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In the educational system, secondary teaching sits halfway between primary and higher education in terms of the structure of its contents which lies between knowledge and applied knowledge.
With this privileged position, the sub-system assumes responsibilities that should place it at the centre of any reform of the whole educational system. |
There are ever greater expectations from society that
secondary education should at once play a final role -
to train executives that are immediately employable -
and provide future university students. At the same time,
it is expected to make room for a mismatched series of
new subjects covering the environment, peace, human rights,
drugs, AIDS and various other issues linked to society
and education.
REFORMS IN SECONDARY EDUCATION
In developing countries, mainly in Africa, the means to fulfilling this ambition are often lacking: the premises, equipment, labs, school manuals, teaching personnel are lacking in quality and quantity in spite of the huge financial efforts being made.
One can't help but acknowledge that during the last decade of the 20th century, almost all the surveys carried out on the educational systems in Africa reached the same conclusions: The sub-sector of secondary education has for a very long time been, and still is, left out of the reforms that were introduced in the other sub-systems.
On the whole, secondary education received very little attention in the last few years. Most of the aid allocated to education, both bilateral and multilateral, was channelled into other forms of education (basic education, higher education). Poor relation of the whole educational system, secondary education reached a critical stage in Africa today. The OAU Conference of Ministers of Education (COMEDAF, Harare, 15-19 March 1999) made the following assessment of this phase of education: "In some countries, the trend was to implement highly costly systems with boarding schools and scholarships. The focus was not placed firmly enough on the teaching and learning of science and technology, a crucial sector for competition and survival in the global market of the 21st century". Furthermore, the conference recommended:
"During this decade, the member states will attempt to reach a 50% rate of enrolment of children in age of entering secondary school (in 1995, the prevailing rate in this cycle was 32%)."
All participants at the meeting of the International Consortium on Secondary Education convened by UNESCO (Paris, 10-11June 1999) also reached the same conclusions, hence the urgent need to undertake the renovation of this educational sub-system. A Regional Workshop of Experts for development agencies and members of the consortium is planned for March and April of next year, along with thematical studies to be carried out in a dozen countries.
Partners for the renovation of secondary education: united efforts
In Africa, secondary education hasn't attracted the same active mobilization for its development as basic education and higher education in the last decade.
The actions carried out by governments, NGOs and the private sector were seldom co-ordinated or focused towards common goals. As a result today, there's little information on any innovative action being carried out in the region by the various actors of secondary education, and co-operation between these actors is virtually non-existent.
In co-operation with the organizations involved (governmental and non-governmental: OAU, ADEA, CONFEMEN, ROCARE, ERNESA, FAWE, etc.) an inventory of existing innovations will be performed in order to use these as part of the renovation of secondary school education. Co-operation with these organizations will start during the first phase of the renovation process by associating them to the studies, and will continue into the second phase, by involving them in the elaboration of the guidelines and strategies for the renovation of secondary school.
TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING (UNEVOC)
After the launch in 1992 of an international UNESCO project for Technical and Vocational Training (UNEVOC), the UNESCO Regional Bureau in Dakar (BREDA) convened a regional symposium on TVT in August 1995, during which regional experts drew up an action plan adapted to Africa with the following objectives:
a) Direct activities aimed at designing the systems for technical and vocational training in all member states;
b) Develop TVT facilities;
c) Improve access to databases and documentation
Between 1995 and the Second
international congress on technical and vocational training
(Seoul, April 1999), the implementation of TVT activities
was in keeping with this action plan and was carried out
in accordance with the UNESCO programmes and budgets and
the mid-term strategy (1996-2001), and it was focused
mainly on regional and sub-regional co-operation. The
most recent of these activities has been the Preliminary
Regional Consultation for the Second International Congress
(Nairobi, November 1998) which elaborated a regional plan
of action presented by Africa to the Second Congress.
After the Second International Congress, it was decided to launch as of 2000 a long-term international programme in the area of TVT. The creation of sub-regional networks is in keeping with this programme:
Support to member states
The aim is to help member states formulate policies and programmes for technical and vocational teaching and training in order to offer the youth and young adults the possibility of receiving an initial and on-the-job training so as to be better prepared for professional life. One of the strategies adopted is the strengthening of co-operation between UNEVOC centres through electronic means and the implementation of regional and sub-regional co-operation mechanisms. Co-operation with other organizations, in particular the ILO, will be reinforced in order to give this programme a multi-institutional dimension.
Development of young entrepreneurship
Training in entrepreneurship being a very recent innovation, the strategy advocated will be that of pragmatical approaches consisting in involving young people or groups of young entrepreneurial initiatives with the view to contributing their experiences to the elaboration of a training programme in this field
Promotion of partnerships between UNEVOC centres
Promoting co-operation between the various institutions of the different regions, especially through partnerships between TVT institutions and the basic communities, through North-South and South-South twinning programmes for instance.
