Strategic Review of the EDUCO Program - EQUIP123.net

Strategic Review of the EDUCO ProgramJuly 2010Annex 1: History of EDUCO1990–1994EDUCO started in the 1990s, as a joint government and society enterprise for the purpose of expandingthe supply of basic and early childhood education for half a million children outside the school system,who were primarily in rural areas, and for over 7,000 unemployed teachers.In April 1990, with support from UNESCO, a study was done to design a strategy to address the needsof the population. The results showed that models of school-community linkages already existed inmany rural areas of El Salvador, especially in areas severely affected by the civil war. These communitieswere autonomously organized and had their own funds for hiring teachers, who were more committedto their work than government teachers. This model contrasted with the government’s serviceprovision management processes, where appointing teachers and opening a school would take years andwhere the teachers could request transfers and leave the school once again without educational services(MINED, 1991, 1994, 1997).In November 1990, with funds from UNICEF, the Project to Expand Educational Services began as apilot project that the community would manage at the local level. MINED created a Special Regulationfor the establishment of community groups to be in charge of educational services at the local level,known as Asociaciones Comunales para la Educación (Community Education Associations—ACEs).The ACEs are made up of five officers, chosen from among parents and local leaders: president, vicepresident, treasurer, secretary, and member at large, who could not be reelected for more than two consecutiveterms. Likewise, a Ministerial Accord was created to grant legal status to the ACEs. It alsoestablished an agreement and charter between the ACEs and MINED that defined the responsibilities ofthe parties: MINED was responsible for training, monitoring, orientation, and funds; and the ACEs wereresponsible for management at the local level, hiring of teachers, purchasing of consumables, and ensuringenrollment and facilities.MINED would transfer money for the teachers’ salary, ISSS premiums, contribution to the Social HousingFund, life insurance, year-end bonus for teachers, monthly consumables, required reserve for theACE, labor liability, and non-recurring expenses for setting up new sections (MINED, 1994, 1997).EDUCO was implemented in six rural communities, with support from 36 parents and an enrollment ofaround 200. An ACE was formed in each school via the democratic election of its members (primarilywomen). Three of its members (president, treasurer, and secretary) were trained by MINED at a 40-hoursession initially. EDUCO materials were developed to cover topics including bookkeeping, settlementof accounts, and audits, which were designed to make the processes easy to do, with support from trainingand monitoring.63