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This presentation outlines a diploma course launched by the Zambian Ministry of Education to enhance psychosocial support in schools. It covers achievements, challenges, opportunities, and key lessons learned.
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CSTL Sharing Meeting 2014[Psychosocial care and support in Zambian schools] [BRIDGET MOYA] [ZAMBIA] Southern Sun O.R. Tambo - Johannesburg, South Africa 17-20 November 2014
Presentation Outline • A description of the programme or policy • Achievements • Challenges • Opportunities/Emerging Issues • Key lessons learnt
A description of the programme or policy • A six-module highly practical Diploma course was launched in August 2013 by the Ministry in conjunction with REPSSI; • The course is intended to change the way teachers interact with each other &with learners as well as how a school interacts with the community;
Achievements • Developed Guidelines on the administration & management of Guidance & Counselling in the education system; • psychosocial support has been mainstreamed into the whole school; • access, retention, achievement, and progression of learners within the education system has been enhanced;
Achievements Cont’d • teachers on the programme have shown ability to engage school management and other teachers; • teachers who have taken part in the programme have shown enhanced capacity to help learners to achieve their potential;
Challenges • Lack of a policy framework that ensures that the programme becomes a mandatory course • Teachers acquiring this course have are not provided for under the school establishment • The lack of an effective tracking and monitoring mechanism?? • Mobilising and encouraging staff and community to support the programme
Opportunities/Emerging Issues • An enhanced capacity of teachers to help learners to achieve their potential; • Teachers are equipped with skills for arranging and organising classrooms & ways of teaching; • Effective management of the social and physical environment of the school; and • Enhancing relations between the school and community.
Key Lessons Learnt • Need for a national policy for ensuring that the programme becomes a mandatory course for all teachers; • Need to place guidance and counselling teachers on the establishment; • Need for an implementation framework for ensuring effective tracking and monitoring of the programme;
Key Lessons Learnt Cont’d • Need for effective strategies for mobilising and encouraging staff and community support to the programme; • Need to develop a Communication Strategy; and • Need to develop a mechanism for enforcing the timetabling of guidance and counselling on the school timetable at all levels.