1 Program objectives
The general objective of the program is to improve the quality of Protestant Education in Rwanda.
This is a contribution to the national policy of promoting and improving the quality of education in Rwanda. This objective is translated into more specific terms at three levels, namely:
Professional aspect:
The program aims to improve and/or strengthen the professional pedagogical capacities of the teacher and the administrator for a better qualitative and quantitative performance of their services. It also aims to create a climate favorable to learning and the development of the learner
Human and social aspect:
The program aims to change the attitudes and behaviors of teachers for the adoption and embodiment of attitudes and behaviors acquired with positive human and social values such as: social harmony, conviviality, positive communication, respect for others, development of the spirit of participatory responsibility and initiative, culture of democracy, justice and peace.
Moral and ethical aspect:
It aims to make teachers and school administrators feel more strongly about the need and importance of respecting the professional ethics of their faith. It also aims to create conditions conducive to the practical practice of their faith in everyday life at school.
Expected results
The 684 Protestant Church schools, including 42 nursery schools, 552 primary schools, and 90 secondary schools, currently have 68 teachers and 2,324 children, 5,872 teachers and 429,758 students, and 1,370 teachers and 38,362 students, respectively.
Training all these teachers in active and participatory teaching is a major challenge for the National Bureau of Protestant Education.
We have therefore set ourselves qualitative and quantitative objectives to achieve within a three-year period (from July 2007 to June 2010), which is the current phase of our program.
- After three years (2007-2010) at least 700 primary school teachers will actually be trained in 3-week sessions.
- At least 300 primary school teachers will be initiated into the system of simple mentoring and assisted mentoring
- Thus, after three years, at least 70,000 primary school pupils will benefit from active and participatory teaching.
- At least 100 secondary school teachers will actually be trained in PAP in a three-week session
- After 3 years, at least 60 kindergarten teachers will actually be trained in PAP in a three-week session.
- The social atmosphere at the school where teachers are trained is harmonious, friendly and inclusive.
- The moral and professional motivation of teachers and the development of students in their learning are “lived” and visible at school
- Students who benefit from the PAP take responsibility for the smooth running of the class and the school
- Parents are involved in the smooth running of schools, particularly in schools that apply the PAP, for a better education of their children.
- Program Activities
- The training
The three-week PAP training sessions for teachers are held during the holidays on the themes of pedagogy, psychology, methodology and communication, while for administrators it is according to their availability and convenience; they have seminars and conferences on counseling, school management, and the quality of Protestant education.
- Monitoring
Monitoring is carried out by BNEP staff. BNEP aims to ensure that trained teachers are visited in their classrooms.
- The assessment
The evaluation of the program is carried out at specific periods by a team of experts identified and agreed upon by the partner in collaboration with the Protestant Council of Rwanda (CPR).
- The collection, entry and management of school statistics for Protestant Education.
The BNEP has statistics management software that helps establish a Protestant Education database system. This system is under construction, and a first version of our database is already available. However, one challenge remains: having an effective system for collecting consistent and reliable data in schools.
Beneficiary groups
The beneficiary groups remain primarily teachers and principals of kindergarten, primary and secondary schools.
The target groups targeted by the program are:
- Kindergarten teachers
- Primary school teachers
- Secondary school teachers, particularly those from the two Protestant TTCs who provide initial training for primary school teachers
- Religion teachers for the PAP based on the content of the religion course
- 30 official directors responsible for education in the 30 administrative districts of the country (they must support, sustain and encourage our teachers trained in the practice of PAP), an information-awareness session
- Administrative staff of Protestant Education:
- The Heads of the Churches
- Representatives of Protestant Education in the administrative districts
- Education leaders in churches.
Direct and indirect beneficiaries cover a variety of areas. We can broadly classify them as follows:
- Primary and secondary school students and kindergarten children
- Parents of current and potential students of Protestant Education
- CPR member churches that will be able to achieve their educational vision and goals through the impact of the program
- Rwandan society in general, from which people from all beneficiary groups emerge and which receives positive benefits from the program
- All staff and their families who will work in the program thanks
- To the positive communication techniques acquired in training
- All institutions/training centers that will host training sessions of the program
- All companies and individuals who will provide services to the program for its activities and/or material needs.
Methodological approach
The PAP training program includes the following structure:
1. In-service teachers
Teacher training goes through different stages, all of which contribute to strengthening the skills acquired in PAP.
The content of PAP training is determined and recorded in a document called a “portfolio” in the form of themes (more than eighty themes). The initial portfolio was designed by the main trainer of the program, Mr. Christian Grêt. Principals in training do not have the chance to do the third week of practice.
Here are the different stages of training for in-service teachers
- Basic teacher training. Duration 3 weeks, the 3rd of which is reserved for practical lessons in real classrooms.
- Educational monitoring of the teacher in his class
- Creation of an educational file
- Test lesson (lesson given by the teacher and graded)
2. Training of trainers
Candidate trainers of trainers are recruited from among the best PAP elements of primary or secondary school teachers or principals. Different stages of training of trainers of trainers:
- Training in communication and animation
- Study, exploitation, control of the Portfolio
- Training practice with adults (teachers)
- Support and supervision by the main trainer
3. Administrative staff:
Principals of secondary schools, prefects of studies, prefects of discipline, representatives, etc., religion teachers are invited and trained on specific topics that each category needs as a priority to fulfill its functions. The Legal Representatives of the member churches of the CPR and their wives have a retreat every year on a priority theme for the improvement of Protestant education.
The representatives have their quarterly meeting to update the situation in our schools. The directors of education in the districts also held their workshop seminar to make them aware of the PAP in schools and its importance.
Constraints/Difficulties
Difficulties and constraints encountered in the implementation of the PAP The difficulties and constraints expressed by the beneficiaries are:
- Inadequate timing and classroom space
- Lack of laboratories and/or school equipment
- Lack of school textbook,
- Very tight schedule
- Overcrowded classes,
- Parents who do not participate in school life,
- Instability of school staff,
- Lack of financial means
- Active and Participatory Pedagogy:
