Capacity development for a better education in the interior of Suriname

The interior is a disadvantaged region with regards to education. This is why education in the interior needs special attention. Due to the region's isolated position, education has to deal with some specific issues, such as a lack of teachers (who prefer to work in the coastal area), expensive transportation of the teachers to and from the capital, poor infrastructure, a shortage of educational tools and adapted curricula, insufficient guidance and inspection, as well as language issues (the population living in Suriname's interior often does not speak Dutch, the language of education).

What is a Nucleus Centre and what is its goal?

In November 2008, the Ministry of Education and Community Development (MOECD) opened two Nucleus Centres in the districts of Brokopondo and Marowijne. Those centres are intended to function as strong knowledge and training institutions in the fields of formal and informal education for the communities living in those districts. MOECD aims to decentralise part of its services through the development of these centres.

Furthermore, the Ministry wishes to give opportunities to teachers of the interior region to continue their professionalisation. As such the Nucleus Centres are equipped with classrooms for guidance and inspection, as well as a training room, a library and an ICT room. Another goal is to strengthen the local communities.
The opening of the first two Nucleus Centres can be seen as a first tryout, which after proper evaluation, might lead to the opening of more centres.

Challenges!

Since the beginning, VVOB has recognised the importance of capacity development for the Nucleus Centres, in order to assure that they reach their goals. Some of the specific challenges that the Nucleus Centres need to tackle are:

• Lack of staff
• Current staff are mainly teachers who did not get the training required for their new job
• Infrastructural problems (provision of electricity, old computers)
• Operational issues related to maintenance, transportation, etc.
• The operational zones of the Nucleus Centres are enormous

The 'Interior Project' of MOECD, the Flemish Community and VVOB

The Flemish Community wanted to support a project in Suriname's interior. VVOB formulated a project on capacity development for the Nucleus Centres, in close cooperation with the Office of Interior Education and other stakeholders in Suriname. The project 'Capacity development for a better education in the interior of Suriname' or the 'Interior Project' started on the 1st of November 2010. Local organisations were hired to carry out a set of trainings. VVOB also worked on the Nucleus Centres' infrastructural and staff problems by lobbying at the Office of Interior Education, and by encouraging the contact between the Nucleus Centres and MOECD departments. As a result, the Nucleus Centres have become a real part of MOECD and are now involved in a series of initiatives such as the care coordination trajectory of the MOECD Guidance department. The 'Interior Project' will end by October 2013.

Based on VVOB's final project report to the Office of Interior Education and MOECD, further expansion of the Nucleus Centres' concept in the interior is expected.

Partners' point of view

Equal opportunities for the teachers of the interior

How are you involved in the project?
"The Nucleus Centres are attached to the administration of the Office of Interior Education, which means that we are co-responsible for the work that the centres undertake in their respective areas. The goal is for the Nucleus Centres to operate as decentralised entities within their region. This 'Interior Project' aims to strengthen the capacities of the Nucleus Centres' staff. The Nucleus Centres should make it easier for us to contact teachers from the interior to make them more professional, in order to decrease the education gap between the interior and other parts of the country. We want to offer them equal opportunities, despite the fact that they are working and living far away from Paramaribo."

How have you experienced the project up till now?
"The Nucleus Centres have already proved their right to exist. Through the training of the staff members there is an active interaction between MOECD, the teachers and the communities. The improved internal communication stands out. Also, the financial management has strongly improved: we are working in a much more professional manner thanks to the project.

Still, the demand of services is greater than the range of services. For instance, the very important Guidance unit of the Nucleus Centres is still not functioning optimally because we haven't been able to hire enough suitable staff yet."

Jenny Johns-Christopher, General Director, Curriculum Developer and Trainer, Teacher in Didactics at the Teacher Training Institute

Mrs Johns-Christopher has about 14 years of experience with the development and provision of trainings to diverse groups. In the MOECD-Flemish Community-VVOB project she is co-responsible for the training of the Nucleus Centres' staff.

Training people so that they can make progress in their field of occupation

What made you want to be part of this project?
"The content of the project appealed to me: capacity building! As a teacher and a trainer I am always busy strengthening the capacities of others; training people so that they can make progress in their field of occupation."

Not a ready-made training!
"As a trainer you must start with what the trainees know and have experienced already. This is something you first have to find out. As a trainer you need to take into account where the trainees live (in this case the interior), what their code of conduct is, as well as the level of education and the language in which they can express themselves best. The content of the training is known in advance and the approach is also defined in advance, because we already know the target group. What is still open though, is what the participants are bringing in. They partly determine the content of the training, for instance by indicating what they want to work on, and what goals they have preconceived. This requires empathy and a respectful approach. Training has to be linked with reality. In the end, we have to be able to apply what we have learnt in the daily practice."

Advantages and challenges
"The cooperation with VVOB went very well. There was enough consultation on a regular basis. Trainers need this for their work as well as for the process of the programme. People in the Nucleus Centres are warm people. It was easy to get their trust and to strengthen their capacities as such."

Staff of the Nucleus Centre Brokopondo about their experiences during the trainings

"As you're busy with your job, you start to see where you can use the methods that you've learnt during the trainings. Practical trainings that connect with your daily work are very useful. It's always exciting when new trainers arrive. We wonder: 'What will we do today'. The trainings were provided light-heartedly. That suits us. The trainers had sensors to presage how to adapt the training to the participants. It was a very positive experience.

During the joint editing of the mission and vision of the Nucleus Centre, the intersections of our tasks became clear. This is why this component of the project, the formulation of a mission and a vision, was the one we valued most, although it was the toughest to reach. This task really brought us together as a team. We also learnt a lot through the management training. I learnt how to settle conflicts during team meetings. This has absolutely been useful to me.

From training to sustainable improvement
The trainees were taught how to write organisational procedures by themselves. In the beginning this part seemed to be too much to handle. There are so many tasks and activities; it seemed as if we'd never manage to put all these procedures on paper. We also have to be in line with the rules of MOECD. But in the end this work gave us a clear view of the different tasks we have. The procedures also allow you to plan better."

Article by Rosanda Courtar, Fahrida Monsels, Carl Beel and Nico Vromant
Translated by: Marie Gabrielle Sophie Reiter