participate in improving the quality of - UNICEF...happened in my travels was meeting Joab. Joab: Hi, I am Joab, and I am one of the youngest learners in my class. Being a member of

In other words, how often do learners,

teachers, principals, school boards,

parents, caregivers and community members

participate in improving the quality of

education in your school?

Do you know about social accountability at your school?

Edu: Hi friends, I am Edu. I met you last week. Today we will be talking about social accountability and governance in our schools. These are “BIG” words right?

Edu: Social accountability is all about ensuring that learners, parents, teachers and community members work together to have good schools in Namibia. Learners can identify the challenges at school and make sure that the learner representative council raises concerns to the school board.

Edu: A school board is made up of parents, learners and teachers. They are mainly responsible for the school, and together they represent our rights as learners. They are the voice of the entire school community and must ensure that learners get quality education in a healthy and safe environment.

Edu: Yes! The school board must develop a plan for the school. The plan must guide the school community to make sure that learners do well at school. The school board must visit the school on a regular basis, look at examination results and include learners in decision making.

Buruxa: Now I understand. The school board is important to improving our school.

Hi Edu, my name is Buruxa, and I am ready to learn because I want the learners at my school to pass with good grades and to have a positive attitude. Edu, what is social accountability?

Buruxa:

Buruxa: What is a school board and how does it address the needs of learners?

Buruxa: Wow Edu! I have learned that I have the power to influence decisions through the school board. I also understand that social accountability is important for ensuring quality education at my school.

QualityEducation: Our shared responsibility!

EDU: LET’S DO IT!LEARN HOW TO BE A SMART, INVOLVED

AND ACTIVE LEARNER!

Keep a look out forthe next issue as I travel

to the Hardap Region to meetlearners that are leaders.

(Above): Members of an EDU Circle participating in decision making.

The programme is supported by UNICEF and the European Union. The content can in no way re�ect the views of the European Union. If your school wants to know more about EDU andEDU Circles please contact the Ministry of Education, Art & Culture. National Resource Centre, Government O�ce Park Luther street, Windhoek Tel +264-61-293-3004. Web: www.moe.gov.na

(Above): Bianchi wants to be a doctor because he

enjoys helping people. .

(Above): Albertina attends Petrus Vries Primary School a n d enjoys reading in her free time.

Edu: Albertina together with the EDU Circlelead by example. I also met Bianchi who is excited about improving his school. He is a great leader who is passionate about issues a�ecting learners. He wants to introduce himself.

“It’s important for schools to understand their challenges in order to �nd solutions with teachers, learners, parents and community members”. -EDU

Challenges identi�ed by the Hardap EDU Circles.

Edu: On my travels, I met a lot of interesting learners. Albertina is a great leader and a good learner because she helps to solve the challenges faced at her school. I want you to meet her.

Albertina: Hello, I am Albertina, and I enjoy helping learners with their school work. I am also the leader of the Edu Circle. The issue that bothers me the most at my school is that there are no ‘after school’ study times at the school and hostel. To solve the problem, the Edu Circle met the principal and the hostel matron to make sure that students get a time and place to learn. The Edu Circle together with the stakeholders was able to solve this problem at our school, and now we have a classroom to study in after school.

PLAYS AND MOVESPLANTS

Hi friends, I want to tell you about the time that I travelled to the Hardap region. I met more than 6000 learners from 23 di�erent schools. I asked the learners in the Edu Circles to share some challenges and successes at their school.


Bianchi: Hi, I am Bianchi, and I am the leader of the Edu Circle at DD Guibeb Primary School.At my school, there is no internet, no library,no hobbies, no research projects, nothing to encourage learners. The Edu circle printed posters during the culture week to encourage teachersand community members to work with learners.We wanted the school to come up with activitiesthat help learners get quality education.For schools to improve, I believe that everyone, everywhere has to encourage leaders to support and motivate learners.

Success in the Hardap Region

In the next issue, I travel to the Ohangwena Region

to witness how EDU Circles improve their schools.

The Story of Social Accountability in the Hardap Region

(Above): The Hardap region of Namibia.

(Left): The percentage repressents the number of challenges

identified by the EDU Circles. OTher includes, theft at school, high

drop out rate, lack of supplementary teaching, drug and alcohol

abuse amongst learners, corporal punishment and lack of transport.


Success in the Ohangwena Region

“Remember learners, that challenges areonly a problem if we don’t solve them”. -EDU

Challenges identi�ed by the Ohangwena EDU Circles.

