti, these achievements areimpressive.

In the absence of significant gov-ernmental resources for education, themodel of PTA federations is a promis-ing development. The approach is alsosustainable. It requires relatively mini-mal resources for federations to meetand exchange ideas, challenges, andsuccesses. As a result, the PTAs woventogether in federations are more likelyto maintain contact with each otherlong after CRS leaves. As these net-works continue to mature, they poten-tially form a stronger, more vibrantcivil society capable of contributing toeducation and other community needsin Haiti.

Of course, a strengthened civil socie-ty cannot function in a vacuum; dia-logue and interaction with local andnational government are required. Forthis reason, CRS encourages PTAs andPTA federations to routinely invitelocal authorities to meetings and toinvolve them in planning and specificinitiatives. At the national level, CRSshares the PTA and PTA federationexperiences at regular meetings with theMoE in the hope that it will build simi-lar initiatives into its own national guid-ance for the development and function-ing of PTAs. Reaching out to local andnational authorities must continue ifPTAs are to be encouraged and themodel of federations to spread to otherparts of the country.

REFLECTIONS ONSTRENGTHENING CIVILSOCIETY THROUGHEDUCATION

The cases from Macedonia, Kosovo,and Haiti reveal several key lessons.

� The involvement of local andnational authorities is essential forlegitimacy. In Macedonia, CRSworked closely with the MoE asonly it had the authority to intro-duce and institutionalize civic edu-cation into the curriculum. InKosovo, CRS worked with UNMIKand later the newly established MoEto ensure that nascent PTCs andPTAs received recognition as legiti-mate partners in the education sec-tor. And in Haiti, CRS accompaniedPTA federations through theprocess of formal recognition asNGOs and invited local authorities


35

“We no longer need

CRS to solve all

our problems.We have the

capacity among

ourselves.”

to PTA federation meetings andcivic education sessions to securetheir support.

� Fostering stronger links among vari-ous parent teacher groups helpsbreak down the isolation of individ-ual associations and creates adynamic civil society network withthe capacity to respond to and/oradvocate for its own needs. In bothKosovo and Haiti, this approachseems to be leading to municipallevel associations and federationstaking more active, visible roles insupporting local level parent teachergroups while CRS transitions into asupporting role.

� Networks must be built from thebottom up if they are to be sus-tained. Moving too quickly from theestablishment of local parent teachergroups to regional associations/fed-erations without ownership from themembers of local groups can resultin regional associations/federationswith little stability or credibility.More time should now be investedto ensure that members of local par-ent teacher groups understand therole of the association/federationand their relation to it.

� As an international agency, CRSoften has the credibility to mobilizemultiple, diverse stakeholders—communities, civil society, govern-ment, international partners, anddonors—in pursuit of commongoals. Macedonia is a good exampleof how this has been done.International NGOs should be cog-nizant of their often unique abilityto play this important role andmake a conscious effort to bringstakeholders together to achievecommon goals.

� Cross-sectoral programs involvingeducation and civil society shouldbe encouraged, to allow for morenatural, dynamic initiatives thattruly respond to the needs of com-munities. Spending time trying todetermine whether such programsfit better into "education" or "civilsociety" categories may be counter-productive.

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FOSTERINGPARTNERSHIPS TO SHAPEEDUCATION POLICYCase Studies from VIETNAM, BURKINA FASO,and SERBIA

In recent years, it has become morecommon for non-governmentalorganizations (NGOs) to share les-

sons from grassroots programming withnational level decision-makers. Thisallows NGOs to represent local con-cerns in national discussions aroundeducation policy. It also presents oppor-tunities to foster new kinds of partner-ships and collaborative efforts toimprove education.28

CRS recognizes that, as an agencythat links local level needs to nationallevel agendas, it can play an importantrole in shaping policy and addressingthe root causes of inequities in educa-tion systems. By bringing both globalviews and local understanding gainedfrom working with indigenous partnersto the policy table, it can help synchro-nize educational development effortsthat meet the learning needs of a com-munity and nation. To successfully carryout this challenging task, however,healthy partnerships must be fostered

among diverse local, national, interna-tional, governmental, and non-govern-mental groups involved in education ata variety of levels.

