2009 Annual Report - ERNWACAERNWACA- Annual Report 2009 3 Executive Summary The year 2009 saw...

Educational Research Network for West and Central Africa (ERNWACA)

2009 Annual Report

Tel: (223) 20 21 16 12 • Fax: (223) 20 21 21 15 • BP E 1854, Bamako, MALIBénin • Burkina Faso • Cameroun • Centrafrique • Congo • Côte d’Ivoire • Gambia • Ghana • Guinée • Mali

• Mauritanie • Nigeria • Niger • Sénégal • Sierra Leone • Togowww.rocare.org

ERNWACA- Annual Report 2009

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Table of Contents

Preface .................................................................................................................................................................... 2 Executive Summary .............................................................................................................................................. 3 National Activities ................................................................................................................................................. 7

Benin ..................................................................................................................................................................... 7 Burkina Faso ......................................................................................................................................................... 9 Cameroon ............................................................................................................................................................ 10 Congo .................................................................................................................................................................. 12 Côte d’Ivoire ....................................................................................................................................................... 14 Gambia ................................................................................................................................................................ 16 Ghana .................................................................................................................................................................. 18 Guinea ................................................................................................................................................................. 20 Mali ..................................................................................................................................................................... 22 Mauritania ........................................................................................................................................................... 25 Niger.................................................................................................................................................................... 27 Nigeria................................................................................................................................................................. 28 Central African Republic..................................................................................................................................... 30 Senegal ................................................................................................................................................................ 32 Sierra Leone ........................................................................................................................................................ 33 Togo .................................................................................................................................................................... 36

Regional Activities .............................................................................................................................................. 38 Institutional Meetings.......................................................................................................................................... 38 Other meetings .................................................................................................................................................... 40

Research Projects ............................................................................................................................................... 45 ERNWACA research grant programme.............................................................................................................. 45 PanAf Project ...................................................................................................................................................... 47 Decentralization Programme...............................................................................................................................49

Resource Mobilisation and Development of Partnerships ...................................................................... 51 Communications................................................................................................................................................. 53

Websites .............................................................................................................................................................. 53 Electronic messages ............................................................................................................................................ 54 Information bulletins ........................................................................................................................................... 55

ERNWACA Publications in 2009....................................................................................................................... 57 Revue Africaine de Recherche en Education (RARE of JERA en anglais), Vol. I (2009) ................................. 57 Réseau PanAf rapports nationaux (2009)............................................................................................................ 59 Collection of PanAf Project information bulletins (2009) .................................................................................. 59 PanAf Project travel diary (2009)........................................................................................................................60 Pedagogical Use of ICT: Teaching and Reflecting Strategies, Ottawa: IDRC. (2009) ....................................... 60

ANNEXES ................................................................................................................................................................ 61


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Preface

The meeting of the Board of Governors held in Lomé (Togo) on February 12th and 13th 2009, after congratulating and expressing satisfaction to the interim Coordinator, Madame Mireille Massouka for the clarity as well as the richness of her introductory remarks, specifically recommended the ERNWACA Statutes should be modified to those of IONG status. From this point, the issue linked to Network Institutions/Organs - and their increasing development, were tabled during and after installation of the Regional Coordinator and when Professor Djénéba Traoré took up her post on April 1st 2009. Strong and functional Institutions at the service of objectives deriving from precise orientations directed towards realization of an agenda that is the fruit of the essential concerns of the educational systems of our various countries are also one of the current bases of ERNWICA activities which celebrated 20 years of existence in 2009. A week after taking up her post, in a memorandum addressed to the National Coordinators the Regional Coordinator announced a series of strategies to carry out the deep institutional and organizational reforms required by the Board of Governors. An appeal has been made constantly to the expertise and commitment of the ROCARE members and to their spirit of dialogue and cooperation to uphold an increasingly clear vision of our network missions and objectives, its sustainable influence. Diversification of sources of funding is crucial if we wish to ensure autonomy of action in the framework of mutually advantageous partnerships that exclude erasing differences and impose standardization. We will turn our actions increasingly towards the private sector! Banks, Foundations and other sub-regional and international financial institutions and we will long firmly towards the ICB, ISESCO, Arab Cooperation in general, that of Brazil, China, India and Europe and some partners in North and South America. The parliamentary members of the Faped will help with votes in favour of research, still a poor relation of Education. Celebration of the ERNWACA 20th anniversary will open new prospects that we are beginning to perceive and that offer me the opportunity to thank in your name as well as my own, as best I can, the Regional ERNWACA Coordinator, Professor Djénéba Traoré and all of her collaborators for the challenges that have been met in such a short time and so successfully, the end of the process of completing the Procedures Manual, so often deferred, and the glimmer of new partnerships to be established and that I am sure will be transformed into shining lights of concrete activities. We wish to express to all our good wishes for a successful year in your activities and we invite you ro find here the elements of sense, in the double sense of the word sense, that is to say of a direction and orientation and of relevant meaning for our future activities. I make a solemn promise here and now that we will hand on to our children institutions that are solid! We express our recognition to all of the National Coordinators whose abnegation is well known to me, and to the Regional and National Scientific Advisors, to the administrators, all the ERNWACA researchers and partners.

Prof. Ousmane GUEYE

Chairman of the ERNWACA Board of Directors.


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Executive Summary

The year 2009 saw several events that have marked the life of ERNWACA in a significant manner. 2009 marks first of all the event of the Network’s twentieth anniversary. This anniversary was celebrated both at national and regional levels by holding scientific activities looking at the situation of educational research in Africa. In this spirit, the Regional Coordination organized an International Scientific Colloquium between December 15th and 17th 2009 in Bamako, on « Educational Research in Educational Practices and Policies in Africa », placed under the aegis of His Excellence Monsieur Amadou Toumani Touré, President of the Republic of Mali. ERNWACA expresses its sincere gratitude and thanks to the Head of State of Mali for having accepted giving his patronage to this important meeting, as well as for the material and financial assistance he kindly gave the network in the organization of this international and historic scientific meeting. The year 2009 also saw the transfer of control from Mr. Joshua Baku to Prof. Ousmane Gueye at the ERNWACA Board of Directors. Each of them has in-depth knowledge of ERNWACA. This is the moment to thank Mr Baku for the quality of his mandate at the head of ERNWACA’s governing body, and to congratulate Professor Gueye on his election. We have no doubt that he will do everything, as he promised in his preface, to promote and develop ERNWACA. After a first quarter when the interim was successfully ensured by Mme Mireille Massouka, ERNWACA Programme Manager, the network has been coordinated since April 1st 2009 by Prof. Dr. Djénéba Traoré. The first actions were directed towards implementation of the mandate assigned to the Regional Coordinating Office by the 5th meeting of the Network Board of Directors held at Lomé, Togo on February 12th and 13th 2009, with particular emphasis on:

• Diversification of partnerships and activation of the Regional Resource Mobilization Committee ; • Renewal of posts of those National Coordinators reaching the end of their mandate; • Modification of ERNWACA status as an International Non Governmental Organization (INGO)

with assignment of its headquarters to Mali ; • Finalization of the procedures manual document.

In parallel, introductory visits were also carried out with traditional partners, both new and potential for the network, notably ; IDRC, SDC (Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation), NORRAG, USAID, the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Mali, FAWE-Mali, UNESCO-BREDA, the Royal Embassy of the Netherlands in Mali, OSIWA CODESRIA, WAEMU (UEMOA), ECOBANK-Mali and PLAN International-Dakar. During these visits, interviews concerned respective programmes of activities as well as prospects for collaborative projects. The formal agreement between the Government of the Republic of Mali and ERNWACA and the authorization of foreign Association have been renewed in September 2009. In addition to that, contacts have been taken at the level of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the International Cooperation of Mali, in order to achieve the statute of Non Governmental International Organization with headquarters in Bamako. The Regional Coordination thanks the Malian Government for the renewed confidence and reiterates its engagement for the promotion of education and research in Africa. With a view to making diversification of partnerships concrete, proposed Memoranda of Understanding were submitted to sub regional organizations, notably the African Union (UA), ECOWAS ADEA, UNESCO-BREDA and CODESRIA. CEMAC (Economic and Monetary Union of Central African States), the African Development Bank (ABD) as well as the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) will be approached in the weeks to come.

In addition, institutions in the North, such as SNV (Schweizerische Normen-Vereinigung) and the Hewlett Foundation carried out visits to contact the ERNWACA Regional Coordinating Office in the framework of setting up new partnerships. Partnerships with American and European Universities, as well as with North and South American and European research network will also be initiated and developed.


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Structurally the ERNWACA Regional Coordinating Office underwent considerable modification with the departure at the end of 2008 and in early 2009 of two members of the team, notably the Finance Officer and the Information Officer who were not replaced. Effectively, their functions were devolved to personnel already in post, that is to say the Administrative and Financial Assistant and the person in charge of the PanAf website who successfully managed to combine these functions. However, practical dispositions will be taken at the financial level with a view to strengthening competencies in financial management and accounting. At the level of project monitoring, the Regional Coordinating Office is proud of the renewal of funding for the Grants Programme for Interdisciplinary Research by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU/UEMOA). In 2009, the programme signed its 5th edition in Accra, in the presence of the Minister of Education for Ghana, Mr Alex Tettey-Enyon, at the opening ceremony of the regional training workshop for young researchers on research methodology and scientific writing. Implemented on the basis of evident lack training in research methodology and scientific writing in African universities, the Grants Programme, intended for young researchers, aims at facilitating informative educational research in member countries, increasing the quality of educational research carried out by persons from higher education in West and Central Africa and to contribute to improvement of educational systems. The first phase of the Panafrican research Agenda on pedagogical integration of ICT (PanAf), funded by IDRC, met with real success, setting up teams of researchers in 12 countries of sub Saharan Africa and the creation of an on-line Observatory where the researchers currently share around 20 000 data on more than 180 indicators and 12 themes from more than 100 African schools (including hundreds of files of raw data). Other partners accompanying PanAf, include SchoolNet Africa, InfoDev, Apréli@, Phase 1 enabled definition of effective use of ICTs with a view to upgrading teachers and learning as well as the quality of educational systems. On the fringe of the e-learning Conference in Dakar, the MAN@ELA de MERLOT African Network prize for free on-line resources was awarded to ERNWACA. Following completion of phase 1 of the PanAf project, phase 2 was launched in Dakar, Senegal on December 7th 2009. As with phase 1, phase 2 represented the result of collaboration between ERNWACA and the University of Montreal. The new phase will aim at upgrading data from the previous phase as well as at scientific publishing by project researchers. To carry this out, researchers and African academics will acquire new skills in scientific publication through a series of training workshops. The transnational study, «Modalities of literacy training and Non Formal Education (NFE) intervention in marginalized community sites – the case of Madrassa and other Koranic study centres » conducted over 16 months from November 2007 to May 2the 009, showed the increasing interest of partners such as UNESCO for the Madrassa in the framework of achieving Education for All by 2015. Transnational research on the theme: «Decentralization in West and Central Africa: learning from local and inter-sector experiences: Water, Education, Health», also with IDRC funding, is currently under way in 6 ERNWACA member countries: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Senegal. Current transnational research will present the advantage of systematically questioning the various experiences of local government and producing responses on the basis of objectively identified facts as to whether or not decentralization in general, and that of provision of basic social services in particular, is viable and has enabled development of competencies at local and community levels. Another point of interest in this overall analysis of empowerment of local stakeholders is to measure the degree of synergy between local structures to optimize use of resources and meet community needs with greater efficiency and effectiveness. The study will also make it possible to discover if decentralization has brought local communities a relative ‘plus’ in comparison with the previous mode of governance. At this level clarification of issues of contractual responsibility and of partnership are eagerly anticipated results. At this level, researchers involved will acquire knowledge and know-how that will be reinvested in other experiences to accompany this complex process. ERNWACA scientific publications and communications made qualitative and quantitative advances in 2009 thanks to the joint efforts of the National Scientific Committees and the Regional Scientific Committee chaired by Professor Thérèse Tchombé. The launch of the first edition of the Journal of Education Research in Africa (JERA) on July 16th 2009 in Abidjan (RCI) was conducted under the chairmanship of the Minister of Higher Education and


