From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Thu Apr 01 2010 - 05:11:15 EST
UNICEF supports a revived commitment to nomadic education in Eritrea
By Yahoko Asai
http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/eritrea_53217.html
ASMARA, Eritrea, 30 March 2010 - Delivering education to children in remote
rural areas is a major challenge in Eritrea.
In many cases. students have to walk long distances in difficult weather
conditions to get to school. And families' seasonal movements - in search of
water and pastureland for their cattle - make it very difficult for
pastoralist children to complete a basic education.
Moreover, teachers are often reluctant to work in remote areas, where access
to basic social services is limited or non-existent. At the same time, some
parents remain unaware of the importance of education for their children -
particularly their daughters, who are frequently compelled to marry at a
young age.
According to Ministry of Education figures, more than 234,000 Eritrean
children aged 7 to 11 are not attending elementary schools. Enrolment in the
regions inhabited by nomadic peoples is particularly low, especially among
girls.
"By visiting various nomadic schools in northern Sudan and learning from
their experiences, we can now confidently start putting our knowledge on
different nomadic education initiatives into practice in Eritrea," said the
Minister of Education, H.E. Semere Russom, referring to a UNICEF-supported
study tour on nomadic education. The tour took place in one of Eritrea's
neighbouring states, Sudan, earlier this month.
Lessons from Sudan
With similar cultures and traditions, Sudan faces many of the same
educational challenges as Eritrea. On the study tour, Eritrean delegates
visited five states in northern Sudan - Kassala, Gedarif, Khartoum, White
Nile and North Kordofan - observing different initiatives that address
access to education for nomadic children.
In one of the Rashaida nomadic communities in Kassala state, the strong
commitment of a community leader successfully influenced the transformation
of a mobile classroom into an on-site school. The leader, Mohamed Salih
Saleem, advocated education for all and made contributions to start the
school - to buy the land, mobilize the community, build huts and provide
food and water for teachers.
UNICEF collaborated on the project and provided writing desks and learning
materials for the school. As a result of this effort, more than 100 boys and
girls from grades one to four now attend the Um Oshoosh School.
'Education can start in any form'
Various kinds of inventive school structures - including tents, iron frames
covered by grass mats or twigs, and mud-brick or cement buildings - also
impressed the Eritrean study tour members.
"It was encouraging to learn that we should not worry too much about how
nomadic schools should look at the beginning," said Petros Hailemariam,
Director General of the Department of Research and Human Resources
Development for the Eritrean Ministry of Education.
"Education can start in any form, depending on local conditions," he added.
"Once the basis is established, it can scale up, reflecting the local needs
and realities."
Translating knowledge into practice
In 2009, the Eritrean education authorities, with support from UNICEF,
drafted a policy framework on nomadic education and initiated pilot nomadic
education interventions in four regions.
The subsequent study tour to Sudan provided key government officials and
partner organizations with the fresh perspectives needed for the ongoing
development of a policy and plan of action for Eritrea, which will include
expansions of pilot schools and teacher training programmes.
"Flexibility is the key for nomadic education," said UNICEF Representative
in Eritrea Dr. Hamid El-Bashir. "No one size fits all, because all nomadic
communities have different social, economic and environment conditions, and
their own lifestyles."
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