Several factors characterize healthyinstitutional partnerships. Ideally, allgroups involved should benefit. Trust isessential, as is a mutual commitment toreaching shared objectives. Transparencyand open dialogue are key so that part-ners understand their roles and respon-sibilities, and how to complement oneanother to have greater impact.Mechanisms for debate and decision-making should be in place so there areample opportunities for local communi-ties to participate in policy dialogue. All

CREATING PARTNERSHIPS, EDUCATING CHILDREN PART THREE

37

28 Miller-Grandvaux, Welmond, and Wolf (2002), Evolving Partnerships: The Role of NGOs in Basic Educationin Africa.

CRS Partnership Principles

• CRS bases partnerships on a sharedvision for addressing people’s immediateneeds and the underlying causes of suf-fering and injustice.

• All CRS partnerships assign responsibili-ty for decision-making and implementa-tion to a level as close as possible to thepeople whom decisions will affect.

• CRS achieves complementarity andmutuality in its partnerships, recognizingand valuing that each brings a set ofskills, resources, knowledge, and capaci-ties to the partnership in a spirit of mutu-al autonomy.

• CRS fosters equitable partnerships byengaging in a process of mutually defin-ing rights and responsibilities in relationto each partner’s capacity to achieve thegoal of the partnership.

• In its relationships with partners, CRSpromotes openness and sharing of per-spectives and approaches.

• To foster healthy partnerships, CRS pro-motes mutual transparency regardingcapacities, constraints, and resources.

• By building partnerships, CRS con-tributes to a stronger civil society.

of these factors lead to greater clarity onthe goal of the partnership and how towork together to achieve it.

The following cases from Vietnam,Burkina Faso, and Serbia illustrate howCRS works to develop partnershipswith other stakeholder institutions foreducation reform. These inter-institu-tional partnerships differ from commu-nity partnerships in that the goal is tofoster public dialogue that leads to moreequitable education policies. CRS’ rolein this dialogue is enhanced by theagency’s long-standing commitment tothe countries where it works, its accessto resources for education program-ming, and its ability to share lessonslearned from direct experiences imple-menting education programs throughlocal partners.

VIETNAM:INCLUSIVE EDUCATIONIN A CHILD-FRIENDLYNATION

Vietnam isoftenreferred to

as a "child-friendlynation" for itspromising potentialto reach Educationfor All goals by2015. Yet despite

this characterization, children with dis-abilities are often excluded from theformal education system. (The reasonsthat Vietnam has over one million dis-abled youth include: limited access tobasic preventative health care; road acci-dents; the heavy use of pesticides and

fertilizers; and the after-effects of war,such as the use of Agent Orange, land-mines, and bombs.)

To improve the situationfor disabled children,Vietnam’s National Institutefor Education Sciences(NIES) began to addressinclusive education in thelate 1980s. NIES is theinstitution accountable tothe Ministry of Educationand Training (MOET) fordeveloping new curriculaand innovative teachingpractices and assessments inVietnam. Since the early1990s, several internationalorganizations (UNESCO,UNICEF, Save the ChildrenAlliance, Pearl S. Buck, andCRS) have joined withNIES to develop communi-ty-based models of inclusiveeducation. In addition totechnical materials to orientand train teachers, an integral part ofprogramming included instruction onadaptive methodologies, adjusting cur-ricula for inclusion, and developingcommunity-based support for childrenwith disabilities. At the communitylevel, activities included buildingawareness of the rights and needs ofchildren with disabilities, coordinatingcommunity services, and training par-ents. All programming highlighted theneed for and benefits of inclusive edu-cation, and has resulted in the creationof local support networks for disabledchildren.

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PART THREE CREATING PARTNERSHIPS, EDUCATING CHILDREN

Salamanca Statement

Vietnamese approaches to educa-tion for children with disabilitiesfollow the 1994 UNESCO WorldConference on Special EducationNeeds in Salamanca, where 92governments and 25 internationalorganizations endorsed inclusiveeducation as "the most effectivemeans of combating discriminato-ry attitudes, creating welcomingcommunities, building an inclusivesociety, and achieving educationfor all; moreover [regular schoolswith inclusive orientation] can pro-vide an effective education systemto the majority of children andimprove the efficiency and ulti-mately the cost-effectiveness ofthe entire education system."

—UNESCOSalamanca Statement and

Framework for Action on SpecialNeeds Education, 1994

First Step: Working from theBottom Up for InclusiveEducation

Between 1992 and 1996, CRSworked with NIES to pilot a variety ofsmall projects to model and promoteinclusion in preschools, primaryschools, and vocational training insti-tutes. In 1995, CRS began to build onand further explore ways to expand pro-gramming for inclusive education withsupport from USAID and MOET.Through a USAID-sponsoredExpansion for Community Support for

Children with Disabilitiesproject in 1998, CRS beganworking in earnest withNIES on refining models ofinclusive education and com-munity support for childrenwith disabilities in threenorthern provinces ofVietnam. This partnershipincluded working on refiningteacher training models anddeveloping community mod-els to strengthen inclusiveeducation by linking educa-tion, health, and communitysupport groups, such aswomen’s and youth unions.Linking groups and support-ing them with technicalinput contributed to a rapid

spread of interest in inclusive education.The project’s mid-term evaluation in2000 noted that:

� Disabled children were becomingfull members of their communities;

� Each community surveyed was able

to point to specific ways in whichpublic awareness of disabilities hadimproved;

� Training seminars and workshopshelped improve education for allchildren in project areas;

� The project improved cooperationwithin the community; and

� The project had a positive influenceon the lives of parents andchildren.29

CRS, with assistance from otherinternational organizations, helped cre-ate a groundswell of support for inclu-sive education. This was done throughjoint advocacy at the national level. Atthe community level, it was achieved bytraining teachers and raising awarenessamong communities. Trainings wereheld and materials developed tostrengthen teachers’ skills to academi-cally and socially integrate children withdisabilities into the classroom.Community support teams were created(consisting of a health care worker, awomen’s union staff, a preschoolteacher, and a volunteer) to involve avariety of key people in inclusive educa-tion. Also at the community level,Community Steering Committees(CSCs) comprised of local leaders,teachers and health officials mobilizedcommunity support, organized localtraining activities, and engaged in advo-cacy. In the Luong Son, Yen Khanh,and Yen Hung districts, project evalua-tors observed that CSCs were proac-tively securing adaptive equipment (e.g.,wheelchairs and walkers) and providingtuition assistance for families. Thesecommittees also developed a Circle of


39

Teachers: The Key to Success

The mother of 10-year-old Phuongrecounts how Miss Kien, a pre-school teacher from Hoa Binhprovince, visited her many timesand tried to convince her to sendher daughter to school. Phuongcould neither walk nor talk and hermother was hesitant to let her go,as she did not believe that herdaughter was capable of learning.Finally Miss Kien convincedPhuong’s mother to let her daugh-ter attend classes. Miss Kien,working with community volun-teers and rehabilitation workers,helped Phuong stand on her ownand use some speech. Each daywhen Miss Kien comes by thehouse to accompany her to school,Phuong now yells happily, "Mama,the teacher is here!"

29 Ryan (2000), Expansion of Community Support for Children With Disabilities: A Mid-Term Evaluation Report.

Friends program for children to helpdisabled peers to and from school, aswell as with academic and social activi-ties. As a result, the number of childrenwith disabilities enrolled in schools inprogram areas increased by 25 percentby December 2000.30 The governmentresponded favorably by making inclu-sive education a central component inthe national ten-year education strategy.

Second Step: Partnership withMOET for NationalExpansion

In May 2001, at a national confer-ence on education for children with dis-abilities co-hosted by MOET and CRS,MOET stated that inclusive educationwas the most appropriate strategy foreducating children with disabilities andcommitted to developing a nationalimplementation plan. Because of theestablished relationship between CRSand MOET, and CRS’ demonstratedcommitment to inclusive education,MOET asked CRS for assistance inmaking inclusive education a part ofVietnam’s National Education Strategyfor preschool and primary levels.Ambitious targets for inclusion of chil-dren with disabilities were set at theconference: 50 percent of all childrenwith disabilities were to be included inschool by 2005, and 70 percent by2010.31

CRS supports the national educa-tion strategy by working with MOETto develop inclusive education expan-sion plans. Specifically, CRS helps toidentify and train a core group of

MOET staff to work within govern-mental and educational institutions astechnical advisors able to disseminateinformation on inclusive educationthroughout the country. Also, CRS hasdeveloped a multitude of teacher train-ing programs in partnership withMOET, so that teachers can gain theskills and knowledge to work with dis-abled children at a variety of levels.CRS’ support includes working withMOET and national teacher traininginstitutes to create a mentoring systemin which each teacher in the programworks with an inclusive edu-cation teacher from outsidethe commune. These mentorsprovide technical assistancedirectly to each teacher andkeep a record of challengesand good practices, whichCRS uses to inform training.Finally, CRS and MOET areworking on a policy to modifynationwide testing to accom-modate disabled learners.