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Scientific Research, Mr. Ibrahim Cissé Bacongo. JERA is a review concentrating on social sciences aiming to promote the research belonging to the African context and to provide teachers, educators, educators and decision makers with resources for comprehensive analysis of educational issues in Africa. In addition, bringing to press the first number of the review African Educational Development Issues (AEDI) provides recipients of the ERNWACA Grants program with the possibility of publishing the results of their research. In addition to these two main reviews, ERNWACA publishes specific works on completion of colloquia and transnational research projects. ERNWACA communications strategy is implemented at three different levels:

• The ERNWACA website www.rocare.org giving access to all network activities. It also diffuses various publications as well as activities linked to education and research via the virtual library;

• The electronic list [email protected] which ensures keeping network members and partners informed about news of appearance of articles, books and conferences by the network and other organizations on research and education.

• The biennial ERNWACA and PanAf project news bulletins dealing with questions and bulletins linked to research in member countries and providing information on the life of the network. These bulletins are diffused electronically to network members and partners.

ERNWACA also concentrates its energy on leading advocacy towards technical and financial partners, notably for its recognition and granting of funds for the realization of its mission.

• With regard to strengthening partnerships, the ERNWACA Regional Coordinator took part in several international meetings, notably:

• The strategy session of the NORRAG group, (site web: www.norrag.org) in Geneva,

Switzerland, on June 24th 2009. The two networks decided to formalize collaborative links in the areas of publishing and scientific exchanges. In addition, prospects for partnership with the South American partnership RedEtis (Argentina) were introduced.

• The 17th Conference of Commonwealth Ministers of Education (17CCEM), a triennial Commonwealth event held between June 15th and 19th at Kuala Lumpur. The theme of the Conference was: ‘Education in the Commonwealth: Towards and beyond Global Objectives’. On June 16th 2009, the ERNWACA Regional Coordinator presented the PanAf project, funded by IDRC, during the panel on: “The ITC Imperative: Innovate for Education”.

• The ECOWAS policy dialogue on education of girls and disadvantaged children in the region. The three day meeting was held in Niamey (Niger) between September 22nd and 24th 2009 with the participation of representatives of ECOWAS member states, civil society organizations and international organizations. The meeting enabled participants to discuss dispositions of educational policy in ECOWAS member states that are likely to promote education in these areas and to agree on strategies for their implementation. Participants were also able to identify endemic and emerging problems relating to cultural practices that prevent women from participating in private and public life, and then to elaborate strategies to suppress them as well as for their use by decision makers. The Minister of Education of Niger, M. Ousmane Samba Mamadou, made the opening address and expressed the desire of the Government of Niger to improve the quality and access of girls’ schooling and that of other disadvantaged children in Niger in particular and in ECOWAS in general. Experts presented contributions on education in their respective countries, the policies and framework for education of girls and disadvantaged children. To accomplish this, ECOWAS, represented by Professor Abdoulaye Issaka Maga, expressed a wish to reinforce the partnership with ERNWACA.

• The Bamako+5 Conference:. Contract teachers were at the heart of the conference arranged in Bamako between October 27th and 29th 2009 by the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA), the World Bank, the International for Education and the Malian Ministry of Education, Literacy Training and National Languages. It aimed to take an exhaustive overview of the situation in the eleven Francophone countries present in Bamako in 2004, to take note of progress made, and to point out new opportunities for improving working and living conditions for contract teachers, to provide an overview of the phenomenon in countries expressing themselves in English and Portuguese, and to analyze lessons to be learnt concerning recruitment, training and professional development. On the fringe of the Conference, during the UNESCO-BREDA side meeting, the Regional Coordinator presented a communication on pedagogical uses of ICT in education in Mali.


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Among training sessions, ERNWACA members have taken part in several workshops and seminars, on capacity building, advocacy, accounting and financial management. The year 2010 announces the dawn of new orientations in realizing ERNWACA objectives. The prospective review of the 2005-2010 strategic plan will serve as a basis for elaboration of the new five- year action plan. At the moment when ERNWACA is moving into its twenty-first year, it is vital to conduct constructive reflections on its future with a view to ensuring its sustainability. In order to do this, validation of the procedures manual marks an important stage in good management of the various organs of the Network. Among important constraints met by ERNWACA the following is noted: weak resource mobilization skills on the part of the great majority of National Coordinating Offices. We would not wish to end without thanking all our partners who accompany ERNWACA in realizing its research and training programmes:

• ADB (African Development Bank) • ADEA (Association for the Development of Education in Africa) • African Union • CODESRIA (Council for Social Science Research Development in Africa) • Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs • Ecobank Foundation • Fondation Paul Gérin-LaJoie • FASAF (Réseau Famille et Scolarisation en Afrique) • IDRC (International Development and Research Centre) • IIPE (International Institute for Educational Planning) • Ministries responsible for education, research and vocational training in ERNWACA member

countries • NORRAG (Network for Policy Research Review and Advice on Education and Training) • OSIWA (Open Society Initiative for West Africa) • Plan International • SDC (Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation) • UEMOA (Union Economique et Monétaire Ouest Africaine) • USAID (US Agency for International Development) • UIE (UNESCO Institute for Education) • UNESCO/BREDA (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) • University of Montreal • University of Toronto


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National Activities

National activities are the responsibility of the national coordinating offices, each of whom has excelled in producing a report of activities held in 2009, and also indicating in certain cases the prospects for 2010. ERNWACA-Benin Activity Report

Objectives Sub-objectives Planned Activities Cost Due date State of implementation

Impactsand constraints

Prospects

Development of a technical and

strategic partnership with

educational institutions and

structures

Preparation of a national forum on

ICT and the quality of education : creation of a

databank on ICT policies and activities in education

Undertake

complementry ICT

research projects

to improve

educational

policies

4.700.000 2008-2010

Activity already programmed for 2006-2008 and new phase for

2008-10

The programme could not be

realized : cause : Absence of

resources ; level of priority for the

activity somewhat reduced for

national institutions

Search for funding and determination of new objectives

for the activity

Implication of ERNWACA-Benin in the process of

implementing decentralization policy in Benin

Create a databank on decentralization

and poverty reduction

strategies in the education sector

- Documentary research and training of a

thematic team on decentralization

and sector strategies ;

- ERNWACA Café on decentralization

and sector strategies for

poverty reduction.

5.300.000 2008-2010

This programme should accompany our participation in the transnational

study of decentralization

idem


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Increasing visibility of

ERNWACA Benin through research

activities and development of

partnership

- Realization and diffusion of

research findings of ERNWACA grants grants;

- Establishment of partnership with

national and international

institutions and NGOs

- Supervision of grants projects and diffusion of

results ;

- Establishment of a list of educational

research institutions and

structures at national level;

- Visits to partner institutions and exchanges of

letters.

6.600.000

PM

PM

2008-2010

- Activity carried out during the

2008-2009 period.

- Signature of an agreement with

International Education in

Bamako in April 2009 ;

- Establishment of a principle of

collaboration and sharing of interests on projects with the

BAASTEL consortium in

Belgium.

- Exchanges of documentation and

joint response to the international call for offers to

realize the institutional audit of ministries in charge

of national education in Benin;

- Interesting prospects for inclusionof

ERNWACA Benin in the Brussels

platform for international

consultations.


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ERNWACA Burkina Faso Activity Report I – Internal Meetings Committee meetings took place very regularly II – Relations with the Regional Coordinating Offic e Collaboration with the regional coordinating office was very good and consistent. III – ERNWACA Café, GAs and extraordinary meetings The statutory ERNWACA Cafés were organized (launch June 3rd 2009 and December 9th 2009 . These were opportunities to provide members with information that were generally given in General Assemblies (GA). We have also had general meetings on specific subjects. The system of grouped addresses enabled facilitation of exchanges with the members and to keep them constantly informed of relations with the regional Coordinating Office.

IV – Participation in ERNWACA bodies We participated in the various events organized by the Regional Coordination. This included training sessions, launch of the JERA review, meetings of the Scientific Committee but also Board of Directors meetings (BD) through the intermediary of our Minister.

V – Monitoring of research projects by the benefici aries of the 2009 Grants and of the Decentralization Project at national level. Monitoring was not carried out as in previous years. It was carried out by the scientific mentor, nonetheless we asked regularly for updated reports The Decentralization Project at national level is much better monitored given the stakes it involves and the availability of the principal researcher, GUIRO Boussé. The provisional report of the first phase has been transmitted to the Coordinating Office and to the main researchers.

VII – Participation at meetings organized by partne rs

• Participation in various invitations by the Ministries in charge of Education • Participation in the Congress and at conferences of the Unions (National Union of Workers in

Basic Education, SYNATAB) some of whose members are also members of ERNWACA. • Collaboration with the Laboratory for Public, Social and Solidarity Economy (LEPSS) of the

Centre for Documentation, Economic and Social Research (CEDRES) of the Unit for training and research on Economic and Management Science of the University of Ouaga 2

• Participation, animation and presentation of ERNWACA at various activities of the Workshop on Educational Research in Burkina (AREB) where some of our members presented their research findings (particularly dissertations).

