Report - Bernard van Leer Foundation

3.2 Location, facilities & provisions, are challenges for children’s & communities participation, shared by bothcommunity Pre-schools & Primary Schools, but there are key lessons to be learned from pre-schools basedwithin communities.Community Pre-schoolsPrimary SchoolsOPPORTUNITIESCommunity pre-schools located close to bomas• Have more children participating – both girls & boys& some children with disabilities• Include a wider age –range of children involved, fromage of 2 years• Meet women’s needs for day -care for their youngchildren• Have more community involvement & a stronger senseof ownership• Recognise that they can be flexible with programmehours (depending on seasonal variations, women’sneeds etc).• Have participation of elders as resource people• Have a teacher nominated from within the community• Are an integral part of community culture & events‘Whilst community members spoke of the need for schools to belocated within communities so that children do not lose theirculture, this alone is not enough. The community must alsocommit resource people to the programme to facilitate this.’Traditional LeaderThere are pre-schools located within communities that arevery creative examples of the use of local materials, tocreate centres for children and communities that reflectcommunity culture.Communities mobilization of their own Pre-schoolCentres in Sepek o Ward is a key opportunity for thepiloting of the Ministry of Education & Culture’s ideaof satellite schools, by extending the Centres toinclude programmes for Std 1 & 2 children• that are developed through collaboration betweencommunities, schools & officials• that ensure pastoralist children’s ongoingdevelopment in their informal education & cultureAS WELL AS their smooth transition to & success inprimary school‘If primary schools .(are) .. closer to the bomas thencommunities can be more involved in the school, and theschool can learn from the community.’Male Community MemberGiven that more children ARE participating incommunity pre-schools on a regular basis, AND theproblems of long distances to primary schools – thepre-school centres offer a key opportunity to beextended to include Std 1 & 2 primary yearsprogrammes, developed through collaboration with theneighbouring primary schools (as suggested throughthe Ministry of Education & Culture’s Satellite Schoolconcept – see Issue 3 below)‘If we had a choice we would like our children to startschool later, because its just too far for 7 years olds.’Female Pre-school Committee MemberDistrict officials have identified community pre-schools & schools as key sites for the development of experimentalgardens, as a way of a) Introducing alternative drought resistant crops that have a high nutrition level – e.g. sorghum& millet; b) Influencing sustainable community agricultural practices.‘If we had a choice we would like our children to start school later,because its just too far for 7 years olds.’Female Pre-school Committee Member‘If primary schools .(are) .. closer to the bomas then communities can be moreinvolved in the school, and the school can learn from the community.’Male Community Member30