The Iterative Process ofPolicy and Practice

By working with NIES tocreate effective local models to supportinclusive education while simultaneous-ly working with government partners atthe national level, CRS helps to ensurethat policy and practice converge. Thisis an iterative process.

Today, there is greater national sup-port for inclusive education. After wit-nessing successful program implemen-tation at the community level, educa-

40


30 Ibid.31 Nguyen Le Kahn (2001), Forum on Inclusive Education for Children with Disabilities in Vietnam.

tion authorities at the national level aremore committed to supporting policyreform. MOET developed a steeringcommittee to define a policy on inclu-sive education, complete with indica-tors and targets. In turn, trainingresources and technical capacity to sup-port inclusive education have beenexpanded. Finally, advocacy for inclu-sive education has increased, as evi-denced by the appearance of articles ondisability issues in the media.

This case demonstrates that devel-oping and maintaining collaborativepartnerships is essential for educationreform. To respond to the needs oflearners, these partnerships must also becross-sectoral. Partners involved in theinclusive education project includeNIES and MOET at the national level;health care providers and educators atboth the local and national levels; CRSand other international NGOs; teachertraining programs in Hanoi and withinthe provinces; and project participantsat the local levels. It took partnersworking together at all levels, fromschool-based to the national level, tounderstand the benefits of inclusiveeducation, to demonstrate good prac-tices, and to subsequently initiatechange in education policies. InVietnam, CRS continues to learn howbest to support national, regional, andlocal authorities to identify obstacles toinclusive education, to quickly andclearly communicate policy gaps in theimplementation phase, and to eliminatesuch obstacles by working in tandemwith communities and national educa-tion authorities.

BURKINAFASO:BUILDING ON A LONGRELATIONSHIP

CRS has a long history of work-ing at the national level inBurkina Faso. In 1960, CRS

became the firsthumanitarian organi-zation to sign anaccord with the gov-ernment to assist inrelief and develop-ment activities. Sincethen, the agency hasconsistently workedwith national education authorities totackle problems such as low enrollmentand retention rates, particularly for girls.Because CRS is committed to stayingin Burkina Faso beyond project cycledates, it has successfully built and main-tained a strong and respectful relation-ship with the Ministry of BasicEducation and Literacy (MEBA).

CRS works in partnership withMEBA to sup-port a schoolcanteen programusing Title IIfunding fromUSAID/Foodfor Peace. In thisfood-insecurecountry, theschool canteensoffset opportu-nity costs that parents who send theirchildren to school must bear. This, inturn, leads to increased attendance,enrollment and retention rates for chil-dren. Girls in particular benefit. Wheregirls received take-home food rations


41

A Mutual Interest

"Let’s face it: we gain from eachother. It [the partnership] wouldnot happen if there was not amutual interest."

—Anatole Niameogo CRS education team member, in

reference to working with the Ministry of Basic Education

and Literacy

for regular attendance, girls’ enrollmentincreased by 27 percent in one year.32

Girls’ and boys’ primary school gradua-tion rates are higher, and dropout rateslower, in program schools than in non-program schools.33 Evaluators concludedthat "CRS is making a real impact ondecreasing gender inequities in BurkinaFaso’s education system."34

A Collaborative Partnership

CRS’ school canteen program inBurkina Faso is highly visible. AsMamadou Bagayoko, Head ofEducation at UNICEF/Burkina Fasostates, "If you want to work on educa-tion issues in Burkina Faso, you have towork with CRS. They are an institutionhere. Everyone knows their work andrespects it."

Because the canteen program is wellknown and because CRS involvedMEBA in programming efforts, there ishigh national awareness of the pro-gram’s impact. For this reason, discus-sions regarding education policy orreform often reference CRS’ schoolcanteen program as a model that worksfor raising enrollment and retentionrates, as well as for increasing awarenessof the importance of communityinvolvement in education in rural areas.A combination of the extensive historyof CRS in Burkina Faso, the food andtechnical resources the organizationbrings to the school canteen program,and the amicable relationship betweenMEBA and CRS has led to furtheropportunities to work in partnership at

the national level to improveaccess to quality basic educa-tion.

