Manjo's story

Manjo’s story INCOMPLETE CYCLE SCHOOLS

Schools for Africa

Madagascar

Schools for Africa: Madagascar Worldwide, 72 million children are not in school, 45 percent of them in Sub-Saharan Africa alone. This equates to one African child in every three.

And those who do go to school often learn in overcrowded classrooms where the quality of teaching is poor.

The Schools for Africa initiative is a successful international fundraising partnership between UNICEF, the Nelson Mandela Foundation and the Hamburg Society for the Promotion of Democracy and International Law. Launched by Nelson Mandela in December 2004, the Schools for Africa partnership seeks to provide quality basic eduction to millions of children in 11 of Africa’s most needy countries, including Angola, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, South Africa and Zimbabwe. Its aim is to help the most disadvantaged, girls, orphans and children living in extreme poverty.

Schools for Africa supports the implementation of UNICEF’s comprehensive Child-Friendly School approach to education. Each country’s programme is a little different because it is adapted to local circumstances, but the overall goal remains the same: getting children into school, and keeping them there — to give children, their families and their communities a better future.

Schools for Madagascar Close to home 2

Madagascar’s challenges Despite its image as a tropical paradise, Madagascar is an island with immense challenges. The island’s population of nearly 20 million may live in beautiful surroundings, but the country is one of the poorest in the world: Nearly 69 percent of the population are considered ‘poor’ and 44 percent ‘extremely poor’. Education is essential to help lift the population of Madagascar out of poverty.

Prior to 2009 Madagascar was on track to achieve Education for All. The number of children enrolled in primary school had increased from almost 2.5 million in 2001-2002 to nearly 4.5 million in 20082009. In such a poor country these enrollment rates were seen as particularly impressive. But with the political crisis starting in 2009 and continuing in 2010, the situation worsened. Many households have experienced a loss in revenues and public budgets have been cut. To make up for lack of government funds, schools are now asking parents to pay school fees.

When poverty increases, the likelihood of children not attending school also increases. At the same time, a depletion of government funds halts the expansion of access to education and improvements in quality. Today, if Madagascar is to achieve education for all, it urgently needs external support.

A better future with UNICEF UNICEF has an established reputation in Madagascar. As a major partner to the Ministry of Education, it is an organization that has considerable influence at the grassroots and policy levels. Since 1985 it Schools for Madagascar Introduction 3

has been supporting education services to vulnerable groups as well as informing and influencing government education policy. In the current context of political instability and diminishing resources UNICEF has taken on a greater role. Because of its transparent objective of ensuring children’s rights and the high technical capacity of UNICEF’s education team, both former partners and new partners look to UNICEF to help minimize the impact of the crisis on children and to ensure that the country does not lose the immense gains in primary school enrollment and completion made in previous years. Thus, throughout the crisis UNICEF has been able to appropriately channel blocked funds for education support, teacher salaries, school grants and classroom construction, thereby carrying forward key education activities, and contributing to moving the education for all agenda forward.

At the same time, UNICEF is working to expand local education partnerships, working with school authorities, non-governmental organisations and other partners to build a better future for children.

Creating and documenting effective approaches and positive experiences, UNICEF’s goal is not only to improve children’s education today, but to build an evidence base that can feed into future education policy development in the country.

Education in Madagascar Achieving universal primary education in Madagascar presents significant challenges. The country has about 452,000 children aged six to ten who remain out of school (Source: Ministry of Schools for Madagascar Close to home 4

Education), and even those who are fortunate enough to go to school often do not stay there long.

A combination of difficult access, poor teaching quality and families living in poverty leads to high dropout rates. Of those who start grade one, almost 25 percent drop out within the year, 40 percent will have dropped out by grade three, and only 60 percent will ever go on to complete the full primary cycle. As a result, the average Malagasy adult has only completed 4.4 years of school.

Schools are too far away. Many are incomplete, have few learning materials and lack essential amenities like latrines and water. And there are simply not enough classrooms. In order to achieve education for all Madagascar must build 2000-3000 classrooms every year between now and 2015.

(This figure does not include rehabilitating all of the classrooms damaged or destroyed in cyclones.)

