The StratREAL Foundation is working with VSO Cameroon to support their plan for equitable access to quality primary education.

The VSO Cameroon Programme Area Plan offers a comprehensive approach to improving the quality of classroom teaching in the Far North Province of Cameroon. VSO and StratREAL have partnered to promote their shared commitment to educational inclusiveness for the world’s most vulnerable children. The Cameroon programme aims to improve education management at school level through improved governance, greater and more effective community participation and a dedication to gender equity.

The programme will increase access to schools for all children, with a particular focus on girls, by promoting an awareness of the benefits of education to parents and community leaders. The key aims of the Plan are to maximise the capacities of all educational organizations, to improve governance and to promote gender equality, inclusiveness, teacher motivation and learning quality at national and local levels.

In order to achieve these objectives, VSO Cameroon will first support schools in the Far North, implementing development plans that will promote female participation in learning and teaching. This model for future school development plans will provide an invaluable management tool at local level and provide for real partnerships with communities and civil society organisations.

To date, representatives of 46 schools have formed 12 synergised clusters to better assess and prioritise their needs before drawing up a comprehensive plan of action. Working together, international and local volunteers have helped to facilitate this process as part of the Participatory School Development Process. By focusing on a number of key issues like learner-centred education, teacher attitude, parent involvement, and professional development of teachers, these groups are providing invaluable assistance to Cameroon’s educational development.