Currently, CRS andMEBA work jointly for twopurposes: (1) to plan fortransferring the managementof the school canteen pro-gram from CRS to MEBAand (2) to build the capacityof MEBA staff so they areable to implement the pro-gram with the cooperation oflocal partners once it is trans-ferred. The management ofthe school canteen programby MEBA is one of thestrategies outlined in thePlan Décennal deDéveloppement de l’Education de Base(PDDEB), the government’s decentral-ization plan for increasing access toeducation in rural areas.

Expanding Partnerships:Planning for the Transfer ofSchool Canteen Management

CRS and MEBA are workingtogether to transfer the management ofthe school canteen program as quicklyand efficiently as possible. Both part-ners serve as technicalresources in the transfer ofthe program according to theaction plans in the PDDEB.Plans include jointly-spon-sored national and regionalforums to develop and com-municate state policy for

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32 Adelski, Bourdeau, Doamba, Lairez, Ouedraogo, (2001), Final Impact Evaluation Report on DevelopmentActivity Proposal,1997-2001.

33 Ibid.34 Ibid

Ministry of Basic Education andLiteracy (MEBA) Supports SchoolCanteens

Similar to neighboring countries inWest Africa, Burkina Faso recentlyintroduced the Plan Décennal deDéveloppement de l’Education deBase (PDDEB), a ten-year plan todecentralize the education systemto allow for more commune andlocal level involvement in schoolactivities. Within this framework,MEBA lists nine strategic directionsto improve the education sector.Under the fourth strategic direction,to improve the quality and effective-ness of the basic education system,promoting government and com-munity-run school canteens in ruralzones is mentioned as a priority.

Impressive Work

"I was impressed by the leadership,integration, planning capacity, and col-laboration activities of the CRS team inBurkina Faso."

—Emily Vargas-BaronDirector, The RISE Institute

school canteens in rural areas. Otheractivities between CRS and MEBAinclude exchange visits to successfulcanteens, formal monthly meetings runby MEBA staff, and joint planning for

the school year.Another forum for dis-

cussing school canteens andother education priorities witha variety of partners—interna-tional and local NGOs, donors,and UN agencies—is theTechnical and FinancialPartners committee (PTF).

The PTF was created to coordinatedonor funding and projects for educa-tion reform together with MEBA. ThePTF led the design phase for thePDDEB’s ten-year strategic plan objec-tives. CRS serves as a technical re-source for the school canteen programat PTF meetings.

Expanding Partnerships:Linking Local and NationalActors

MEBA staff work directly with CRSstaff to gain hands-on experience insupervising the school canteen program.This allows for an easy exchange ofinformation and provides MEBA staffwith direct training on how to carry outsuch a program in a decentralized con-text. The arrangement provides bothgroups with daily opportunities to worktogether and allows CRS to better men-tor MEBA staff in working with localcommunities.

Progress is good: MEBA now man-ages the school canteen program withCRS providing technical support. Tofurther strengthen MEBA’s manage-ment capacity, CRS and MEBA have

agreed to jointly design a canteen man-agement manual based on lessonslearned. The manual will provide guid-ance to local schools and parents’ andmothers’ associations for how to worktogether with district and national edu-cation authorities on school-level issuesand school action plans. These actionshelp to strengthen partnerships at thelocal and national levels within the edu-cation system.

Respect and Dialogue

What is striking about national leveldiscussions regarding education policyand reform in Burkina Faso is thatdiverse stakeholders are engaged inopen dialogue.Each organizationis willing to dis-cuss how it canbest work withothers to improveaccess to qualityeducation for all.

Representativesfrom CRS, otherinternationalNGOs (such asHelen Keller International, Save theChildren/USA, and Plan International),donors (such as the World Bank andthe Canadian and NetherlandsEmbassies), and MEBA often attributethe cooperative working context inBurkina Faso to the "quality of the menand women" involved in the partner-ships. Each expresses respect for theothers based on trusting partners toaccurately represent their interests.Although there are occasional excep-tions, working together on activitieshelps build relationships and fosters alevel of trust. CRS and MEBA staff


43

continue to learn how best to work col-laboratively on transferring the manage-ment of the school canteen program. Itis both challenging and rewarding forCRS to play a role in shifting thisresponsibility to national educationauthorities. Challenges include beingpart of a larger effort to decentralize thenational education system. Rewardsinclude seeing a rise in district-leveleducation authorities’ involvement inprogramming. The ultimate reward, ofcourse, is seeing more Burkinabé chil-dren enroll in and complete school.