Child-friendly schools: a solution that works Achieving primary education for all means not only getting children into classrooms — it also means keeping them there and ensuring that they learn and develop to their fullest potential.

UNICEF’s Child Friendly School (CFS) model is dedicated to making environments for learning that are safe and healthy, where children can learn and grow, with respect for their identities and their diverse needs. This cross-cutting model for achieving quality basic education can be applied in different countries and cultures in both normal and emergency situations.

Taking the wellbeing of the whole child as its starting point, a child-friendly school is inclusive and gender-sensitive. It is endowed with adequate resources and with competent teachers who use Schools for Madagascar Introduction 5

child-centred teaching methods that make learning fun. It provides safe water and suitable sanitation facilities, and school-based health and nutrition services. It is designed so that children feel safe and secure.

The CFS model also strengthens families and communities by engaging parents, teachers and community members in the effective functioning of the school. In this way it makes a concerted effort to address all of the issues that will affect a child’s motivation for coming to school and for staying there.

In Madagascar UNICEF has helped establish a number of locally-generated initiatives focused on creating Child Friendly Schools. These include: • Contracts for School Success in which the whole community is involved in identifying and addressing school level problems.

• Improved methods and materials for teaching children how to read and write, as well as innovative edutainment radio programmes to make learning fun • The construction of environmentally sound, child-friendly classrooms. In a country where deforestation has already claimed almost 90 percent of the island’s natural forests, UNICEF Madagascar’s innovative construction techniques ensure that classroom construction is not carried out at the expense of the environment.

More information on these can be found in the last section of this booklet.

Schools for Madagascar Close to home 6

Targeting the most vulnerable UNICEF believes the greatest improvements to education in Madagascar will come from targeting vulnerable communities where the most challenging issue is access to primary education. In Madagascar 16 percent of communities have no school; in almost 20 percent of the country’s school districts more than 40 percent of primary schools are incomplete (offering only two to three grade levels); and in many school districts hundreds of classrooms are destroyed each year by cyclones.

Building classrooms and schools, rehabilitating those that are already there and, most important, improving the quality of education in these schools, will give vulnerable children the opportunity to create a better future for themselves, their families and their communities.

In the following pages you will meet Sam ‘Manjo’ Manjomasy.

Manjo is a student at Ankilimanintsy II primary school, a small rural school in Androy region that only offers grades one and two. We meet Manjo as he starts the second grade for the third time, with high hopes that this will be the year his school finally makes it possible for him to move on to grade three.

Ankilimanintsy ll Schools for Madagascar Introduction 7

My name is Sam Manjomasy. I am 13 years old. My friends call me Manjo, which means ‘achieve well’. One day I want to be a policeman.

Schools for Madagascar Close to home 8

[ ] Schools for Madagascar Making the grade 9

Sam ‘Manjo’ Manjomasy Manjo, 13, is a student at Ankilimanintsy II primary school. This year he will repeat the second grade for the third time.

Today is the start of a new school year. I am glad that school is

washing their hands before they eat and about washing the plates

starting. I like it. This year, I will be in grade two again. I really want

and spoons. Now they do these things. Before they did not.

to go on to grade three, but my school only goes to grade two, and my mother can’t afford to send me to another school.

Ten other children in my class are also repeating the second

Because I know everything we are learning in school it is my job to help the teacher: I help her to bring in the school materials at the start of the day and put them away at the end of the day.

grade. Only one of them has repeated as many times as I have.

Sometimes she asks me to help the younger children with their

Others drop out instead of repeating and repeating. They stay at

reading or to keep them quiet. I like it because it feels like I am a

home and help their parents work in the fields.

teacher too.

I feel sad about having to repeat, but rather than drop out, I

When I was younger my mother wanted me to be a doctor. Later,

prefer to stay in grade two. I like to learn, and I believe—I hope—

when I could think for myself, I decided I wanted to be a policeman.

one day they will send a second teacher to our school and then I will

I like the look of policemen. I like their uniforms. I also know that

be able to move on to grade three.

policemen have money to buy things. There are policemen on the

Going to school is good. I can help my mother. She asks me to

road near the school. I always see them buying things to eat, like

read letters and count money. She has me write any letters she

beer and meat. I am not sure how many years I would have to go

needs to send. I also teach my family. I have taught them to wash

to school to become a policeman. Maybe six? But whatever I do,

their hands, their faces and their feet. I have taught them about

doctor or policeman, I can only do it if I can go on to the third grade.

