Photo credit: Isabelle Merny
Launched in early 2020, the ECCREQ project aims to improve the learning environment and the quality of education in 120 schools in Burkina Faso and Benin. This will be achieved through the solar electrification of classrooms, the installation of latrines and water points, teacher training and the improvement of the school management capacities of communities.
In order to improve the education management capacity of local communities, the project aims to put in place a plan to strengthen school management structures that takes into account all local stakeholders. We work closely with local authorities and civil society organisations, including parent-teacher associations and school management committees, where they exist. Finally, students are also directly involved in the management of their school through "school governments" or children's clubs.
A child-centred methodology
In Burkina Faso, a study conducted among various actors in the field of education revealed, on the one hand, that teachers had some difficulties in planning lessons and, on the other hand, that their students had learning difficulties. In order to remedy this situation, Aide et Action organized training sessions in the provinces of Gnagna and Ziro. Thus, 314 teachers (including 126 women) from 52 schools were trained to strengthen their skills in child-centered active pedagogy, with a focus on reflection, exchanges and classroom practice, with the aim of improving their students' performance.
Parental involvement: a condition for school success
The other problem highlighted in the study is the low involvement of parents in their children's schooling. To address this issue, Aide et Action joined hands with a local NGO and the headmasters of the schools involved in the ECCREQ project to organize village general assemblies to sensitize parents and encourage them to be more involved in the schooling of their children. In this context, 20 village assemblies were organised, enabling more than 600 people to learn about the importance of school monitoring and the different forms it can take: at home, individually or collectively. One thing is certain: the involvement of parents is an essential condition for the success of children at school.
Encouraging students and stimulating excellence
In addition to the various training sessions and awareness workshops, Aide et Action contributed to the prize distribution organized in Cassou during which the best students and teachers from 20 beneficiary schools were awarded for their commitment and good results throughout the past school year. In total, 6 pupils (4 of them girls) and 2 teachers were rewarded for their efforts. The main purpose of this activity is to encourage both students and teachers to excel and strive for excellence.