• Participation in presentation of research findings organized by APENF (Association for promotion of non formal Education in Ouagadougou

• Good relations with YARO Yacouba’s CERFODES. VIII – Supervision of students on placements and th ose registered in training institutes with themes concerning education We are placing increasing emphasis on this activity which enables ERNWACA to become known by the younger generation. We supervise their synthesis documents, their dissertations and recommend them to resource persons in the institutions (General Secretariat/MEBA, DEP/MEBA, Plan Burkina, INSS etc.) IX – Reception and facilitation of visiting mission s Japanese mission, 2 IDRC groups, Mission of the Regional Coordinating Office, facilitation for the Ministry of Education and WAEMU/UEMOA X–Participation at meetings in Niamey on the decent ralization project XI – Transmission of research reports and flyers fr om ERNWACA to partners XII – Organization of working sessions with the nat ional Scientific Committee.


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XIII – Finance Reports Most resources received from the regional coordinating office have been the subject of justification and financial reporting (Grants, contracts with researchers). However there remain the receipts of the grant of 400 000 FCFA and those for ERNWACA research projects for Mr BOLY Dramane. XIV – Relations with other national coordinating of fices (horizontal relations) These relationships are not very well-developed apart from e-mails. However efforts have been made with Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Niger and Cameroon, although they remain insufficient. ERNWACA Cameroon Activity Report

The academic year 2008 - 2009 saw a series of national and international events.

I. Concerning the National Committee and members a) The national committee

The committee of the ERNWACA Cameroon national coordinating office has seen two major departures following the promotion of certain of its members to positions of responsibility in other national and international structures that are ERNWACA partners. They concern Professor MBANGWANA Moses (PanAf Project Programme Manager, formerly ERNWACA Cameroun Communications officer) and Professor Brigitte MATCHINDA (UNICEF Education Programme Officer, formerly ERNWACA Cameroon National Secretary).

While awaiting the ERNWACA Cameroon General Assembly, current affairs concerning both

communications and administration have been managed by Mr Bruno DZOUNESSE TAYIM, ERNWACA Cameroon Researcher and National Office Assistant, as is Claire Dangle K.

b) Members

ERNWACA Cameroon currently counts 25 active members listed on its register for the year 2009 and whose dues are up-to-date as of November 30th 2009. These members participate in the life of the coordinating office, each in his/her respective area. The policy of skill sharing developed and implemented within the coordinating office enables ERNWACA Cameroon to present pluri-disciplinary teams to implement programmes such as:

• PANAF.Project • Decentralisation Project • Paqueb Project • ERNWACA Small Grants Project • Writing books (Pedagogical Integration of ICT) Project • Training of trainers for education for integrity Project, currently being conducted, • Training of trainers for ENIEG Project, currently being conducted, • Digitalizing dissertations project, currently being conducted.

II. Concerning National Coordinating Office activit ies

The Small Research Grants Programme (Research Grant s 2009)

An ERNWACA Cameroon team based at the University of Dschang was selected for one of the 2008/2009 Research Grants. This team, whose mentor is Professor FONKENG Georges, also representative of the researchers in the coordinating office, participated in the methodology workshop for scientific writing. The coordinating office monitors closely the evolution of this project which is progressing in favorable conditions.

a) The pilot project for improvement of the quality of basic education (PAQUEB)

Since 2008, with the UNESCO office in Yaoundé, ERNWACA Cameroon has implemented elaboration of a modern primary school using Information and Communications Technologies. During 2008, it


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elaborated pedagogical training documents for the teachers and supervisors of the Pedagogical Chain of the Ministry of Basic Education.

After the experimental phase of PAQUEB, a team from the ERNWACA Cameroon national coordinating office, specializing in ICTE, participated during the months of July and August 2009 in training 641 teachers and pedagogical supervisors of the Ministry of Basic Education in six out of the ten regions of Cameroon.

In addition, this team produced the pedagogical content for elaboration of a teaching manual adapted to primary school programmes in mathematics, science, and environmental education and citizenship, in French and English.

c) The PanAfrican ICT Pedagogical Research Agenda

As part of the visit to PanAf schools and in prelude to the national workshop for dialogue on ICT policies, ERNWACA Cameroon received a mission from PanAf in April 2009, led by Professor Thierry KARSENTY. This mission went in turn to the FCB primary School in Memiam and the Yaoundé Bilingual High School, two Cameroon PanAf schools. During this mission, a scientific research methodology workshop was held at the ERNWACA Headquarters, for the Cameroon PanAf team.

d) National Policy Dialogue

In order to guarantee sustainable collaboration between the PanAf Observatory community of practice and national decision makers, and to bring about a positive change in pedagogical integration of technologies at national level, ERNWACA Cameroon organized a policy dialogue session on April 14th 2009 at the National Education Centre in Yaoundé to present the PanAf project and discuss the research findings with policy leaders, representatives of the education sector, of civil society and private interests. In order to do this, recommendations for changes in policy and practice identified by the research team through analysis of data collected on the PanAf Observatory during Phase 1 of the project were made to the researchers and decision makers.

e) The Transnational Decentralization Project in th e domains of Health, Education and Water.

ERNWACA Cameroon participates alongside five other coordinating offices, in the transnational project in the fields of health, education and water. The objective of this research is to study through transnational research the level of satisfaction concerning the demand for basic social services (water, education, health) in a decentralized context.

f) Training for education and integrity An ERNWACA Cameroon team has participated for almost three months in training the supervisors of the pedagogical chain of the 04 orders of confessional teaching (catholic, protestant, muslim, lay). This concerns Project Managers, Regional education inspectors, local coordinators.

III. Contribution to scientific publication In addition to publication of high quality scientific articles, ERNWACA Cameroon researchers have contributed to collective or individual publication of books of which is the recent edition in September 2009 with the Harmattan Press in Paris of the book by Mr BOMDA Joseph entitled « Career orientation in schools, university and vocational training in Cameroon.”

In addition, since November 27th 2009, ERNWACA Cameroon has its very first Doctor in Human Rights, Mr. TAGNE René, formerly a fhesis Student with the Chair of the UNESCO Human Rights Professor, Cameroon national section, who presented a Doctoral PhD thesis in Human Rights with great success on the theme “Human Rights Education and judicial mechanisms for strengthening protection of indigenous minorities” at the University of Kinshasa. Professor Pierre FONKOUA, ERNWACA National Coordinator was a member of the Jury at the examination of his thesis.


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IV. Study trips and Research

Several ERNWACA Cameroon researchers took part in conferences, workshops, seminars, as well as fora at both national and international levels. While it is not an exhaustive list, the following can be cited,

• The Dakar e-Learning summit • The Open Access Conference in Accra, • The PanAf Project international scientific meeting, etc. • The ERNWACA review launch meeting • The methodology training seminar for awardees of the ERNWACA small grants project.

At all these major knowledge encounters, they distinguished themselves both by the quality of their communications and the depth of their interventions.

V. Prospects

Ways are opening for ERNWACA Cameroon in 2010, including the following: • Greater participation in all ERNWACA activities, • A greater dynamic in activities for writing articles and scientific documents (our raison d’être), • Pursuit of projects that have already been launched, • Greater specialization in creation of virtual pedagogical supports, • Participation in modernization of the ENS library (weak point in our host establishment) • Undertaking reflections and actions concerning teaching materials, concerning policy to

inclusion; school, university and vocational orientation ; decentralization concerning education, development of ICT supports,

• Strengthen partnership with institutions sharing the same preoccupations. ERNWACA Congo Activity Report

INTRODUCTION

Both in the framework of the Regional Coordinating Office and that of the National Coordinating Office, ERNWACA Congo has realized a certain number of activities that have made it possible to affirm its visibility and its participation in the promotion of educational research in Africa. This report proposes to trace in 6 points what have been the essential operations of ERNWACA Congo since its creation to the present day.

I. Creation and current composition

Set up in July 2009 and recognized by the Congolese State, ERNWACA Congo has some 33 members from its creation to date, made up of men and women, teachers -researchers and doctoral candidates. Situated in the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Brazzaville, ERNWACA Congo possesses premises that enable it to host meetings of the executive committee composed of 7 members, who are: National Coordinator: Professor Samuel MAWETE General Secretary: Professor EVAYOULOU Deputy General Secretary: Dr Moïse BALONGA General Treasurer: Mme NZOUSSI Elisabeth Deputy Treasurer: Mr NGANTSIALA Secretary for Documentation: Dr NDEBANI François Secretary for resource mobilization: Mme KOUBEMBA Thérèse

II. Administrative aspects The Executive Committee has held several meetings relating to operations of the National Coordinating Office and tasks delegated by the regional coordinating office.


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Two general assemblies have been organized. One was the constitutive assembly in July, the other at the end of the year to adopt the activity programme for the financial year 2010. A sensitization campaign on membership was launched at the University to recruit additional members.

III. Scientific activities

As part of the 2009 ERNWACA research grants, ERNWACA Congo encouraged 3 researchers to participate. They work on the theme “Millenium challenges and Education for Development in the Congo”. They are:

• Dr BALONGA Moïse : Principal researcher • Dr MFOUNDOU Joseph : Researcher • Dr BANOUKOUTA Maurice : Researcher

The principal researcher took part in company with the National Coordinator in a workshop in Accra on scientific writing in the framework of the ERNWACA 2009 grant. The research projects undertaken on this subject are reaching completion.

1. The National Coordinator took part in Bamako Mali between December 17th and 19th 2009 in

the manifestations commemorating the ERNWACA 20th anniversary of ERNWACA and the international colloquium on educational research. On this occasion, the national coordinator made a communication at the round table organized at this event on the contributions of the national coordinating offices relating to ERNWACA strategies that was organized on the fringe of the colloquium. The ERNWACA Congo national coordinating office received an award during the 20th anniversary celebration.

2. At national level, ERNWACA Congo participated in and contributed to the organization of the day on girls’ education relating to the culture of peace. This day was organized by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, in charge of literacy training, and an NGO, FAWE. The national Coordinator, Professor Samuel MAWETE made a communication on this occasion. IV. Collaboration with other NGOs

• ERNWACA-Congo held a meeting at which the members of the Francophone International

Association for Research in Education Sciences (AFIRSE) participated in order to form the bases for collaboration concerning educational research.