SERBIA:ESTABLISHINGNETWORKS FOR EARLYCHILDHOOD CARE ANDDEVELOPMENT (ECCD)

Why ECCD in Serbia?

Education has been a sensitiveand politically charged issue forAmerican NGOs working in

Serbia since the NATO bombings. Atthe primary level, in particular, interna-tional organizations are not involved inschools. At the pre-primary level, how-ever, national authorities welcome theinput of overseas groups in supportingindependent preschools, given the dis-parity in attendance at this level. Inwealthier communities in Serbia, pre-school enrollment is as high as 90 per-cent, yet in other areas it is low or non-

existent, bringing the national averagefor preschool enrollment to only 32percent.35

Experience worldwide shows thatchildren exposed to quality ECCD pro-grams perform better than other chil-dren once they enroll at the primarylevel.36 Good preschools stimulate chil-dren’s cognitive development and motorskills between the crucial ages of threeand six, while simultaneously enhancingtheir social skills. Supporting and pro-moting ECCD was therefore identifiedas a good entry point for CRS to beginworking with the Serbian governmentto improve opportunities for preschool-aged children. ECCD provided a focalpoint for CRS and the government tostart working collaboratively to create amore expansive system for preschooleducation. It engaged disadvantagedpopulations, built on current preschooleducation efforts, and ensured commu-nity involvement in national educationinitiatives. It also laid the foundationfor creating a network of partners ableto inform ECCD policy discussions.

Building on Research andPartnerships to Develop Policy

Working closely with the Serbiangovernment and national educationauthorities, CRS began supporting non-formal preschool education that reflect-ed the goals of reform defined by theMinistry of Education and Science(MoES). CRS drew heavily on existinglocal research that highlighted the needto diversify the providers of and thefunding for preschool education. The

44


35 CRS/Belgrade (2000), Five-Year Education/PSP Strategy.36 Consultative Group on Early Childhood Education (1996), 8 is Too Late: Fact Sheets Created For the

EFA-Mid Decade Forum.

same research called attention to theneed to encourage parents to enrolltheir children in ECCD centers. Thisresearch also served as a source for bet-

ter understanding how com-munity discussions may feedinto policy considerations forMoES.

Seeing an opportunity tofacilitate collaboration, CRScreated a network for par-ents, regional educationalauthorities, MoES local andcentral level administrators,

and other ECCD providers to discussworking together in partnership. Thisnetwork is called the AwakeningsProject.37 It consists of four componentsthat were coordinated to support thegoals of the preschool education reformdefined by the MoES: (1) increaseparental involvement in ECCD; (2)build capacity of local NGOs for

ECCD; (3) supportMontessori preschools; and(4) improve the quality ofpreschool education. Thoseinvolved in the Awakeningsnetwork come together anddiscuss their progress inCRS-sponsored regionalmeetings. As a result, par-ents and teachers involved inthe Awakenings networkdemonstrate a much higherlevel of mobility, responsibili-ty, creativity, constructivecriticism and ability to solve

problems.38 The network serves as aresource for developing informed view-points on ECCD and implementingquality preschool education programs.

The Awakenings Project links local,regional, and national ECCD partnersand advocates for national preschoolsupport. Key to developing and main-taining the relationship between theproject and national level educationauthorities was the fact that CRSworked closely with MoES and theUniversity of Belgrade on ECCD activ-ities. Through the Awakenings Project,an information ladder was constructed.Today, the MoES listens and respondsto local input from parents, families,and preschool administrators and teach-ers. National policymakers now strive tomake at least one year of preschool edu-cation mandatory for all children.School-level partners work with peda-gogues and school directors in work-shops and seminars with MoES person-nel. Through the Awakenings Project,CRS has helped to bring communityvoices to national level discussionsregarding ECCD.

