3.2.1. Project contribution to skill improvement of teachers/facilitators One of the components of the Kinderpostzegels project supports is building the capacity teachers to positively impact on the quality of education which was done through developing the skills of facilitators initially and later to teachers. The major emphasis of the training was on the introduction of active learning pedagogical approach. Active learning is a comprehensive approach to education which engages students in direct learning activities, assigns the teachers the role of a facilitator of learning than teaching, and encourages continuous assessment of learning to feed into improving learning putting the child at the center of learning. The change that the training of teachers in active learning and upgrading their skills has been widely testified by WEO officers and cluster supervisors, school principals, the teachers themselves and even students. Ayele Shoboro, Cluster Supervisor of Gombora WEO was very impressed by how much the training of teachers enhanced the skills of even other teachers. In his own words he said the following: I am amazed how much the training changed the teachers. It is not only their skills and approaches that improved, but also their motivation levels. Their encouragement for students to become active participants in class was very noticeable. The trained teachers went to the extent of training and mentoring new teachers assigned to their schools. Our WEO uses the project school teachers as resources teachers for different clusters. Haileyesus Solomon, head of Este WEO also acknowledged that teachers’ skill training in active learning developed the capacities of teachers and made huge differences in introducing participatory teaching and learning, giving particular attention to girls and to CWDs, preparing and using learning aids even by students and the use of assessment-based learning as an approach. He was also very much appreciative of the work of trained teachers as capacity builders for other government schools in the field of introducing active learning methods. Berhanu Tufa, executive director of ADAA outlining the benefits gained from teachers’ training program by Kinderpsotzegels confirmed that after active learning training was introduced by DEC: • Teachers commitment increased • Classroom engagement was enhanced • Student assessments improved • Student activities increased, and • Peer supervision among teachers increased 25
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