• The ERNWACA Congo National Coordinator having been named Coordinator of the UNESCO Chair of Education Sciences, encouraged collaboration between the UNESCO Chair and ERNWACA which chose to work in synergy for promotion of educational research. V. Difficulties encountered ERNWACA-Congo is now in the grips of several difficulties. In particular, this involves :

• Lack of computers • Lack of Internet connection

At a time when Regional ERNWACA and PanAf are encouraging pedagogical integration of ICTs, it seems contradictory that a national coordinating office is lacking the computer tools that constitute an indispensable working tool.

VI. Future Prospects

ERNWACA-Congo hopes to organize two (2) fundamental activities for its visibility in the near future.


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The first activity will concern “Days of Education Sciences » in collaboration with the UNESCO Chair: AFIRSE and FAWE. This concerns demonstrating the place and role of Education Sciences and how they can impact educational policies in the Congo. The second activity will be the organization of a seminar on capacity building for students concerning writing a dissertation.

CONCLUSION Although it is still very young, ERNWACA Congo will not accept remaining in the wings of the various actions carried out in favor of educational research. Certainly, financial, material and human resources are in short supply, but the wish to act and to work are present. ERNWACA Congo is committed, together with the other national coordinating offices, to see ERNWACA’s overall ideals triumph. ERNWACA Côte d’Ivoire Activity Report Recall The National Coordinating Office (NC) held its Regular Annual General Assembly on May 12th 2009, according to ERNWACA Statutes. Since this meeting, activities have carried on and to share some information with the members of the Network, the NC Committee has elaborated the following information on its situation. Activities carried out Operations of the NC Committee and activities initi ated

• Ceremony to sign the convention between the Ivorian representation and the Tunis Institut des Hautes Etudes, February 14th 2009, Abidjan, (Koffi Philomène);

• Committee meeting September 30th 2009, ERNWACA ENS ; • Finalization and validation of the ERNWACA Côte d’Ivoire Charter, May 26th 2009 ; • Call launched for realization by July 15th 2009 of a logo to accompany the Charter: 5

proposals received and one logo selected by a college of 5 persons; • 20th anniversary of ERNWACA in Côte d’Ivoire, September 9th 2009, Ecole Normale

Supérieure, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire ; • Recuperation of a part of CI State funds for the 2004 study on the impact of the armed conflict; • Signature of the Charter by the Chairman of the ERNWACA Board of Directors (CBD) and the

Regional Coordinator (RC) on December 14th 2009. NC Research activities

• Launch of the ERNWACA Educational Research Grants Programme, 2009 edition, Abidjan, February 24th 2009;

• PanAf Project supervisory mission, February 15th to 17th 2009, Abidjan, Thierry Karsenty, Toby Harper, Moses Mbangwana and Dramane Darave (Canada and Mali);

• Training of candidate teams in project writing methodology, Abidjan, February 28th to March 7th 2009, (Koutou Claude and Goin Bi Zamblé);

• National Workshop on Policy Dialogue, March 31st 2009, Abidjan ; • Announcement of the results of the ERNWACA Educational Research Grants Programme,

2009 Edition on May 21st 2009 : 3 teams selected, 1st place for Côte d’Ivoire among the 16 Network countries;

• Participation in the e-Learning meeting in the framework of the panAfrican agenda for Integration of ICT in education (PanAf), May 27th to 29th in Dakar, Senegal (Koutou N’Guessan Claude) ;

• ERNWACA Café ROCARE : Ceremony of presentation of Results of the ERNWACA Educational Research Programme, 2008 edition, June 25th 2009, Ecole Normale Supérieure;


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• Training in Scientific Research Methodology and Scientific Writing, ERNWACA Educational Research Programme between June 29th and July 3rd in Accra Ghana : 1 team for 2008 and 3 teams for 2009;

• Participation of the NC at the Schoolnet meeting, July 15th Abidjan (Ettien Anne Marie) ; • Reporting on Training in Scientific Research Methodology and Scientific Writing, ERNWACA

Educational Research Programme, August 5th and 6th 2009, Abidjan : members of ERNWACA and awardee teams;

• Second Edition of the Days of Educational Research in Cote d’Ivoire (JRECI), September 8th and 9th 2009, Ecole Normale Supérieure;

• Workshop for elaboration of «scenarios for continuity of primary education in the post crisis period » organized November 9th and 10th 2009 in Abidjan at the Centre Africain de Management et de Perfectionnement des Cadres (CAMPC) ;

• Participation by the NC at the 2009 review meeting and the 2010 UNICEF/UNGEI programme, November 9th to 13th 2009, Abidjan, (Koutou N’Guessan Claude) ;

• Participation at the Advocacy meeting in favour of girls’ schooling organized by CRAEFCI, November 19th 2009, Abidjan, (Goita Insiata and N’Dédé Florence) ;

• Participation of the NC at the annual review of the Education Programme Côte d’Ivoire/UNICEF, November 25th to 26th 2009, Abidjan, (Koutou N’Guessan Claude) ;

• The Côte d’Ivoire NC was chosen to ensure editing of the ERNWACA journal African Education Development Issues with the Editions Universitaires de Côte d’Ivoire (EDUCI)

Missions and activities at the level of the Regiona l Coordinating Office (RC)

• Training workshop in scientific writing for the publication Revue Africaine de Recherche en Education (RARE) / Journal of Educational Research in Africa (JERA), July 15th and 16th 2009, Hotel Ibis Plateau, Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire);

• Launching ceremony of the Revue Africaine de Recherche en Education (RARE) / Journal of Educational Research in Africa (JERA), July I6th 2009, Hotel Ibis Plateau, Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire);

• Phase II of the PANAF Project (PanAfrican Research Agenda on pedagogical integration of Information and Communications Technologies) : scientific meeting in Dakar (Senegal), December 8th and 9th 2009 (Koutou N’Guessan Claude and N’Dédé Florence)

• Participation in the ERNWACA strategy session on December 13th and 14th 2009, Bamako (Mali) : Bih Emile (Member of the Board of Governors) and Azoh François Joseph (NC) ;

• Participation at the ERNWACA 20th anniversary International Colloquium December 15th, 16th, 17th 2009, Bamako (Mali) : Bih Emile (Member of the Board of Governors) and Azoh François Joseph (NC) ;

Activities currently active

• Installation of the office annexe; • Completion of the digital library; • Finalization of the 2010 Action Plan; • PanAf projet Phase II; • ERNWACA Educational Research Programme, 2009 Edition; • Project of University of Amsterdam, ERNWACA CI/ Save the Children Netherlands : Impact of

the armed conflict on primary teaching and development of scenarios for sustainable primary education in key regions of Côte d’Ivoire.

Review of 2009 activities. What will be retained? In looking at the Action Plan elaborated for 2009, the following points can be stressed:: For visibility: Activity Situation ERNWACA Café Realized Organization of the ERNWACA 20th Anniversary Realized


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Day of Educational Research in Côte d’Ivoire, 2nd Edition (Nov.) Realized Development of partnerships (Ministries, national and international institutions) Not Realized For training and research Activity Situation Educational Research Grants Programme, 2009 Edition Realized Methodology of Quantitative and Qualitative Research Realized Gender and Girls’ Education Not Realized Scientific writing (in the form of a writing workshop) Not Réalisée Administrative and Financial Management Activity Situation Resource Mobilization (contributions, Friends of ERNWACA) Partially realized Recuperation of funds from the State of CI Realized On the basis of the 2009 Action Plan, these are 10 actions that were planned with total realization of 60%, partial realization of 10% and non realization of 30%. Ressource mobilization is a partially realized activity because of a planning deficit : absence of fixed dates to collect dues, recall of dates and amounts of dues to members by e-mail, non elaboration of the list of Friends of ERNWACA from whom to sollicit contributions, etc. Concerning non realized activities, they can be justified by unavailability of human resources, even although they exist, the absence of rigorous planning of activities and non elaboration of documents enabling establishment of partnerships. Prospects Activities that are not realized or partially realized should be improved on, particularly as they concern areas of great importance for ERNWACA Côte d’Ivoire. The 2010 Action Plan is designed to correct these various weaknesses and to improve NC operations. ERNWACA-Gambia Chapter Annual Report PLANNED ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS The Gambia Chapter continues to make progress in the area of Capacity Building of its members, as is being demonstrated through its securing Tenders for consultancies from the Ministry of Education (ADB) African Development Bank supported Research Grant Projects, and from the GAMWORKS Agency for capacity development in the Contraction Industry. The Gambia Chapter was selected amongst other competitors to carry out the following studies:

• 2008/09 “Mapping study of Master Craft persons throughout the Gambia for the National Training Authority”.

• 2008/09 Work with the Sahel Investment Group in the Gambia to carry out a National

study of employers employing 5 or more people and in which occupational areas, and training needs requirements”.

• ERNWACA Gambia, participated in the work of the Task force established by the Ministry

of Higher Education Research, Science and Technology to Review Policy and Strategies for the development of Higher Education in the Gambia

Submitted papers to the Ministry entitled:


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� “Objectives and Strategies for the development of H.E “Medium and Long term objectives”

� “Sustainable Strategies for the Financing of Higher Education in the Gambia”. (Papers submitted to the Task Force).

• 2009 The Gambia Chapter was selected and awarded a contract by the Ministry of

Education to undertake a study entitled “A Study of the Guidance and Counselling Unit of the Gambia College”. (Funded by the (ADB). The Study is completed).

• 2009/10 The Gambia Chapter has been invited to submit proposals to the GAMWORKS

World Bank Agency for the “Training and Curriculum Development of 50 clerks of Works for the public and private sectors”.

Two ERNWACA members have been short listed by the Ministry among others to submit proposals for the following studies and projects.

Mr. Ousainou Loum – Head of Education, University of the Gambia to submit proposal for: “The Development of Training Module and Training of Master Trainers”. (For the ECD programme in The Gambia)

This would include. (i) Review of existing curriculum and training materials. (ii) Development of standardized comprehensive training package that will guide trainers

of the two age (0-6 years) cohorts. Etc.

Dr. Y. Benett , Scientific Adviser and International expert to submit proposals on: “An operational guideline development”. (For ECD projects / programme) This would Include,

(iii) Developing realistic and user-friendly operational guidelines for Implementing and co-ordinating the ECCD / JSDF Grant.

(iv) Training relevant stakeholders on the use of the Mentioned operational manual (etc.).

All the proposals have been submitted and are now under consideration. ERNWACA

Gambia Chapter will work and co-ordinate the projects, if awarded, with the consultants. NON ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERSPECTIVES 1. The Replacement of stolen IT equipment, 2. Setting up a Documentation Unit/Section for the Gambia office to:

a. Process ERNWACA Research Reports / Papers (Cataloguing, recording abstracts etc).

b. Storing these research reports/papers in a glass cupboard. c. Disseminating these reports to a wider Audience.

