Education

VSO works in education in Africa, Asia, the Pacific and the Caribbean. VSO's vision is that all children have access to good quality primary education. This includes ensuring the most disadvantaged – such as girls, those with disabilities, ethnic minorities and children affected by HIV and AIDS – are also able to go to school.

In 2000, 164 governments committed to achieving ‘Education for All’, which stated that everyone has the right to a basic education. In response, rich governments have donated more funds to education in developing countries and poor countries are increasing the availability of schooling, either by making education free or by opening more schools. However, as school enrolments rise, pressure on already overstretched education systems increases, which affects the quality of education children receive.

We address this by strengthening education systems and improving the quality of teaching.

How our volunteers help

Volunteers support improvements in education by working in teacher training colleges and with groups of schools on developing teaching methods. By improving classroom techniques so that lessons are enjoyable, practical and interactive, more children leave school with skills and knowledge that will improve their chances in life. Their vulnerability to HIV and AIDS and discrimination will be reduced and their ability to maintain good health and to make a living will improve.

We also work with local government offices and Ministries of Education in areas such as assessment, strategic planning, national curriculum development, monitoring and evaluation and national quality standards.

Our campaigning work on education

‘Valuing Teachers’ is the name of our international education advocacy and policy work. What Makes Teachers Tick?, a policy research report on teachers' motivation in developing countries, reported on issues of teacher morale, motivation and status, and the impact that has on the quality of education children receive. The findings have informed much of our work since 2001, including national advocacy work to encourage governments to change policies affecting teacher conditions and efforts to improve the status of teachers in the community. The second phase of Valuing Teachers is looking at what further work is needed to improve education management systems.

VSO is also an active member of the Global Campaign for Education, an international coalition of charities, non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations and education unions that mobilizes the public to put pressure on governments to deliver on the promises they made in 2000 to provide free education for all children.