Schools for Madagascar Close to home 10

06:00 twice a week the water sellers come with the cart and I buy water for the family. Twenty liters costs 400 Ariary (20¢ US).

05:45 My mother wakes us up and I go outside to wash my face and clean my teeth

Schools for Madagascar Close to home 12

06:20 I walk to school with the children from our village. We carry water and wood for the canteen.

06:10 We eat sweet potatoes for breakfast.

Manjo: Damy, what are you doing today?

Damy: I am going to look after grandmother’s cattle.

Manjo: Vaha, what about you?

Vaha: I will bring firewood and work in the field.

Manjo: Mother, what are you doing today?

Mother: Weaving. Are you looking forward to school?

Manjo: I am.

Schools for Madagascar Making the grade 13

Vaha Hetsagnombee Manjo’s mother I am very happy that Manjo is starting back to school today. He is the only one of my three children that goes to school. Manjo’s father died when Manjo was just two years old. So there is no one else at home. That is why I need my other two children—my son Damy who is 14 and my daughter Vaha who is ten—at home to help me.

They help me in the field and around the house.

Even if I didn’t need their help I could not afford to send all three of them to school, so I have chosen to send Manjo. He is dynamic and intelligent. Of my three children he is the best suited for school.

I support our family by weaving traditional mats (tsihy) by hand.

When I finish one, I sell it and we use the money to buy food. One mat costs 4000 Ariary (US $2). I can usually make and sell two in a month. We also grow manioc, potatoes, beans and maize. If I just work on the mats and don’t do agriculture I can produce four mats in a month, but when I also work in the fields there is only time to make two. The produce from our fields supports us all year round. If the harvest is good we sell some of it. We do not have any animals—just ten chickens.

When Manjo grows up I want him to be a doctor. Doctors earn a lot of money—and with that Manjo can help me in my life. But when I send him off to school every day that is not what I am Schools for Madagascar Close to home 14

thinking. I am just thinking I need him to go to school so he can

cost 3000 Ariary (US $1.50) each month to send him. I can’t afford

learn something. I believe that if Manjo learns something he will

that. The nearest public school is more than 12 kms away. That

become a chief one day—an authority of some sort in the region.

would not cost so much, but it is too far away and I can’t have him

He has the personality for it.

stay there. I need him to come home at the end of the day because

The teacher told me that Manjo must go to another school so he can continue his education. I listened to what she said, but then I

he helps me—and I don’t want him to live away from home.

I want Manjo to run after knowledge. I want him to earn a

dismissed it. The nearest [full cycle primary] school is six kms away.

certificate or a diploma and become a doctor. I believe he will do

That is not too far for Manjo to go, but it is a private school. It would

these things one day, even if for now he has to repeat.

Schools for Madagascar Making the grade 15

Ankilimanintsy II primary school constructed: 2003 dimensions: 4 x 8 meters number of villages served: 4 grades offered: 1 & 2 number of students: 132 number of desks: 17 number of teachers: 1

Schools for Madagascar Close to home 16

Schools for Madagascar Close to home 18

Mameno Rova Teacher, Ankilimanintsy II primary school I have been the teacher here for two years. It is a small classroom

than have them keep repeating. Other parents keep sending them

and it is very crowded with 132 students inside. The parents in this

because they hope that one day we will be able to offer grade three.

community worked together to build this classroom with their own

Most of the parents here believe that it is important to send their

money and labour. They wanted their children to be able to go to

children to school, even if means repeating the same grade. They

school, but they didn’t have the money to build a second classroom

want to see them going to school. They know it is a benefit.

or to make this one bigger. Nor was there money to build a latrine.

Manjo is a good example. He is an excellent student. By now

It is really hard to teach so many children. It is especially hard to

he would be in grade five if he had been able to progress in his

supervise what they are doing. Every child is different and some of

education. Last year and the year before that I told Manjo and his

them have problems. I need to work with them individually, but I

mother that they should send him to another school. Manjo said

can’t. The children in the second grade sit in the desks. Most of the

‘No. I know that my mother does not have the money to send me

first grade sits on the floor. There are so many of them that I can’t

to another school. I will stay here until they open the third grade.’

even get to where they are sitting. I have asked the district

Manjo is the leader of the class. He helps me with the younger

education chief to send another teacher to help me, but I am not

children by listening to them read and keeping them in order.

sure if or when they will.