Funding will be required for the above activities. Please note: most of the funds mobilized from local contracts goes towards payment of salaries of local staff, electricity, water, telephones, Internet connections and fuel.

3. Putting together an appropriate compendium of all (ERNWACA) Gambia research reports completed in recent years (Including the Small Grants Research Reports).

4. Organize a 2 – 3 week full-time hands-on research Capacity Building Workshop on both Qualitative and Quantitative research methodologies.

We intend building up Collaborative Research partnership (both South-South and North South partnerships) through working on the ground, with local researchers in educational Institutions and Ministries on local and cross national research projects We anticipate renewing our signed Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education during 2010.


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We will also initiate negotiations with the ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology this year, regarding the possibility of signing a Memorandum of Understanding, Including the University of the Gambia. We hope that the regional co-ordination will help present our case/requirements to donors for support; we will also be making appeals to our line Ministries and local Institutions for support and assistance. ERNWACA Ghana Chapter Annual Report

Introduction The National Coordinating Office has been trying very hard to keep its head above water, especially with regard to running the secretariat. Attempts at securing bigger office space for the secretariat has so far not been successful. However, we continue to use our advantages, in particular, the good name and goodwill of the National Coordinator, Alhaji Gbadamosi and the familiarity of the General Secretary with the authorities at both the Ghana Education Service and the MOE, to gain little favours from both institutions.

ERNWACA Research Grant Projects

Response to the programme in 2009 was very poor. In spite of the proposal writing meetings organised in various universities for the purpose, only four proposals were submitted by the close of the deadline and two have been awarded. Members seem to give up too quickly and too easily once they have made one attempt at writing a proposal and failed to win an award. Members refused to recognise that grants are not easily won and the programme is highly competitive – twenty five awards are competed for in sixteen countries. Table 1 provides information on the awardees in the last four years: Table 1: Research Grant Recipients from 2006 were a s follows: Year Awardees Title of Project 2008 Alfred Dai-Kosi, Isaac Asiegbor &

Millicent Baku Graduate Unemployment in Ghana: Possible Case of Poor Response of University Programmes to the Demands of the Job Market

2009 a) Matthew Sabbi, Serebour Otuo Agyeman & Joseph Amankwa (UCC, Cape Coast) b) Wisdom Hordzi, Beatrice Ayorkor Torto & Anthony Mensah (UEW)

Education for Self-Reliance in Ghana: Rethinking the Quality of Education for African Development Quality Issues of Basic Education in three Regions of Ghana

The 2008 project, completed in 2009, was rounded off with a dissemination seminar held at the Ministry of Education Conference room and was chaired by the Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana. It was very well attended. Participants included the Chief Director of the Ministry of Education and the spokesman for the Minister for Education. Mr. Asiegbor, a member of the research team has since developed a comprehensive action plan on the development of a ‘Register of Employable Skills’ based on the recommendations of the study. This has been formally presented to the Minister of Education by the NC and the Minister has assured that he would take it up for Cabinet discussion. Mr. Asiegbor has also developed a scientific article to be sent to the JERA.

The ICT-2 Project

A three member team, namely, Messrs Kofi Boakye (Team Leader) and John Ekpe and Ms Dzigbordi Ama Banini participated in the project. I am happy to report that the project has inspired the three team members to enrol for Master’s degree courses in Computer Technology and Education with Ohio State University through distance learning and they successfully completed the course this year.


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HIV/AIDS Impact Study: On Teachers in the Formal an d Non-Formal Education Sector This was another transnational study and involved Benin, Ghana, Guinea and Niger. The Ghana team of two researchers was led by Mr. Joshua J. K. Baku, the ERNWACA General Secretary. The other member was Ms Bernice Adu of the MOE HIV/AIDS Secretariat. The two researchers had to travel to Niamey to participate in a harmonisation of methodology training workshop. Some other ERNWACA members, young researchers, enthusiastically served as field officers.

Decentralisation Project

The second part of this Project is still in progress. It is a transnational study and involves six countries – Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, Mali and Senegal. The project was launched in May this year in Niamey where the scope and methodology of the project were redefined. A three member delegation led by the National Coordinator, Alhaji Gbadamosi, attended the launching workshop. The others were the Principal Researcher, Prof Opare and the National Service Personnel at the ERNWACA Secretariat, Mr. Mingle. Data collection had been fully completed and data analysed. The team is drafting the report which will be subjected to Scientific Committee review.

Hosting a Regional Programme in Ghana

In June 2009, the National Coordinating Office played host to the 2009 training workshop of the Research Grant awardees of 2008 and 2009. The training programme is a two-fold programme – training in research methodology for the 2009 awardees and training in scientific writing for the 2008 awardees who had made efforts to write scientific articles. I had invited interested members of the Ghana Chapter to declare their intention to participate, but only five members showed up. In line with the support policy of the Regional Coordination an 8% allowance was awarded the national coordination to cover local organisational and administrative expenses. We squeezed enough out of this amount to sponsor the participation of our local members. In his formal opening address, the Hon Minister of Education not only acknowledged the significant role ERNWACA was playing in promoting decision/policy making through educational research but also promised to find funding for the national chapter to continue with its training programme on Action Research for graduate students. This programme was started in UCC with the intention of taking it to the other public universities. However it had to be shelved because of funding difficulties. I must also mention at this stage that the General Secretary, working with the Chairman of the Scientific Committee, has approached the Dean of Graduate Studies in UCC for collaboration in organising a fee-paying comprehensive training programme in Grant-oriented Proposal Writing as a national programme. The idea was well received by the Dean but no action has yet been taken.

Midterm Evaluation of the Education for All/Fast Tr ack Initiative

The Fast Track Initiative was a project in which ERNWACA/Ghana was approached by a UK based organisation, JBS International Inc, Aguirre Division (Aguirre/JBS), to team up with it to develop a joint proposal to bid for the contract to conduct a midterm evaluation of the Education for All Programme. The evaluation was to be sponsored by the World Bank. Unfortunately, in spite of the fact that a lot of work was put into the development of our side of the proposa, the eventual outcome was not favourable to our team. Upon receiving a similar type of request for collaborative bidding, ERNWACA/Ghana once again geared itself up to team up with ‘European Consultants Organisation’ (ECO3) in their bid for a contract on Lot 9 Education, Employment and Social Project which was a EUROPEAID 119860/C/SV/MULTI project. Here also our principal partners failed to win the bid

The PanAf Project This is strictly not an ERNWACA project, but an African initiative by IDRC covering a number of universities across Africa. It was however the General Secretary (ERNWACA/Ghana) who introduced the University of Education, Winneba to the PanAf project. This gives some level of interest to ERNWACA on the project. Though the Ghana team joined the project quite late, we are delighted to know that the team is coping very well alongside the other teams. This was in spite of fund transfer challenges to which the team had become victims.


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ERNWACA 20 th Anniversary Celebration

The National Chapter had drawn up an elaborate programme to mark the 20th anniversary of the founding of the network. Unfortunately, the fund mobilisation efforts of the chapter failed miserably. The programme could not therefore be implemented but the chapter has not given up.

Finances of ERNWACA/Ghana The anticipation has been that the national coordinating office will have two main sources of funding – i.e. annual dues of members and percentage of project funding (levies) which is a Regional Coordinating Office policy. We also anticipated wining some contracts on our own, to make some profits and through our own budgeting. The first source has been completely insignificant and unreliable. We have never reached a record of having more than thirty per cent of members pay up their dues in a year. The secretariat tries to enforce the second source of funding. This has been the most outstanding contributor to the national coordination activities which has enabled the Network to maintain a secretariat – having to pay a secretary, pay utility bills, procure stationery and other needs and service equipment. Prudent management of our limited resources has always been our guiding principle.

ERNWACA Regional Colloquium The main activity organised by the Regional Coordinating Office to celebrate the 20th anniversary of ERNWACA was a Regional Colloquium held in Bamako from December 15th to 17th, 2009. Though correspondence inviting papers for presentation at the Colloquium was widely circulated among ERNWACA/Ghana, members’ response was very poor. It was learnt later that members had failed to respond to it because of the demand that the abstract should be in both English and French. Some members also explained that the call for papers did not give any hint that authors of accepted papers were going to be sponsored. There was therefore only one paper from Ghana and even that was not written by a registered member. At any rate, the General Secretary and the Chairman of the Scientific Committee as member of the Regional Scientific Committee were invited to attend the Colloquium. One had thought that Alhaji R Gbadamosi as National Coordinator would also have been invited in that capacity, since the General Secretary had been a Board Chairman and could have been invited in that capacity.

General Meetings

Only one General Meeting was held in the year 2009 and that was in November. This could be explained through an unhelpful tradition which the National Coordination had established in the early days of the network to attract new membership. The National Coordination had and still has the responsibility to foot the bills for the transportation of members from outside Accra who attend meetings. This restricts the NC’s ability to call meetings and makes it dependent on the availability of funds. Thus the ERNWACA seminars have tended to become the more regular gathering for members. At our last meeting in November, the practice was brought to an end. ERNWACA Guinea Activity Report INTRODUCTION The current report takes the form of a review of activities for the year 2009. It is structured in five parts, according to the ERNWACA Regional Coordinating Office recommendations: I. Planned activities II. Activities carried out III. Impact of activities carried out IV. Cases of success through obligation V. Prospects for 2010


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I PLANNED ACTIVITIES The National Coordinating Office, during its meeting on the subject, examined and adopted a draft activity programme centred around the following points : 1- Activities for sensitization related to membership and payment of annual dues; 2- Means to obtain official recognition; 3- Participation in the small grants research programme; 4- Organization of the ERNWACA- café; 5- Participation in seminars. II ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT

1. Activities for sensitization related to membersh ip and payment of annual dues

Following a sensitization campaign, 41 staff members of various higher education institutions and Ministerial departments joined ERNWACA and paid their annual dues during 2009. The list of ERNWACA-Guinea members has been sent to the Regional Coordinating Office.

2. Means to obtain official recognition

The social and political context in the country has made it impossible to carry this activity forward. It has been carried over to 2010.

3. Participation in the small grants research progr amme

On February 7th 2009, a training workshop on elaborating a research protocol was held at ISSEG (the ERNWACA-Guinea headquarters). It brought together 47 staff members and students from 16 public and private higher education institutions. The objective of the workshop was to prepare researchers better in order for them to participate in the 2009 session of the ERNWACA grants programme competition. As a result of this activity, two research projects were funded.

