Mid term Review of the Inclusive Education Project, Zanzibar

Background:
The Inclusive Education and Youth Development Project (I.E & YD) aims at promoting Inclusive Education in Zanzibar and ensuring that the education system responds to the diverse learning needs of all children, including those with disabilities. The project is being implemented through a tripartite arrangement between the Ministry of Education and Vocational training (MoEVT), ZAPDD and NFU.

The I.E & YD Project was initiated in 2004 following a baseline survey that highlighted the level of exclusion, deprivation and limited educational opportunities available for children and youth with disabilities (C/YWDs).  With funding from Operation Day’s Work (ODW) and NFU, a project piloting a range of interventions was implemented in 20 schools between 2004 – 2007.  Following the successful implementation of the pilot, additional funding was obtained from Norad for a second phase (2008 – 2013) to facilitate the consolidation and expansion of Inclusive Education practices to another 30 schools. 

Purpose/objective:
 Assess to what extent the inclusive education project has been able to achieve the project objectives: i) expansion of inclusive education to more schools in Zanzibar; and ii) consolidation of the 20 pilot schools.

 Assess the technical, administrative and financial sustainability for continuation at the inclusive education schools after 2014.

 Assess the inclusive education project strengths and weaknesses with particular emphasis on co-ordination and collaboration between the collaborative partners.

Methodology:
The methodology of the mid-term review consisted of: a) a review of project reports and other related documents; b) a field visit to Zanzibar that included key informant meetings with key stakeholders (MoEVT, DPOs, ZAPDD). The field trip that lasted 2 weeks also included school/class visits to some of the pilot and newer I.E schools where the review team conducted focus group discussions (FGDs) with head teachers, teachers and members of the school management committees. The review team also conducted FGDs with members of some ZAPDD local branches and visited homes of C/YWDs where they interacted with parents/guardians, C/YWDs, and their friends and families.   The field visit was concluded by a debriefing session with members of the I.E unit and ZAPDD NEC.

Key findings:
The project whose implementation began in 2007 has made considerable progress in broadening the scope for inclusive education by building on the foundation laid by the pilot phase (2004-2006).  Several achievements have been realized as a result of the collaboration between the three partners. The project has contributed to:

 Implementation of the MKUZA poverty reduction and EFA strategies by implementing strategic interventions aimed at increasing the education systems’ capacity to address the diverse learning needs of all children and especially those who have previously been excluded.

 Expanding access to educational opportunities for (C/YWDs) by reducing barriers that have hindered their participation.  Todate approximately 4,300 C/YWDs are in school up from 2095 in 2004. There are however many C/YWDs who are unable to enjoy their rights to education owing to a range of barriers including the absence of the necessary supports, issues of cost,  proximity and the limited opportunities for vocational training.

 Establishment of  multi-sectoral collaborative frameworks as an initial step towards offering complementary services for the successful implementation of Inclusive Education

 Improvements in teacher competencies to implement I.E practices by adopting a cost effective school based teacher training approach that targets all teachers and provides on-going support. Approximately 2255 teachers have been equipped with the basic I.E knowledge and skills. Nevertheless, teacher confidence and application of differentiated teaching methodologies in the classroom varies greatly owing to the absence of the necessary supports, not least of all teacher guides.

 Strengthening community participation in implementation of I.E through establishment of I.E committees. These forums have created opportunities for C/YWDs active engagement in advocacy for and implementation of I.E. Unfortunately the majority remain inactive due to among others, insufficient parental contributions towards school development initiatives.

 Strengthening the institutional framework for the delivery of I.E by building the technical capacity of the I.E unit. The I.E unit is now in position to provide technical guidance on the implementation of I.E. However the scarcity of the requisite skills in the country has created a disproportionately heavy workload for the unit that is threatening to overwhelm its capacity and is already creating inefficiencies.

 Sharpened MoEVT’s recognition of its role as duty bearer to address the learning needs of C/YWDs as evident by the development of an I.E policy. MoEVT has integrated I.E in its policy and thereby ensuring that issues of inclusion are addressed in the various programmes in the sector. Inspite of this progress funding for operational costs remains minimal

 Strengthening of partnerships between DPOs and MoEVT. The collaboration between ZAPDD and MoEVT has underscored the importance of partnerships and division of labor based on comparative advantage and responsibility.

Recommendations:
1. Strengthen institutional capacity of MoEVT to deliver I.E efficiently through the development of I.E capacities in the relevant departments and institutions.

2. Strengthen the technical capacities of TTCs to deliver quality pre and in-service teacher training programmes.

3. Develop and strengthen locally based support supervision mechanisms that will mentor and support teachers.

4. Provide SMCs/ I.E committees with requisite capacity building support to support their management roles

5. Promote efforts aimed at organisational strengthening and the role of ZAPDD as an advocacy organisation.