When I need someone to help me in any way—for example, to

When the children here finish grade two, if their parents have enough money, they can send them to school in Ambovombe

go with the children to do agriculture—Manjo is my assistant.

I am sad. I worry that soon it will be too late for him to finish his

(15 kms away). If their parents don’t have money the children stay

education. That’s why I keep telling him to go to school elsewhere.

here and repeat the second grade with the hope that one day the

But he says ‘No, I have to stay.’ I really want to see him get an

district education office will send another teacher. If a new teacher

education. I have even thought about paying for this myself, but I

comes we can open grade three.

don’t have the money to send him to school elsewhere. That is why

This year I have ten children repeating grade two. Some parents take their children out of school and have them help at home rather

I have insisted that the district education chief send us another teacher and then we will open grade three.

Schools for Madagascar Making the grade 19

06:50 We clean the classroom, then we line up. We raise the flag and sing the national anthem.

07:05 The teacher takes attendance.

Schools for Madagascar Close to home 20

08:30 The teacher asks me to help some of the first-graders with their reading.

09:12 The teacher reads to the class.

Schools for Madagascar Making the grade 21

Schools for Madagascar Close to home 22

Namorisoa President, Ankilimanintsy II village As the president of this village it is my role to motivate the parents

they know, the way they carry themselves and how they keep

to send their children to school. Sending children to school is

themselves clean—they are motivated to send the others.

important for the development of our village and our district.

We built Ankilimanintsy II school with the help of the parents.

Before we were in the dark. Our minds were closed. But now

There was no school in the village. Each family contributed ten

most parents are convinced that education is very important. It

pieces of wood. The classroom is small, but we cannot afford to

used to be that the culture of our area emphasized the importance

build another. This is one of the reasons this is an incomplete cycle

of cattle: Cattle were important and all of the children were sent

school. The other is the lack of a second teacher.

out to watch them. But that has changed. In recent years many

I know all about not being able to complete your education. My

cattle have been stolen and the environment is drier than it used

parents stopped me going to school when I was in grade 4. Some

to be. Now there are not enough cattle.

of my classmates continued and now they are living and working

Most of the parents in this village never went to school. But now

outside the country as doctors and in other jobs. I may be the

that there are fewer cattle they see that it is important to send their

Village President and the most educated man in this village, but

children to school so that they can open their minds to receive new

when I see what my friends achieved it makes me sad. If I had been

things from the world, and when they grow up they can have a job.

able to continue I might have done so much more.

There are still some who resist, some who still want to send their

This is why I push children to go to school—my children and the

children out with the cattle. They think ‘If I have five children, I can

children of this village. This is why we worked together to build this

have one help with the cooking, one keep the cows, one stay with

school. But now when I see children like Manjo repeating the same

the small children and the other two can go to school.’

class again and again, I see my own situation and I feel sad all over

But other parents are changing their thinking. They are thinking

again. I worry that they may not have the opportunity to continue

‘One will manage the cattle and the other four will go to school.’

their studies. It is because of Manjo and the others like him that we

When parents see changes in their school-going children—in what

keep fighting to have grade three here.

Schools for Madagascar Making the grade 23

09:18 Every school day, two parents from the community take it in turn to cook rice and lentils for us.

09:30 I bring the dishes to the canteen and they serve the food.

Schools for Madagascar Close to home 24

09:35 ‘Slow down!’ the teacher always tells us.

‘Don’t eat so fast!’

09:33 Some of the water we bring to school is used for washing our hands before we eat.

Schools for Madagascar Making the grade 25

09:42 Recess

Schools for Madagascar Close to home 26

Schools for Madagascar Close to home 28

Helene Ramanantenasoa Pedagogic Counsellor, Ambovombe district Before, parents in Ambovombe district were not interested in

resolve. If there is someone in the village who has completed grade

sending their children to school. When UNICEF started work in

nine or ten, they can be recruited and trained.

this district in 1994 there were only 70 schools. Now there are 239.