4. Organization of an ERNWACA-Café

With the aim of diffusing findings of research projects carried out in 2008 as part of the ERNWACA research grants, and to present the research methodologies of proposals selected for 2009, an ERNWACA Café was held on June 6th 2009 at ISSEG in Lambanyi. This Café attracted the participation of 50 staff members and students from various Institutions.

5. Participation at seminars

Guinea participated in three cultural manifestations organized by the ERNWACA Regional Office :

• Workshop for training in research methodology and scientific writing

In the framework of the 5th edition of the ERNWACA grants programme for educational research, three Guinean researchers travelled to Accra, Ghana between June 30th and July 2nd 2009. The first two took part in the research methodology training workshop as winners of 2009 grants, while the third took part in the meeting on writing a scientific article.

• ERNWACA Strategy Session

The fifth ERNWACA Strategy Session (biennial meeting) organized by the Regional Coordinating Office, took place in Bamako, Mali on December 13th and 14th 2009 at the Hotel Azalaï Nord-Sud. This meeting was attended by the ERNWACA Guinea national Coordinator. �� International ERNWACA Colloquium

Between December 15th and 17th 2009, three Guineans: two contributors and the national coordinator took part in the ERNWACA international colloquium held at Bamako (Mali) on the theme of «Educational Research in educational practice and policies in Africa.» The presentations by the two


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contributors concerned «Impact of ERNWACA Research on educational practice and policy in Guinea », and « The place of Private Universities in the Guinean Educational System.” III IMPACT OF THE ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT The activities carried out have had a positive impact on certain teaching institutions such as ISSEG and on young researchers. At the level of institutions: training an increasingly critical mass of educational researchers. At the level of young researchers: observation of increasing enthusiasm among young researchers awarded research grants, as well as developing their own skills concerning elaboration and implementation of research projects. IV CASES OF SUCCESS THROUGH OBLIGATION Success stories turn essentially around the research grants. Effectively, for three years, the national coordinating office has been awarded two research programme grants each year. III PROSPECTS The national coordinating office hopes to do even better, or at the very least to maintain its record of two projects funded per year. It therefore intends to do everything in its power to:

• Conduct the necessary procedures to obtain official recognition;

• Carry on sensitization with a view to increasing the number of members ;

• Conducting contacts with international institutions present locally with a view to establishing partnerships.

ERNWACA-Mali Activity Report I - Introduction This report gives an account of the activities carried out by ERNWACA-Mali between 2008 and 2009. Various activities have been conducted both nationally and internationally. They are all in harmony with ERNWACA Mali objectives, that is to say: contributing to development of educational research through an appropriate scientific environment for promotion of researchers and diffusion of their research results in Mali, Africa and worldwide. II – Activities carried out II-1/ Reorganization of the Committee The Committee has had considerable operational difficulty in terms of human resources. An Extraordinary General Assembly was therefore organized on Saturday, May 24th 2008 and proceeded to elect a new Committee, as follows: 1-National Coordinator Prof. Urbain DEMBELE, ROCARE-Mali 2-Deputy National Coordinator Prof. Djénéba TRAORE GUINDO, UB-ISFRA 3-Scientific Secretary Dr. N’Do CISSE, UB-FLASH 4-General Treasurer Yaba TAMBOURA TOURE, CNE 5-Deputy General Treasurer Klédiomo DEMBELE, 6-Secretary for Communications and Organization Dr. Boubacar Mody GUINDO, CNRST 7-Commissioner for Accounts Augustin POUDIOUGOU, UB-FLASH (Ex Officio member and Focal Point) =National DIRECTOR of Higher Education and Scientific Research)


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MEMBERS of the SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE

1-Prof Denis DOUYON, UB-ISFRA 2-Prof Urbain DEMBELE ROCARE-Mali 3-Prof Ogobara DOUMBO UB-FMPOS-MRTC 4-Dr N’Do CISSE UB-FLASH 5-Dr Bacoumba KEÏTA Ministry of Environment and Sanitation II-2/ Visit : a courtesy visit was paid to Professor Amadou Touré, Minister of Secondary and Higher Education and Scientific Research, by the members of ERNWACA-Mali together with those of the Regional Coordinating Office. The meeting took place in the meeting room of the Minister’s Cabinet. II-3/ An exchange day took place between UNESCO (multi-country office) and ERNWACA Mali on the possibility of partnership between the two organizations. A short resumé was made of the objectives and missions. The meeting enabled UNESCO to know ERNWACA Mali better. According to our Representatives, ERNWACA Mali can count on future collaboration with its structure because of the common denominator of the two organizations (Education and ICT). II-4/ Organization of two (2) ERNWACA Cafés The first Café was organized on March 30th 2009 by a Swiss Doctoral Researcher, Frédéric Weyer, in the ISFRA annexe lecture theatre. This Café enabled Frédéric to report on the findings of her research on: «DIVERSIFICATION OF THE OFFER OF EDUCATION IN THE RURAL SETTING , FINDING WORK AND INEQUALITIES : THE CASE OF MALI » (ISFRA, IHEID AND ERNWACA) During this Café, Frédéric presented her research report that aimed to analyze diversification of the offer of education at primary schooling level, through the lens of inequalities. Her objectives were to:

• Test the hypothesis of a correlation between the type of school attended, the educational career and later employment;

• Analyze principles of justice that are in play within the educational field in Mali: What are the

gaps concerning education defined as being unjust? Which ones are considered to be just? Are inequalities brought about by the diversification of the offer of education considered to be just or unjust?

• Understand the content of the notion of finding work in the current context of a rural region in

Mali? With regard to the second café, it was organized on June 20th 2009 at CNR-ENF for the 2008 grants and during which the results of two research projects were reported on:

a) lnfluence of national languages on French as used by High School and University students, the case of Tamacheq speakers in the District of Bamako.

This study had the general objective of determining the characteristics of the phenomenon of linguistic interference between Tamacheq, the mother tongue, and French. It aimed at:

• Identifying the existence of the phenomenon of linguistic interferences among Tamacheq speaking high school and university students ; Determining the elements of spelling, grammar, phonetic and morphosyntax mistakes, the slippage of meanings and lexicology due to Tamacheq/French interferences;

• Explain the phenomena of transfer and interference ; • Identify the methods facilitating overcoming difficulties linked to linguistic interferences

from critical analysis of the corpus of knowledge.

b) Early detection of school and family problems among two school groups in the urban commune of Segou.

This study had as its general objective to contribute to knowledge of dropping out of school among pupils in two school groups in the urban commune of Ségou. It aimed to:


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• Determine the overall prevalence of school problems among the pupils in both school groups.

• Identify emotional factors that might be at the origin of school difficulties among the pupils in these two school groups.

• Determine the relationship between school problems and family factors. II-5/ With regard to statutory committee meetings, the national network held 16 meetings. III- Decisions taken The decisions to be taken follow a regular rhythm, in this way, the ERNWACA-Mali statutes and by-laws together with a procedures manual have been adopted in General Assembly, facilitating efficient running of the national network. ERNWACA-Mali obtained notification that it is declared as an Association under decision number N 175 / MATCL-DNI of August 18th 2008. To improve participation at meetings as well as their frequency, committee members have determined the monthly commitment and are giving members greater responsibility as it is important to take them into account. IV- Projects ERNWACA-Mali has been involved in various projects:

• ERNWACA grants 2008 (two) ; finalized in 2009 • The 2009 grants (two); being finalized • The decentralization research project; being conducted • Certain members of the national network are involved in the PanAf project which includes

countries that are non members of ERNWACA. V- Meetings : V-1- At national level

Between July 1st and 3rd 2008 the 3rd training workshop on research methodology and scientific writing was held at the OLYMPE Hotel for the 2007 and 2008 recipients of ERNWACA Educational Research Grants.

The workshop aimed to provide a convivial learning space for the recipients of ERNWACA grants for educational research, to accompany and train the recipients in techniques for writing scientific articles with a view to preparing them for publication in the young researchers’ review « African Educational Development » and finally to strengthen collaborative research between the various recipients and other network stakeholders.

ERNWACA-Mali also took part in the 5th ERNWACA strategy session (December 13th and 14th 2009) at the Hotel Azalaï Nord-Sud / Bamako, Mali, at the international ROCARE colloquium (December 15th, 16th, 17th 2009) commemorating the ERNWACA 20th anniversary. The specific objectives of the strategy session were to: • Improve management of the Network through adoption of the procedures Manual ; • Inspire a new dynamic through elaboration and implementation of a 2011-2016 strategic

action plan; • Build resource mobilization capacities of national coordinators ; • Strengthen partnership between the network and associated Ministries in member countries,

training and research institutions, international organizations, etc….

The colloquium aimed to provide scientific data on the impact of research in African countries with a view to sensitizing political decision makers, researchers, planners, managers and the beneficiaries of educational systems to reflect on installation of new strategies capable of facilitating research in Africa. In this way, it aimed to: • Share information on the impact of research on practices and policies in Africa in general and

in ERNWACA member countries in particular;


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• Identify researchers’ needs and the constraints that they face when carrying out their research activities ;

• Identify leads to future research projects ; • Establish and strengthen institutional partnerships between researchers and political decision

makers in the area of research; • Develop international policy for educational research through creating a network of research

associations to strengthen visibility of African research (this should come first because it is the current focus.)

The Mali Coordinating Office participated actively in both these events as co-organizer with the Regional ERNWACA Coordinating Office. The activities took place at Azalaï Nord-Sud Hotel in Bamako, Mali

V-2- At international level : A regional meeting of 2008 and 2009 grants recipients took place in Accra, Ghana from June 30th to July 2nd 2009. This workshop aimed to :

• provide a convivial space for learning for recipients of ERNWACA grants for educational research,

• accompany and train the recipients in techniques for writing scientific articles with a view to preparing them for publication in the young researchers’ review « African Educational Development »

• strengthen collaborative research between the various recipients and other network

stakeholders. Three Malian recipients participated in this meeting: one from 2008 whose report was selected by the regional scientific committee as worthy of presentation of findings to the regional meetings. This participant took part in the scientific writing capacity building workshop. The other two recipients for 2009 took part in this meeting to benefit from capacity building in research methodology. A methodology workshop on decentralization took place from January 13th to 16th at the Ténéré Hotel in Niamey, Niger. The workshop programme concerned validation of the methodology guide elaborated by the Burkina Faso and Niger coordinators. Participation of 24 researchers was noted as well as certain National Coordinators. VI- Membership – Dues In 2008-2009 ERNWACA–Mali registered 23 new members which brought the number of ERNWACA-Mali members to 60. Membership dues are paid slowly. To date, only 12 members are up to date with their dues. VII - Conclusion

a) Financial constraints have generally rendered certain activities programmed by the national network difficult to realize. (See activities programmed from 2007 to 2009)

b) Prospects:

- The National Coordinating Office wishes to obtain an agreement to enable it to conduct activities as an NGO and with full autonomy.