Communication Up and Down the Ladder

When visiting CRS-supportedpreschools in Serbia, it is clear that par-ents, teachers, and administrators arewell aware of what is happening at thepolicy level regarding ECCD. Nationallevel policies are debated and speculatedupon in cafes and school meetingrooms. Teachers are well versed inteaching methods and speak of the ben-efits of ECCD for children. Principalsand teachers, once in hierarchical rela-tionships, in many cases now treat eachother as equals and work together oncommon problems, then bring this dis-


45

Facilitators

"CRS analyzed the current situation,consulted the right people, and helpedeveryone to better understand the con-text and where there is room forimprovement before they designed aprogram."

—Mima Pe‰icProfessor, University of Belgrade

37 CRS/Serbia collaborates with Save the Children/Norway on the Awakenings Project.38 CRS/Serbia (2003) Self-Evaluation Report.

CRS Builds Trust

"The CRS education program managerhas knowledge, experience, and theability to implement quality educationprograms. This builds trust. CRS is agood and efficient organization and weshare the same sensibilities in terms ofwhat we think needs to get done. Theytransformed their humanitarian assis-tance to development assistance atexactly the right time; this is great,because if they had not, then it wouldnot have worked out."

—Refik SecibovicDeputy Minister, Ministry of Education

and Science

cussion to the regional level oftenthrough their newly emerging profes-sional organizations. Organization andmotivation for the support of decentral-ized education efforts are visible. Fromthe local level up, there is a clear path tofollow for getting community voicesheard at the national level.

Moving in the opposite direction,from the national to the local level, it isclear that MoES is now open to dis-cussing reforms in mixed groups of par-ents, teachers, and administrators.Traditional hierarchical lines of com-munication are beginning to breakdown. For example, the MoES nowbuilds on the local and regional levelswhen developing by-laws, norms andstandards for education reform. Parentsand local organizations benefit frombeing included both directly and indi-rectly in these processes and from thegrowing number of preschools in thecountry. CRS-supported preschools andthe Awakenings Project have also con-tributed to filling some gaps in alterna-tive education opportunities. In general,people are motivated to change, toobtain new knowledge, and to listen tonew ideas about ECCD.

It is interesting to consider that inthe former socialist country of Serbia,where education was once consideredthe responsibility of the state alone, par-ents have quickly become involved indiscussions about ECCD policy, an areanot previously of concern. Parentalinvolvement in national level educationlegislation was built into the process forinforming policy level decisions, andthis has given parents more leverage todecide, for example, which issues to dis-cuss at national seminars on ECCD. InSerbia, strict attention to processes,informed technical input, and buy-in

from a variety of levels have all con-tributed to supporting a national move-ment for ECCD.

REFLECTIONS ONINSTITUTIONALPARTNERSHIPS

There are two levels of impact toconsider in institutional partnerships:immediate impact on policy and theultimate impact on children. In all threecases in this section, CRS workedsimultaneously with national and localeducation stakeholders as well as com-munity members to link policy andpractice. Each case demonstrates howsuccessful practices at the communityand individual level can inform policydirections for education reform. At thesame time, changes in the national poli-cies bolster support for community andschool-based activities. The goal is tocreate a symbiotic relationship amongthe various groups involved.

Some of the lessons learned fromCRS’ experiences in Vietnam, BurkinaFaso, and Serbia are listed below.

� Inter-institutional partnerships arestrongest and most successful whenformed to work on tangible and fea-sible issues of concern. In eachcountry, an important educationissue was addressed, based on thecontext and the strengths and value-added of each partner. In Vietnam,the need for inclusive educationdirected actions. In Burkina Faso,the school canteen program provid-ed the focus for CRS and MEBA todefine how to work together. InSerbia, ECCD provided an entréeto national discussions affecting

46


policy and reform. In each case,relationships were built aroundthese tangible issues drawing fromcommunity input.

� In all of the cases, partnerships withother stakeholder institutions werefocused on issues other than the core(and sometimes sensitive) subject ofcurriculum and its delivery. Thispoints to the need for internationalNGOs to find acceptable entrypoints, particularly in sensitive envi-ronments, for contributing to anation’s education system.

� Defining roles in partnerships earlyon helps avoid problems later andreduces duplication in efforts.Keeping roles flexible in order toadapt to new challenges that arise iskey. Partnerships that are adaptiverather than rigid work best.

