Construction and Renovation Work in Schools
Under the umbrella of the IRD program, NAC targets schools in districts of Badakhshan and Ghazni provinces that are in such bad conditions that majorBaloch school after renovation, Badakhshanreconstruction and reparation work is urgently needed. The NAC’s infrastructure team renovates these schools in cooperation with the communities and provides finance, planning, technical support and training whilst the community provides the labor. The work carried out by the team includes complete renovations, wells for safe drinking water, new latrines as well as establishing play grounds and sport fields.
Azima compares the situation of their school in the past with present:
Teacher Training
Under the IRD program, NAC aims to improve the quality of education and that includes the capacity of school staff. NAC trains both teachers and principals in courses developed in coordination with the Teacher Training Department of the Ministry of Education. Schools principals are trained in school management, incTeachers Trainingluding how to make work plan, arrangestaff, solving problems and conflict and leadership. School teachers are trained in both subject-knowledge and in methodology. The subject-knowledge training includes courses in biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics, practical science laboratory training.
In the year of 2012, the trained teachers will use the new knowledge and methods learned and some 14.000 student in 21 partner schools will benefit from improved science lessons and better teaching methods.
Improving chemistry education in Afghanistan:
Parents Teachers Associations
Under the IRD program andPTA training, Badakhshan in line with NAC’s approach of working with sustainable development, an important aspect of the achieving community ownership of schools and supporting formal education is the formation of functioning Parents Teacher Associations (PTAs), formal groups of parents, teachers and staff that are intended to facilitate parental participation in schools, encouraging parent involvement and supporting teachers.Previously, PTAs have either been inactive or non-existent in Afghan schools and it is a new concept for communities to take ownership for their school and their children’s education in Afghanistan. However, NAC believes it crucial for ensuring sustainability of the education system, especially as the government support is often insufficient or non-existent.
NAC trains PTA members in financial and administrative management, mobilizing the community and raising funds, and organising maintenance and intends for the PTAs to be able to take onthe full responsibility for managing and maintaining their schools in the future.
Friendship Schols
Guldara friendship school, Kabul
The Friendship School project is a children's project in which cooperation and cultural exchanges are central, the exchange between the schools consists of letters, poems, stories, drawings, photographs and handicrafts and also the Norwegian Friendship schools raises funds once a year that directly benefits the children in the school. NAC established the concept of Friendship Schools in order to:
•Promote solidarity and friendship between children
•Exchange knowledge and cultural understanding between the two countries
• Contribute to improving the quality of schools in Afghanistan
Through the project, NAC identifies committed schools in Norway who are willing to support a counterpart school in Afghanistan also through raising private donations. The funds received from Norway are directly invested in the school. NAC currently has three Friendship Schools: Gul Dara School outside Kabul, with Friendship School Vinderen School in Norway, Girls Nr 2 School in Faizabad with Friendship school Bergen School and Astrid Morken School in Peshawar, Pakistan for Afghan immigrants children, supported by NINA.
If your school is interested in supporting this project, please contact our office in Oslo at ain@afghanistan.no