ERNWACA Mauritania Activity Report

a) Planned Activities

For ERNWACA Mauritania, 2009 was a special year as the country experienced a fairly long period of political instability that had its effects on all sectors of public life, including education: (parliamentary crisis, coup d’état, presidential elections….)


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It was against this background that most of the activities that ERNWACA Mauritania had planned could not be realized because of this difficult situation that the whole country underwent. However, the following activities were anticipated in the plans:

• Holding meetings for agreement between ERNWACA Mauritania with a view to initiating talks with the Ministry of National Education (this activity has not been carried out as the ministry in question has changed its name and has been split in two following presidential elections in July 2009.

• Meeting between the National Coordinator and the authorities in charge of education to prepare a future visit by a delegation from the Regional Coordinating Office (this activity did not bring about any results, but we did obtain promises all the same).

• Meeting with the authorities of the Ecole Normale Supérieure (ENS) to find a site to house ERNWACA Mauritania (this activity did not produce results).

• Publicity for announcement of the 2009 Grants Programme. • Organization of an ERNWACA café to disseminate information concerning the

2009 Grants Programme. • A meeting of the ERNWACA Mauritania Scientific Committee to evaluate the final

Report of the 2008 Grants Programme. • Organization of an ERNWACA Café to disseminate the results of the 208 Grants

Programme. • Organization of a training workshop for new recipients of 2009 Grants. • A meeting of the ERNWACA Mauritania National Coordinating Office Committee

in order to discuss the activities programme planned for 2009.

b) Activities carried out:

Despite the unusual situation the country experienced and that we note above, it was possible to realize certain activities thanks to the determination and perseverance of the ERNWACA Mauritania National Coordinating Office to meet all challenges and overcome these squalls that could have brought it down:

- despite the lack of financial means, the absence of an appropriate site (we are still housed at the residence of Prof. Kettab),

- Also despite the discouragement of some members of the network, we were still able to

realize the following activities: • An ERNWACA Café to diffuse information relating to the 2009 Grants Programme • Diffusion and publicity in university level institutions and local newspapers, to announce the

2009 Grants Programme. • The meeting of the Scientific Committee to evaluate the final Report of the 208 Grants

Programme. • An ERNWACA Café to diffuse information relating to the results of the final report of the 2008

Grants Programme. • A training workshop on research methods for the recipients of the 2009 Grants Programme. • A meeting of the ERNWACA Mauritania Committee to discuss the programmes and planning

for 2009 activities.

c) Impacts of the activities carried out In general, it can be said that the activities carried out were done so in extremely difficult conditions but this did not prevent some positive impacts from being recorded, even if only at the level of cohesion of the group and strengthening the National Network.

d) Success stories/constraints:

Despite the situation described earlier, ERNWACA Mauritania continues to exist and to be discovered by a wider university public, concerned by the issue of educational research.


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• ERNWACA Cafés, • Training workshops • Posters and publicity announcements,

are the activities we have carried out successfully. But certain constraints of a political nature, beyond our control, have obliged us to modify our plans and have made some of our activities impossible to carry out. As constraints, we can cite:

• The coup d’état and the presidential elections of July 2009, bringing about changes among the authorities.

• The change of name and configuration of the Ministry on which we depend. • Low levels of enthusiasm shown by certain researchers. • The absence of doctoral candidates in Mauritanian Universities. • Inadequate allowances to support research: (3 000 000 CFA). e) Prospects for 2010 :

With the New Year in 2010, we have high hopes that some of the academic constraints will be dissipated, notably with the introduction of the BMD system at the level of the Mauritanian Universities. In two or three years, we will have Master’s level students who will take an interest in educational research (Doctoral candidates). At the level of the Ecole Normal Supérieure (ENS) in Nouakchott, opening a new series to train inspectors of secondary education could present an opportunity to strengthen educational research. As part of planning for ERNWACA Mauritania 2010 activities, the National Coordinating Committee envisages:

• Posting 2010 Grants Programme announcements on walls and placing publicity in newspapers for all institutions of higher education.

• Organization of a quantitative and qualitative research methods workshop for future 2010 recipients.

• Organization of several meetings of ERNWACA Mauritania bodies to prepare and adopt plans for 2010 activities.

In conclusion, ERNWACA Mauritania needs to be supported, revitalized, and integrated as a participant in the Mauritanian educational system. We hope that the tools we have acquired recently: (procedures manual, advocacy, NC financial support, etc.) in regional activities we have been generously invited to attend by the Regional Coordinating Office, will all be a great help to us in this regard. ERNWACA Niger Acivities Report This report is structured as follows:

• Planned activities • Activities carried out • Impact of activities carried out • Prospects for 2010

Planned Activities Activities foreseen by the Niger National Coordinating Office for the year 2009 are:

� Organizing and holding regular meetings of coordinating activities(Committee and general meetings);

� Promotion of the network through ERNWACA cafés, announcements and articles appearing in newspapers, publicity reports, producing flyers, etc.;

� Development of partnerships; � Setting up regional annexes;


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� Monitoring current research, particularly studies under the ERNWACA grants programme, educational research and other transnational research projects ;

� Dissemination of findings of studies; � Organization of the workshop to launch the study on decentralization of basic social

services : water, health, education (January 13th to 16th 2009) ; � Realization of the Niger case study in the project on decentralization of basic social

services : water, health, education; � Launch of the ERNWACA Grants Programme for educational research, 2009 edition; � Support for the teams participating in the 2009 grants programme; � Annual data collection from members.

Activities carried out The National Coordinating Committee held seven (7) meetings;

� Organization of the workshop to launch the study on decentralization of basic social services : water, health, education between January 13th and 16th 2009, with the support of the Regional Coordinating Office;

� Celebration of the ERNWACA 20th anniversary through a radio/TV documentary and an announcement in three (3) newspapers ;

� Launch of the 2009 edition of the ERNWACA grants programme for educational research through televised and written advertisements (3 local newspapers);

� Supportive advice for three teams that were candidates for the 2009 ERNWACA grants programme;

� Reception, re-reading and observations on research projects (2009 grants) and transmission to the Regional Coordinating Office of the documents validated by the national scientific committee ;

� Monitoring work on the decentralization study and 2009 grants studies; � Participation in meetings (workshops, colloquia and strategy session) in Accra (June –

July 2009), Niamey (ADEA in November 2009) and Bamako (December 09) ; � Collection of 2009 dues from13 members.

Impact of activities carried out

� Strengtheninng the network partner relationship with the Ministry of National Education ; � Establishment of partnership relations with :

United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), Niger national teachers’ union (SNEN), Working Group on Non Formal Education (WGNFE); High Commisson for State Modernization

Success stories/constraints Success In terms of success we note a rate of 82% of realization of programmed events. We can also note successfully holding the workshop to launch the study on decentralization of basic social services: water, health, education and the considerable interest shown by the various stakeholders involved in the decentralization process. Constraints The principal constraints for ERNWACA Niger can be identified as (1) the quasi absence of a doctoral series of studies at the University of Niamey, and (2) inadequate resources.

Prospects for 2010 For the year 2010, we expect to carry over not only the activities that were not carried out in 2009, but also to pursue and intensify regular activities. In particular, we are going to try to benefit from partnerships that were set up in 2009, and consolidate contacts made with the World Bank resident mission.

ERNWACA-Nigeria Chapter Annual Report 4th National Café The 4th National Café was held at the Faculty of Education, University of Lagos, on Thursday June 18th 2009. The major objective was to disseminate the findings of 2008 Small Grant Research Studies.


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Consequently, the following Principal Researchers were Lead Discussants at the Café: Dr. Emmanuel Emah [University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom], Dr. Franca Usen [College of Education, Nsit, Akwa Ibom] and Dr. Supo Jegede [University of Lagos]. The National Coordinator was the Chairman for the occasion. Many scholars from major institutions in Nigeria attended. Meaningful contributions were made in the course of discussions. 2009 Small Grant Award Nigeria won two slots in the 2009 Small Grant programme. The lucky winners are: Dr. Dorothy Ofoha et al [University of Lagos] and Dr. Virgilius Ekpo [University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom]. The two groups are presently putting final changes to their reports. The titles of their studies, respectively, are:

• A Critical Appraisal of the Mode of Implementation of Nigerian Secondary School Curriculum: Towards Socio-economic Empowerment of Youth

• Universal Basic Education and Socio-Economic Prospects of the Girl-Child in South-South Nigeria

Regional Workshop on Educational Research Technique s Dr. Dorothy Ofoha and Dr. Virgilius Ekpo attended the Regional workshop aimed at improving the research capacity of the 2009 Small Grant Winners. The function was held in Accra, Ghana. Launching of JERA Dr Cecilia Oladapo, being one of the authors whose article was accepted for publication in the maiden issue of the international journal, attended the launching programme in Côte d’Ivoire. National Visibility Projects The Nigeria National Coordination Special Task Force [comprised of Dr. Supo Jegede, Dr. Dorothy Ofoha, Dr. Perp Ememe, Dr. Blessing Anyikwa and Dr. Dayo Odukoya] has collected data on the following studies:

• The State, Causes and Consequences of Road Traffic Situation in Lagos State, Nigeria • Appraisal of Electricity Situation in Nigeria: Causes, Consequences and Way Forward • The Challenges of Married Women in Africa [Case Study of Nigerian Women] • The Benefits and Challenges of Mobile Communication Systems in Nigeria

Data analysis is nearing completion for the first two studies [Road Traffic and Electricity]. The final report, which is planned for publication in popular national newspapers, shall also be specially despatched to the respective governments together with our relevant completed projects. The Task Force also met the Management of Greenspring Secondary School, Anthony, Lagos to commence the pilot study of the Young Inventors Project. The project is aimed at discovering and motivating young Talents capable of evolving science and technology products with local efforts. These efforts, we hope should make ERNWACA Nigeria more visible. The Special Task Force meets once every month to brainstorm on how to move ERNWACA Nigeria forward. 2009 Strategic Meeting and International Colloquium The Secretary General, Dr. Dayo Odukoya, representing the National Coordinator attended the 2009 Strategic Meeting held at Bamako, Mali on December 16th and 17th 2009. He also presented a paper on the prospects of evolving policy reformation research studies within the Nigerian Context. Financial Report [As Reported by the National Treasurer, Dr Lucy Ekwueme] Income & Expenditure for the Period 30th April - 30 th November, 2009 # INCOME [In the majority via Small Grants and Member ship Fees] 3,637,665.50 Expenses Grants [2 Groups] 1,386,050 Visibility Research study [Task Force] 64,600 Salary 56,000 Scientific committee 106,300