The new technologies of information and communication will be used as much as possible to establish contacts that would support this initiative.
Training and proficiency for Heads of technical and vocational schools
The Second International Congress on Technical and Vocational Training (Commission III) states that "the importance of the training of teachers in the area of TVT must be recognized as much as that of teachers in general education and higher education, and this training must be continued throughout life".
This statement shows how in the past, TVT teachers did not receive the same degree of attention as their colleagues in other sectors, which, along with their lesser salaries, explains the lesser prestige of TVT in the public mind.
Raising the status of TVT is closely linked to the need to raise the profile and the status of TVT teachers. Hence the need to provide support to member states for the elaboration and implementation of proficiency programmes for teachers.
• See the UNEVOC forum
SCIENTIFIC
AND TECHNOLOGICAL EDUCATION
The
teaching of science and technology at primary, secondary
and higher level has remained since 1993 in keeping with
the framework of the 2000+ - Popularization
of Science and Technology for All project launched
by UNESCO after the 1990 Jomtien
Conference (PDF*).
Following this launch, the UNESCO Regional Bureau for
Africa held a regional induction workshop on this project
elaborated by the African section of the 2000+ project
(13-17 June 1999) entitled POPSTAFRIC — Popularization
of Science and Technology for All in Africa. This version
of the project includes three stages:
a) The development of teaching materials for the youth
(primary and post-primary education)
b) Clinics or scientific and technological camps for girls
c) The production of audio-visual materials for the popularization
of science and technology for the populations outside
of schools.
The conculsions of African experts match the observations
made by the UNESCO programme and budget for 2000-2001,
namely that the World Conference on Science (Budapest
1999) secured the commitment of governments, international
organisations and other involved third parties to give
the utmost priority to the improvement of the teaching
of science and technology for all and at all levels —
paying special attention to the
education of girls and young women — , to raising
public awareness and to popularizing science.
The main strategy followed has been to reinforce national
capacities, namely in the elaboration of syllabuses focused
on issues of health, environment, food, etc. for primary
education. In keeping with the follow-up to the World
Forum on Basic Education and with the elaboration of teaching
materials and the training of teachers, a strong priority
will be given to girls and women.
SCIENTIFIC,
TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING FOR GIRLS
During the 27th session (Paris, 1995), the UNESCO
General Conference approved the proposition of the Secretariat
for the launching of a special project in keeping with
the 1996-1997 Programme and Budget, for the "Scientific,
technical and vocational training of girls in Africa".
In keeping with this decision, the Dakar Regional
Bureau (BREDA), in co-operation with the UNESCO headquarters
in Paris, started putting the project into place with
a preliminary phase aimed at identifying the factors that
could influence the guidance of young girls towards areas
of scientific, technical and vocational training, as well
as the strategies, measures and innovations to advocate
in order to improve access to this type of education.
In this respect, surveys on the place occupied by women
in scientific and technical careers, as well as on the
psychological and sociological barriers that narrow its
chances of entry into these careers and into the relevant
training leading to them, were carried out in twenty member
states in Africa. The results of these surveys were published
in a book entitled "Access to Scientific, Technical
and Vocational Training for African Girls and Women"
which is available at BREDA.
The implementation of this project was carried out in
keeping with the 1998-1999 programme and budget, thus
allowing BREDA to contribute to the reinforcement of national
capacities in the framework of scientific and technological
clinics for girls and to the sub-regional co-operation
of the associations in charge of the scientifc education
of girls (FEMSA, FAWE, GASAT, AFIMA, etc.). With the technical
and financial support of BREDA, a workshop for the launch
of this co-operation was held in Bamako in September 2000.
The Second International Congress on Technical and Vocational
Training (Seoul, 1999) and the World Science Conference
(Budapest, 1999) placed the focus on the need to increase
the number of girls in the areas of scientific and technical
training.
The best strategy does not simply consist in fighting
socio-cultural and psychological barriers at the level
of society at large, but mostly at the level of schools,
through the training of teachers who are capable of fighting
stereotypes and prejudices from the primary cycle, the
elaboration of adequate syllabuses, manuals and teaching
materials. Co-operation with associations involved in
this area will be pursued, mainly through the reinforcement
and the generalization of scientifc clinics for girls
and by encouraging science and mathematics olympics, especially
aimed at girls of the primary and secondary levels.
PUBLICATIONS AND CONTACTS
For any further information, please contact
Mr.
Teeluck BHUWANEE
Programme Specialist
Tel. : (221) 849.23.22 – 849.23.37
Fax : 823.83.93
Email : t.bhuwanee@unesco.org
