Among 75 districts in Nepal, Bajura is ranked 75 as per the HDI report 2016. PHASE Nepal Teacher Training program aims to improve the learning environments of schools in 5 Village Development Committees (VDCs) of Bajura, through an intensive teacher training and follow up support to teachers.
The specific activities are:
The teacher training program consisted of:
- Classroom baseline assessment
- Awareness-Level training in teaching methodology
- Gender Sensitivity training (1-day course)
- Post training classroom observation
- Selection of mentor teachers
- Training of Trainers (TOT) for mentor teachers (2 days training, 5-days observation/feedback)
- Peer observation, feedback and reporting from mentor teachers
- Focus group discussions with female students
All activities were conducted in coordination with District Education Office, Bajura, community members, local resource centre and PHASE staff.
The following were the achievements from the teacher training program
- 361 teachers completed the awareness-level training and gender sensitivity training
- 361 teachers had pre and post-course assessment and ongoing observation and feedback
- 78 mentor teachers completed the Training of Trainers course and provided ongoing support other teachers in their school
“The PHASE approach is unique and we appreciate that you first observe the teachers in the classroom before the training and supplement the missing elements during the training. Many of the teachers from my school have been observed for the first time through this program. PHASE teacher training has rejuvenated our enthusiasm for teaching. The best part of it is the continuous follow up and feedback. Being selected as a mentor is a big opportunity for me. It’s great because we teachers are sharing ideas with each other and there is an environment of interaction in the school.”
Bir Jung Shahi, Principal of Budhinanda Primary School in Kolti (Bajura).
Strengthening School Management Committee for improving quality of education
In 2016 PHASE conducted a series of Teacher Training and School Mentorship program in 11 schools in Kolti Village Development Committee (VDC). 58 teachers were trained and 18 outstanding teachers were provided additional training for mentoring their fellow teachers in the schools. The aim of the program is to improve access to and quality of education. PHASE also initiated follow up program of creating model classrooms and also supported in the capacity building of School Management Committee (SMC) for effective school governance. The SMC were trained and oriented as part of their awareness raising and capacity building. One of the core aims of the project was to empower two important bodies of school governance for the betterment of the school, the School Management Committee (SMC) and the Parents Teacher Association (PTA). Through this project, PHASE Nepal helped to organize regular meetings of the PTA and SMC in the schools with the expressed goal of making parents and school officials more aware of their specific roles and responsibilities in the overall management of the school including the quality of instruction. A total of 85 PTA and SMC members from 12 schools of Kolti village received the first orientation and training session from PHASE. As a direct consequence of their participation in these trainings PTA and SMC members become more aware of the powerful and positive role they can play in school management and governance.
Before participating in this training, the chairpersons of the school management committees in Kolti, would hardly dare to question school directives that came from the principals as the principals are considered educated and having a higher social status than other community members. After the training, however, these same SMC and PTA members realized their roles and responsibilities in improving the quality of education in the school through their active participation and input in decision making. The PTA and SMC members in the schools we worked with, now appreciate the legal authority and moral responsibility they have with respect to the effective management of the schools. Raju Devkota, SMC member of Chandranath Lower Secondary School said “I felt that school management committee should be more serious about improving the schools, not just relying on the principal to do everything.” These SMCs and PTA will receive a follow up orientation and additional training sessions during the duration of the project period. They were thankful for the continued support PHASE Nepal has been providing to schools to improve the quality of education.
In the month of August 2016, two events of tree days training was organized in Bajura district. The training was organized to train 60 teachers (30 teacher in each event). The resource person for the training was from District Education Office of Bajura district. The training was attended by teachers from 10 schools.
The objective of the training were as follows:
1) Develop child-centered teacher training methods and skills
2) Increase teachers’ understanding and knowledge of their subjects
3) To encourage students to become critical, creative, and independent thinkers
4) To encourage teachers to promote group work and group discussion as part of teaching learning activities.
The three day training was fruitful as it has enabled the teachers to learn modern teaching methods that are child friendly, interactive and easy for children to understand. The teachers were glad to receive the training and during the training itself prepared a lesson to incorporate and execute the learnings from the training.
PHASE Nepal has been running a Community Development Programme in Bajura District since 2013. Bajura district lies in the far western development region of Nepal and is characterized by rugged topography and lack of basic physical infrastructure. Accessibility to the district is limited.
As per the estimate of the District Education Office, Bajura, the literacy rate among the population over 15 years of age is 40% with large discrepancy between male (59%) and female (22%). Similarly, the literacy rate of the population above 6 years stands at 56% with male literacy at 69% and female at 43%. In 2016 PHASE conducted a series of Teacher Training and School Mentorship Programmes in 11 schools in Kolti Village Development Committee (VDC). 58 teachers were trained and 18 outstanding teachers were provided additional training for mentoring their fellow teachers in the schools. In addition to providing teachers with the skills of interactive teaching methodologies, the best teaching practices training module contains a day of gender sensitivity training for the teachers. This equips the teachers with the strategies of creating girls friendly classrooms and school environment. It includes encouraging girls' students to participate more in classrooms and outdoor activities. One of the core mission of the projects is also to empower deserving female teachers as mentors. PHASE has been able to identify two smart, energetic and motivated female teachers who are now mentoring their fellow teachers acting as PHASE mentors teachers.