Edu: It’s great to see that community involvement improves schools. Another exciting experience that happened in my travels was meeting Joab.

Joab: Hi, I am Joab, and I am one of the youngest learners in my class. Being a memberof the Edu Circle has changed me because it hastrained me to care about learners. I know I have the right to quality education, and the responsibility to play a part in making sure that my school is good. I am free to participate and express myself. For schools to be good, learners must talk to stakeholders like principals, teachers,learners and community members.

(Above): The Ohangwena region of Namibia.

(Left): The percentage represents the number of challenges identified

by the Edu Circle’s.

Edu: Hi learners, let me tell you about a school that is able to solve their challenges.

Edu: Can you tell us about a time when you expressed your concerns to a stakeholder?

Hi friends, last week I told you about my trip to the Hardap region. I also travelled the Ohangwena Region where I met nearly 7 000 learners from 25 di�erent schools. I interacted with learners and members from the Edu Circle. The learners in the Edu Circle told me about the following challenges and successes at their school.

Edu: The Edu Circle at Shaama Combined School has been very active. They meet every week! Since the establishment of the group, they have met stakeholders including the headman, local business people and the school board. The learners communicated directly to the principal and life skills teacher to help them. With everybody taking responsibility the schoolhas been able to acquire electricity because a new power line was installed. The next aim of the EDU Circle together with the stakeholders is to introduce a school library. Through the socialaccountability programme various communitymembers, including parents and the businesscommunity assisted the school in reaching thesegoals.

PLAYS AND MOVES

SPEAKS READS CLEANS

DREAMS LISTENS CARES

PLANTS THINKS


Joab: With a lot of respect, I expressed to our school principal and teachers that it’s importantto invest in the school`s information technologydepartment. I told them that on a computer, I caneducate and entertain myself by reading, typing,calculating and playing games. I must say that I am proud to be a part of the development in my school. All I want is that for other learners to have the same opportunities in all schools.

Edu: Many of the learners are incredible leaders that can be involved in making decisions withstakeholders. The achievement of quality educationis our shared responsibility.

In the next issue,welook at what quality education

means.

(Above): Joab feels free to participate in the EDU Circle

because he cares about his fellow learners.

The Story of Social Accountability in the Ohangwena Region


In other words, are learners healthy and

ready to learn in a safe environment, and with

support from skilled teachers and caring

caregivers and communities?

Do you know what quality education means?

Keep a look out forthe next issue as I travel

to the Hardap Region to meetlearners that are leaders.

EDU: LET’S DO IT!

Buruxa: Hi EDU, please tell me! How do I know if my school is providing quality education?

Edu: Hi Buruxa, first of all, do you know what quality education means?

Buruxa: Yes, quality education is when our schools make sure that learners pass with good grades.

Edu: That’s a great start because quality education also includes good attitudes, knowledge, skills, and values the importance of education.

Buruxa: I want quality education at my school. What can I do to improve my school?

Edu: You can be elected to be a part of the Edu Circle at your school. An Edu circle is a group of 12 learners from all grades (the number of boys and girls must be fair and equal) that come together at least once a week to discuss challenges at their school.

Buruxa: How can the Edu Circletogether with the learners solvethese challenges?

Edu: Well, the learners are not expected to solve the challenges alone, with the help of stakeholders in our communities they can overcome anything!

Buruxa: Edu, you used another big word that I have not heard before. What are stakeholders, and how can they be involved with my community and school?

Edu: Let me explain, a stakeholder is a person, group or organisation that has an interest or concern about the well being of your school.

Buruxa: Can you give a few examples of stakeholders?

Edu: There are 2 types of stakeholders “sometimes we call them partners”, internal and external. Internal stakeholders are the school board, principal, teachers and everybody within the school itself. The externalstakeholders are parents and community members.

Buruxa: I get it now. When we have a challenge at our school, we must discuss the issue with all stakeholders so that everybody can help us solve the challenges.

EDU: Indeed, it is everybody’s responsibility to make sure that Namibia only has good schools and good learners today and in the future. It is important that we all work together to improve quality education at our schools.


Do you want to be a successful learner?

Remember to ‘Do like Edu’!


Documents

participate in improving the quality of - UNICEF...happened in my travels was meeting Joab. Joab: Hi, I am Joab, and I am one of the youngest learners in my class. Being a member of