Education in the context of the crisis in Sudan: the EQUIP2 programme
Education and socio-professional integration are central development issues and contribute to the achievement of all the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 4). The EQUIP2 programme extends the action of EQUIP1 with the aim of improving the quality of and access to basic education in Sudan. Under this programme, Expertise France, in partnership with France Education International, is responsible for improving pre-service and in-service training for Sudanese teachers. Launched on 1 June 2021, Expertise France’s component is taking action at three levels:
• Strengthening teacher training
• Developing tools to evaluate the teaching methods of teachers
• Building the institutional and human capacities of education facilities
Despite a crisis context in Sudan, the EQUIP2 project is continuing to make progress and has prospects for development.
A crisis context
Sudan is currently facing strong political and security tensions following the military takeover in October 2021. While a number of international development projects in Sudan have been temporarily stopped due to the political situation, the EQUIP2 project and its partners are continuing their activities to develop education, which is considered as a vitally important sector. It is therefore regarded as a priority by a number of institutional donors, including the European Union. This consideration takes on its full meaning in a country where over 40% of the population is under the age of 14. Furthermore, education has been difficult in Sudan in recent years, as schools have suffered from several periods of closure, firstly due to the Sudanese revolution in 2018-2019 and subsequently due to the lockdowns related to the Covid-19 epidemic starting in 2020. Without access to quality education, the living conditions of Sudanese children are likely to deteriorate. Basic education has always been and will remain an essential driver for developing countries. It is for this reason that the European Union and Expertise France are determined to continue and complete the EQUIP2 programme.
Latest developments of the programme
Following the reform of education cycles introducing an intermediate cycle in Sudan’s general education, Expertise France conducted a consultation in August 2021 with 25 actors in the education sector in Sudan. During this workshop, priorities were agreed on for the subjects to be taught for the new classes. Expertise France and its partners subsequently developed the training manuals in Arabic, maths and science to support the pre-service training of teachers from the newly created intermediate level.
Between December 2021 and March 2022, Expertise France harmonised the competency framework for the inspectors, school principals and teachers (for both the pre-service and in-service training components). This work was carried out with close support from Sudanese actors in teacher training, and in particular the National Centre for Teacher Training (NCTT) and the National Centre for Curriculum and Educational Research (NCCER), but also in partnership with the British Council and UNICEF. This competency framework, which was discussed at length and finally approved by the Sudanese authorities, will be included in the action plan of the national teacher training strategy. All the partners from the education sector have already expressed their interest in using and implementing this unique and innovative tool for Sudan.
Finally, from January to March 2022, Expertise France held consultations with over 51 actors from the NCTT and its regional centres via the 18 states and the NCCER. These consultations resulted in the development and validation of a pilot project for a national in-service training plan for teachers for the intermediate level, based on the previously developed tools. Some partners have already expressed their interest in using this pilot project to develop a national training plan for the primary level.
New prospects
Expertise France has recently been selected to coordinate the Teacher Training Working Group, which includes all the activities related to teacher training implemented by the institutional and development partners nationwide. This appointment is a real recognition of Expertise France’s role since it started its operations in 2018, and in particular since the start of EQUIP2, on the part of the traditional actors from the development community (United Nations agencies, non-governmental organisations). This will also firmly establish its influence in the education sector in Sudan, while allowing it to benefit from logistical support from partners such as UNICEF and Save The Children International. It will thereby be able to extend its field of action via the 11 new Sudanese states which were previously not concerned by the EQUIP1 project. The north of the country will be a focus, but also Darfur, which is continuously exposed to conflicts and tragic humanitarian situations and where Expertise France will be one of the only development agencies working on pre-service and in-service teacher training.