The problem with incomplete cycle schools is that children only

It is good that so many parents want to send their children to

complete a few grades and then they are stuck. If you only get an

school. The problem is that the government doesn’t have the funds

education through grade two or three, there is a risk that you will

to build all of the classrooms that are needed, so this job falls to the

fall back into illiteracy. There are studies that say that you need a

parents. They can’t wait for the government if they want their

minimum of a fifth grade education in order to retain literacy.

children to go to school. So communities like this one organise themselves and build a school so that their children are not left out.

We want to see these children move ahead with their education.

One solution to this is doing more of what is already being done:

Of the 236 primary schools in this district, 119 are incomplete.

organising the community to build the schools. The parents would

There are two main reasons for this. First, and most important, there

buy what materials they can. And if, for example, they can’t afford

are not enough classrooms. In this area building materials are scarce

to buy cement, they can go to the mayor of the community and ask

and costly. They can’t make bricks here. Cement is available in town,

him if he will participate by buying cement, and go to the district

but it is expensive and hard to transport to remote areas. Also, there

education chief to ask if he will give part of the roof if he can. In

is very little water here. How can you make cement without water?

other words, they organise themselves and negotiate the

Wood is scarce and costly because the forests have been destroyed.

economics within the community.

This is why the parents can only afford to build a small classroom.

The second reason for the large number of incomplete schools is that there are not enough teachers. This situation is easier to

But even if they did this, these parents have no idea how to organise and manage those who would construct the school. If we can teach them how to do this, they can proceed on their own. But Schools for Madagascar Making the grade 29

even then, the schools will need to be renewed or rebuilt every year

they understand why they are doing it. Without this—if you only go

or two, depending on the weather. So another idea is to ask organi-

and dictate to them what you believe should be done—they will

sations like UNICEF to help us build durable schools—schools that

not be motivated. That is why the Contract for School Success is so

would not require parents to build or renew them.

important.

We have been working with UNICEF for 15 years now. In that

In the future I would like UNICEF to help us to improve the

time, they have introduced some valuable systems to encourage

quality of education in Madagascar. Children need to know more

community participation. The Contract for School Success is the

than reading, writing, calculating and speaking French. They need

biggest benefit of our collaboration. It encourages the participation

life skills. Their parents should see that there is a difference if

of all the community members—parents, local authorities, the

children go to school. Children should acquire some knowledge,

district education chief, teachers and children—in order to

some competencies that help them in their lives. They should also

promote education.

learn some activities that will help them to find employment when

This starts even before they build a school. The community has a meeting and the stakeholders discuss the problems of education

they finish school.

I would like to see one other thing happen—and I hope UNICEF

in their community. When everyone understands the problems

can help with this: I would like to situate junior secondary schools

children will face if they don’t go to school, and know what they can

nearer to primary schools. To go to primary school children walk,

do to help, everyone inevitably agrees to build the school because

on average, three to four kms each way. To go to secondary schools

they are aware of the benefits it will bring. This means that even if it

they often walk as far as 10-15 kms. More children could continue

costs them time or money, they will participate willingly because

their education if schools were not so far away.

Schools for Madagascar Close to home 30

12:10 I walk home with my friends. While we walk we talk about what we are going to do when we get home.

Maka: I am going to watch the cows.

Fisaorantsoa: I will help my mother cook.

Liatinatae: I have to collect firewood.

Manjo: I am going to help my mother in the field and then do my homework.

Schools for Madagascar Close to home 32

13:35 Setting off for the field Schools for Madagascar Making the grade 33

Schools for Madagascar Close to home 34

17:42 Homework

Schools for Madagascar Making the grade 35

When I grow up, I want to be...

Liatinatae

Maka

Soabinagoe

a teacher

a district education officer

a teacher

Schools for Madagascar Close to home 36

Fisaoratsoa

Manatenasoa

Manjo

a midwife

a teacher

a policeman

Schools for Madagascar Making the grade 37

Manjo and generations of children following him need a complete primary education if they are to have a chance to achieve their dreams.

UNICEF is working to complete incomplete cycle schools throughout Madagascar, including Manjo’s.