I.
Background
In support
of improving the quality of education in the region, the SEAMEO
Secretariat developed a proposal under the SEAMEO-France Education
Quality Improvement Programme (EQUIP) in Southeast Asia in coordination
with the Ministry of Education, Thailand and the French Embassy
in Thailand. Consequently, the French Government agreed to sponsor
the proposed three-year programme starting 2003.
II.
Goal and Objectives of the SEAMEO- France EQUIP
The goal of
the programme is to help improve the quality of education in the
region. In
it first year of implementation, the programme aimed to give the
participants opportunities to:
1.
obtain first hand information about the activities and experiences
in improving the quality of education in selected model schools
in SEAMEO Member Countries regarding such aspects as: curriculum,
teaching methods, administrative and organizational structures,
community involvement, evaluation of teachers and students,
and integration of ICT in the teaching-learning process;
2.
acquire
knowledge and skills of planning some activities to improve
the quality of education in their respective schools;
3.
share with other participants some education quality improvement
practices and activities in their countries; and
4.
prepare action plans for improving the quality of education
in their respective schools.
Countries
visited: Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. Number of
schools visited per country ranged from two to five schools per
country.
There were
11 school principals and master teachers from eight SEAMEO Member
Countries who participated in the Programme.
For the participants,
the visits far exceeded their expectations and a large amount
of learning was packed into a short period and an immense amount
of knowledge and awareness was gained. They were able to learn
first the policies and visions of education and then look at the
processes as they operated in schools and communities. They said
that every school visit and meeting was interesting, and conveyed
the enthusiasm and skill with which the school is being managed
and the programmes and activities were conducted. As a result,
they have established networks with people with whom they can
remain in contact.
IV.
Action Planning Workshop (28-29 August 2003)
The two-day
workshop at the SEAMEO Secretariat gave the participants more
opportunity to exchange ideas regarding their concerns and thoughts
about the most pressing school problems or needs and identified
which study experiences could be adopted in the Action Plans that
they prepared. It also gave the participants enough time to analyze
QEE priorities in relation to the five areas of concern.
Ref:
39th SEAMEO Council Conference, 2004 [39MC/WP26] |