� Respect and trust were essential forfacilitating positive partner relations.For example, CRS gained respectfrom national level educationauthorities in Vietnam when theagency recognized the value ofinclusive education and supported itwith community partners. CRS’openness in dialogue and extensiveknowledge of the history of educa-tion in Burkina Faso allowed part-ners to respectfully engage in a vari-ety of topics. In Serbia, CRS gainedthe trust of national authorities byworking with historic institutionsand building on local efforts inECCD. Because CRS often culti-vates a variety of partnerships, it fre-quently has a broad base of well-developed relationships from whichto support basic education.

� Good working relationships amonginternational NGOs contribute tonational level partnerships that canhelp to shape policy. If NGOs arewell coordinated, they can speakwith one voice and have a greaterimpact on policy level discussions.

Finally, it is clear that even withstrong partnerships, it can be challeng-ing to move ideas for education changeand reform to the implementationstage, especially where civil society isnot strong. Thus, it is important toremember that there is a complemen-tary need to create demand for actionin policy level initiatives at the com-munity level. Local level input is vitalfor informing policy discussions. As anagency that can bring local and districtpartners into national level partner-ships and discussions, CRS is wellpositioned to foster change. Withoutthe participation of all stakeholdersthough, policy implementation will fallshort of expectations.


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Conclusion: KeyPrinciples toConsider

We strive to learn from what we do– and to always do better. These casestudies were undertaken with this inmind. They are not meant to providethe definitive answer to how to developeffective programs that achieve educa-tion for all. They are, however, intendedto provide a glimpse into the complexi-ties of how an international NGOworks in partnership with stakeholdersat different levels—community, civilsociety and institutional—to supportbasic education. The lessons pulledfrom these cases have been transformedbelow into principles for working inpartnership at each of these levels.

Community

Fostering genuine partnerships atthe community level requires more thansimply encouraging communities toparticipate in discrete projects. Somekey principles to abide by include thefollowing:

� Spend time in cooperative planningexercises with communities duringthe initial phase of a project. Thiscan help clarify roles while buildingthe local capacity to sustain partner-ships.

� Make long-term commitments tocommunities. Cultivating partner-ships takes time. The mutual trustand relationships that develop andtake root during this time providethe foundation for partnerships

where communities gradually takeon more of a central role in support-ing education.

� Expand partnerships to build morevibrant networks with greaterimpact. This can be done by build-ing partnerships between and amongdifferent groups at many levels:community-NGO; NGO-NGO;NGO-government; government-community.

Civil Society

Education systems provide an excel-lent means by which to strengthen civilsociety. The following are key principlesto keep in mind for forming partner-ships at this level:

� Involve local and national educationauthorities. Nascent civil societygroups (such as parent teacher coun-cils) and new subjects in the curricu-lum need the involvement of educa-tion authorities for legitimacy.

� Foster civil society networks thathave the capacity to advocate fortheir own education needs by build-ing stronger links between andamong groups, such as parentteacher associations.

� Allow networks to grow from thebottom up so that local (or school-level) civil society groups have asense of ownership in regional ornational associations. Invest time toensure that members of local groupsunderstand their relation to regionaland national associations.

� Seize upon the unique potential ofinternational NGOs to mobilizemultiple, diverse stakeholders—communities, civil society, govern-ment, international partners, and

48


donors—for common goals. Investtime in bringing these stakeholderstogether to achieve greater impacton education.

Institutional

Cultivating partnerships at the insti-tutional level involves working with avariety of stakeholders. Some principlesare indicated below:

� Build inter-institutional partnershipsthat take into account the strengthsand value-added of each partner.

� Find acceptable entry points, partic-ularly in sensitive environments, forinternational NGOs to contribute tothe education system. Often this willbe outside the core issue of curricu-lum.

� Define roles in partnerships early onto avoid problems and reduce dupli-cation, but keep roles flexible toadapt to new challenges that arise.

� Listen to the voices and concerns ofcommunities and civil society andbring these to national level dialogueon education policy.

Final Thoughts

These principles are by no meansexhaustive. They are put forth in thespirit of ongoing reflection about whatit takes to make gains in achieving edu-cation for all. Partnerships are criticalto this effort. But it is important toremember that partnerships—whetherat the community, civil society, or insti-tutional level—are pursued for anexplicit purpose: to ensure that all chil-dren receive a quality basic education.With this in the forefront of our

minds, perhaps we will become betterand more effective partners with oneanother.


49

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