PROPOSAL ON THE MONITORING OF IMPLEMENTATION OF AFFLATOUN (CHILD SOCIAL AND FINANCIAL EDUCATION) IN ‘A’ FIELD OFFICE STATES OF UNICEF

INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND

The purpose of basic education in Nigeria is to impart a functional knowledge and skills (vocational and life-skill) that are life long to those that submit themselves to it (FRN 2004). In order to ensure the realization of this objectives UNICEF has assisted state agencies in implementation of best practices in education. One component of best practices in education is provision of quality basic education. Quality basic education includes provision of life long skill-based education that enables children to acquire the relevant knowledge and know how to adapt and develop in the environment the child finds him/herself.

Such education is considered very crucial as the society is dynamic and there have been various changes that are taking place in the society. Such changes which now pose as threats have to be surmounted by children in order to survive and make meaningful impact in development of the society.

Part of the various efforts made by UNICEF to ensure the provision of quality basic education to children include; the introduction of child friendly school initiative programme, the introduction of water sanitation and hygiene in schools, the school health programmes etc. All these efforts have yielded tremendous results in schools and communities where the programmes were implemented. Recently, in her concerted efforts to ensure that schools impart the relevant skills that will enable children engage in income generation and earning in schools and after school, UNICEF introduced the afflatuon programme to UNICEF ‘A’ field-States in 2007. The programme is at the formative stage, and is still being pilot tested. Afflatoun as a concept is an Arabic word which signifies an explorer.

The main aim of the concept is to encourage children to develop skills in income generation and prudence financial management while in school. The concept originated from a pilot work that was done in Maharatra India by an organization known as Meijoj. The ideological basis of afflatoun programme is based on the UN convention on the rights of the child (CRC). It is also tied to some of the numerous efforts directed to the achievement of the millennium development goal (M.DG). The MDG itself as we know is a UN instrument for development and eradication of poverty.

In general terms, afflatoun targets children between the age 6-14 years who are in the formal and non-formal school system. It empowers children to act as strong social and economic change agents. It helps them break the cycle of poverty and as well equip them with the necessary skills especially the knowledge of their rights and responsibilities. It is based on these numerous advantages of this project that this proposal is made to determine how children in all the states in UNICEF ‘A’ field states have utilized the out come of the implementation to improve themselves and their societies.

STATEMENT OF NEED

Education is only meaningful if it equips its clientele with all relevant Skills needed to survive in the society. Research studies carried out in Nigeria have implicated the absence of life-skill components as the major bane of basic education in Nigeria (Okeke and Rufail 2003). This according to the studies have made children to drop out of schools. In most states in UNICEF A field, such as in Ebonyi State, Parents prefer to send their wards to roadside vocational skill centers rather than allowing them remain in school until completion (UNICEF 2001). These parents feel that the formal school system is a gross waste of their wads time. This is due to the fact that children finish school and become financially dependant on their parents. For such parents the school as it is presently does not prepare the children to face the real world challenges.

This is a very bad trend which is one of the problems which afflatoun is designed to solve. Therefore to reverse this ugly belief and instill confidence in the minds of parents and wards on the potency of the school as a veritable instrument for development and best alternative to sustainable development issues such as afflatoun was introduced in the curriculum of our basic education to salvage the situation. Since 2007, states in the ‘A’ field have implemented the activity. Thus far, state should be able to have some thing on ground which is the outcome of this programme. Moreover, it is time to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the programme implementation in the zone, in order to determine challenges, best practices and innovative practices. The outcome of the evaluation will help to reposition the programme towards the achievement of its set goals.

PLANNED RESULTS

(1) Status of afftatoun implementation in UNICEF A Field states determined alongside with records of states’ standing on implementation.

(2) Comprehensive data for planning future interventions on afflatoun in the zone becomes available.

(3) Afflatuon implementation challenges across the states determined and possible solutions proffered.

(4) States’ strengths and weaknesses identified.

(5) Best practice identified for sharing.

EXPECTED OUTCOME

Improvement in the implementation of afflatoun programmes in schools and the non-formal Education center in UNICEF A Field states.

METHODOLOGY

The activity is evaluation of the extent to which afflatoun has been implemented in the ten state of UNICEF A Field states. Therefore schools and centers in the state will be visited and on the site assessment carried out. Discussions will hold between the teachers, pupils, parents and the evaluating team. Data will also be collected using questionnaire and other structured and semi-structured questionnaire.

The data so collected will be content analyzed in order to elicit the needed information, from the data.

PARTICIPANTS

The following people will carry out the monitoring visit to evaluate the programme.

--- Official from Lynxnigeria

--- UNICEF Education programme staff

--- Desk officers from states (SUBEB, SAME & SMOE)

--- Staff of state planning commission.

--- Other support staff.

Duration: 2 days in each state

Venue: School premises and NFE centers.

Budget: See attached.

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