As the programme aims to improve access to and quality of education in Bajura district, PHASE will initiate a follow up project which will involve creating model classrooms in 11 participating schools. Model classrooms create positive and fun learning environments, proactively engaging the pupils. In addition, the model classroom will strengthen the capacity of trained teachers, trained and motivated teachers will create good and positive impact on the students. As a first step to initiate the follow up project, PHASE Nepal met with School Management Committee and teachers of Budhinanda Primary School in Kolti VDC in the month of August. The SMC and teachers of the schools were more than eager to initiate the follow up project.
They were thankful for the continued support PHASE Nepal has been providing to the school.
After the meeting, materials required to build the model classrooms was finalized in consultation with the SMC and teachers. The materials includes whiteboard, carpet and cushions, musical instrument(s), a sound box, water filter, dustbin and a first aid box.
PHASE will hold meetings and consultation with other 10 schools of the VDC to build model classrooms in those schools. The follow up support will be provided within 2 years' time. After building the model classrooms within the mentioned timeframe, PHASE will also support in the capacity building of the School Management Committee (SMC) and the existing school child clubs. The SMC will be oriented and trained as part of capacity building activity. Required funds will be provided to Child clubs to conduct their activities. PHASE will also provide refresher training to the teachers as per the need.
"I am very glad. PHASE Teacher Training has helped me a lot to develop skills of interactive teaching. But in the remote school like ours we severely lack supplies. Now our skills will be supplemented with the materials we have received from the model classroom project"
Birjan Shahi, Principal, Budhinanda Primary School, Kolti Bajura.
Recently, PHASE Nepal conducted teacher trainings in Keraunja, Kashigaun (Gorkha district) and Kolti, Pandusain (Bajura district). PHASE trained around 100 teachers from government school in these communities in best teaching practices, gender sensitivity and school mentorship. The project educated 30 mentors from the 100 teachers based on their outstanding performance. By this programme, PHASE aimed to improve the classroom environment, better participation of girls and to create local leadership within the schools by creating mentor teachers for sustainable change even after the project is completed.
After the programmes were concluded, PHASE Nepal received the following feedback of different stakeholders:
Teachers
“The PHASE approach is unique and we appreciate that you first observe the teachers before the training and develop the training based on shortcomings and weaknesses of the teachers. Many of the teachers from my school are observed for the first time. The PHASE Nepal teacher training has rejuvenated our enthusiasm. The best part of it is the continuous follow up and feedback. Being selected as a mentor is a big opportunity for me. It’s great because we teachers are sharing ideas with each other and there is an environment of interaction in the school.”
Bir Jung Shahi, Principal of Budhinanda Primary School in Kolti (Bajura).
"We are very happy that PHASE resumed its educational services and remembered us one year after the massive earthquake. We are glad that you have understood our problems and our efforts in running schools in TLCs. Although it will take some time to build permanent infrastructures for the schools, we can still maintain quality in education if we get training support like this. We hope you come up with more training in the future too. We love the PHASE approach in teacher training because it is focused on practical skills. As a mentor teacher I will try to develop a habit of sharing among teachers in my school. I would like to request you: bring more follow up trainings and cover difficult subjects like English and Maths."
Saraswati Gaire, Teacher of Gandaki Lower Secondary School in Keraunja (Gorkha).
Administrators
School Supervisor Vivi Raj Soti (Bajura) after his monitoring visit:
"I am glad that I got the chance to monitor your project. I think you should replicate this in other VDCs of Bajura because it is precise, practical and delivered in the village so that the teachers do not have to spend days travelling to the district headquarter."
District Education Officer of Gorkha, Hari Aryal, inquired us about the project and called the PHASE team to visit his office at the district headquarter in Gorkha and told us:
"I was especially concerned about Kashigaun and Keraunja because they are high in the mountains and do not get in touch with the outside world often. They aren’t even on the tourist trail so there is not much exposure. I am happy that you are doing the project there. I like your training because you are focusing on the practical aspects of the teaching strategies what compliments with what we are trying to do from our resource centre."
Student
"I come from a marginalized, so called low caste, family and I carry high ambition of becoming a lawyer and advocate the implementations of good laws and fight against malpractices. I have felt that after your training, teachers have started to ask more questions. What makes me happy is that they now give more chances to girls in the class. I also love the group work as it allows me to talk about my ideas with my friends. It's fun learning like this."
Samjhana B.K., age 13, Kolti (Bajura)
All teachers and students would like to thank you for your support!
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