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Office running (Sec.Gen. Allowance,/Ass. Sec. Salaries, Recharge-cards, Repairs & Maintenance, Internet, etc.) 270,950 Research Result Dissemination Café 40,000 Mentors’ fees 300,000 DHL charges 70,000 Bank charges 11,255.49 2,305,155.49 ------------------- Cash at Bank 1,332,510.01 =========== Exchange rate : $1 = 150 nairaER WACA-Nigeria Chapter Annual Report

ERNWACA Central African Republic Activities Report Introduction This report provides the review of 2009 activities. It is established for the Regional Coordinating Office based in Bamako (MALI) and provides information for the National Authorities: Ministry of National Education and the Rector of the University of Bangui. It will therefore provide elements of information on :

• Planned activities • Activities carried out • Impact of activities carried out • Prospects for 2010

Planned activities The National Coordinating Office, during its meeting devoted to this subject, examined and adopted a draft activity programme centred around the following topics:

• Activities for sensitization relating to the call for Candidates for 2009 • Means to adopt for the acquisition and equipment of headquarter ; • Drawing up organic texts; • Preparation of the Founding General Assembly (FGA) • Monitoring and evaluation of the 2008 recipient team’s research project; • Participation in seminars.

Activities carried out In February 2009, following publication and the launch of the Call for Candidates, the national Coordinating Office initiated and animated sensitization seminars around the proposed themes. Three teams were set up for this purpose:

• Monsieur Anatole NDEMAGOUDA, General Secretary of the National Coordinating Office, assisted by his Assistant, Madame Olga Blanche BITEMAN and the General Treasurer Samuel BISSAFI , animated programmes on the National Radio and Television, networks that enabled the National Coordinating Office to reach a wide public audience.

• Monsieur Innocent GOUMAPE , Communications Officer, and Monsieur Samuel BISSAFI produced publicity supports (prospectus, flyers, posters) that were distributed and diffused in schools and Universities as well as in the workplace.

• Gervais NZAPALI principal researcher (2008 edition) to whom the role of animating a conference-debate was entrusted, faced a general public made up of students and teachers, who participated in great numbers. This event took place at the Bangui Ecole Normale Supérieure (ENS) de Bangui.

Acquisition and Equipment of Headquarters site The National Coordinating Office addressed a request to the Director of the Bangui ENS. He gave his agreement to provide a building to host the Association’s activities. Work was undertaken to prepare


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the site and enabled the first National Coordinating Office activities to take place. We note that some work is still under way (paint, locks, air conditioning). Thus, thanks to the financial support of the Regional Coordinating Office, the ERNWACA-CAR office has been able to acquire the following material: Furniture

• A wooden cupboard • Four wooden chairs

IT equipment

• Repair of two computers provided by the ENS made it possible to ensure the National Coordinating Office needs.

• Prospect: installation of Internet connectivity. Office materials

• Registers, archive boxes, chronological files and other consumables; • The National Coordinating Office has also proceeded to construct a sign to mark the site

of the headquarters. Drawing up organic texts The two texts (statutes and by-laws) whose draft was examined and adopted by the meeting of the Coordinating Office Committee, will be presented to the next Founding General Assembly (FGA). Founding General Assembly The original dates proposed to call the FGA were postponed because of the National Coordinator’s programme for out-of-country travel. The session selected is now fixed for March 15th 2010. On this occasion, the National Coordinating Office has decided to produce an invitation to the Regional Coordinating Office for its symbolic presence. Monitoring and Evaluation Research projects The delay with which the 2008 recipient team began work led the National Coordinating Office to become involved in setting up the team’s research activities. Several evaluation and organization meetings were held to call on the team to be more rigorous and consistent. This led the National Coordinating Office and the 2008 research team to finalize their project report in order to submit it. The ERNWACA Café was finally organized in July 2009. Participation in seminars Following publication of the results of the Call for proposals of the 2009 edition, the theme on « the educational offer and impact of female entrepreneuriat on the Central African national economy: the case of the city of Bangui » was selected. The principal researcher, Mr Samuel BISSAFI, accompanied by the National Coordinator, Mr. Apollinaire MOLAYE therefore took part in the methodology training workshop for research and scientific writing, organized between June 26th and July 4th 2009 in Accra, Ghana. Impact of the activities carried out The youthful nature of the National Coordination, marked by the selection in 2008 of a research team made it possible to animate sensitization meetings, linked to the research theme “the stakes of civic behavior in the school background: the case of the Academic Inspectorate of Bangui”. The target bodies that took part in the sensitization sessions (Student Parent Associations – APE, the Central African School Union – USCA) participated at the opening or the school year 2009-2010, at sanitation efforts in the various schools in the Bangui Academic Inspectorate. However the National Coordinating Office in collaboration with the 2009 recipient team pursued these sensitization actions around impact of educational research projects. In addition, with regard to results produced by the 2008 Research team, the National Coordinating Office realizes that if more teams are selected, the impact of results is more significant and important.


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Success/constraints Success

The emergence of a body animated by « local » educational researchers, such as ERNWACA, represents the veritably effective solution to problems that confront education in Africa. Effectively, research carried out on the African continent have been initiated and executed, for the most part, by international organizations or agencies. Often the findings do not totally take into account local African realities, so that there is normally a gap. The National Coordinating Office is therefore proud of the selection of two teams in two years. The 2008 recipients were awarded Certificates of Participation at the end of their research, and they could constitute a human resource capital to which the Regional Coordinating Office should pay more attention.

Constraints After two years of active life within the Network, our experience is the following: the post-conflict background emphasized by the recent international financial crisis as felt in the CAR, places it in a situation of increased poverty. This situation has a direct impact on household cost of living and therefore affects the social sectors (education, health…) as a result:

• The National Coordinating Office has experienced difficulties in collecting contributions from its members.

• The actions of the National Coordinating Office are limited to the level of the Bangui academic zone (the capital).

2010 Prospects

The National Coordinating Office has selected priority actions for the year 2010 that it will monitor with interest. These actions concern:

• Organization of the CAG with adoption of statutory texts, following operations for official recognition by the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralization.

• Monitoring work by the 2009 recipient research team. On this topic, the state of progress of writing the report is that it is almost completed. The prospect of communicating the report to the local Coordinating Office is fixed for February 15th 2010 at the latest, after validation by the national Scientific Committee.

It should be pointed out that the principal researcher, Samuel BISSAFI and the members of his team have formulated two subjects that will be the subject of proposals for writing these articles. These subjects will be submitted to the Regional Scientific Committee by March 2010. During 2010, the National Coordinating Office also envisages:

• Covering the eight (08) Academic Inspectorates in the CAR in its dissemination plan for disseminating research findings, in order to involve professionals of education, administration, and local associations.

• Developing collaboration with the Ministries of Social Affairs, Education, Culture, Communications, as well as with international institutions accredited to Bangui.

• Organizing an international colloquium relating to 2009 research results. The budget and research programme will be elaborated.

ERNWACA Senegal Activity Report Activities planned for 2009

• Acquisition of a new Headquarters to act for the permanent secretariat with functional premises, 1 office for the Coordinator, 1 room to serve as the secretariat, a meeting room and a room for the guard.

• Recruitment of 1 Permanent employee. • Equipment for the offices and the meeting room. • Nomination by the State of support personnel including a Secretary and a Messenger • Participation in the 2009 Competition for ERNWACA Grants • Organization of an ERNWACA Café • Annual General Assembly


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Activities carried out • Launch of the Study on Decentralization and the literature review • Representation at the report on the study on integration of ICT in teaching/learning situations • Representation in preparing Beleem by Palaae /Anafa • Preparation of candidates for the 2009 Competition/Grant • ERNWACA Café on the Findings of 2 Research studies in 2008 • Contacts with a view to obtaining a Headquarters from the Rector’s Office • Preparation of meetings with the Ministry of Higher Education focal point.

Activities that were not realized All of those concerning institutional development will be the object of follow up in the present situation because of government reshuffles. Activities anticipated for 2010

• Strengthen the National Coordinating office by remobilizing the Members. • Pursue the actions undertaken with a view to re-launching activities with the Ministries and

Partners. • Create a Master 2 with UCAD in Educational Research • Organize a Colloquium on Values in Education dedicated to former ERNWACA Senegal

members. • Set up a Task-Force to re-promote the image of ERNWACA in Senegal • Participate more actively in the Competition for ERNWACA Grants • Once it has been validated, report on the Decentralization study • Organize ERNWACA Cafés on the results of the 2010 Competition • Organize Round tables with National Authorities and Cooperation Institutions • Inspire writing of Scientific Articles • Produce a Guide for Researchers by adapting that of the University of Lagos which has

authorized its translation • Realize a short film to support advocacy • Hold the annual General Assembly.

In conclusion we can point out a deficit of dynamism in ERNWACA Senegal that will be redressed by the new enthusiasm that all its members intend to bring. The Finance element is absent, as will be noted. This is the result of the demobilization that has affected the National Coordinating Office for some time. ERNWACA Senegal intends to take its place as a model Coordinating Office from 2010 on. ERNWACA-Sierra Leone Chapter Report

Introduction

The report covers part of the ERNWACA 2008 Research Grant period and part of the 2009 Research Grant period, respectively. While the 2008 Research Grant has been successfully completed, the 2009 edition is still in progress.

ERNWACA 2008 Research Grant

Two research projects were undertaken under the 2008 Research Grant namely: (1) “Cultism on Tertiary University Campuses: A Case Stu dy of Fourah Bay College and

the Freetown Teachers College” led by Mr. C. M. Chebli. (2) “Trauma Healing in Secondary Schools in Sierra Leone : A Needs Intervention

Study of Some War Affected School Children in Sierr a Leone” led by Miss Agnes Pessima.

The reports were completed and submitted by May 2009, followed by remittances of the 3rd grant instalment, honoraria for mentors and the Scientific Committee, and for Café arrangements. The


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dissemination café was held on June 30th 2009. The occasion was graced by the Hon. Deputy Minister of Education, Dr. Lansana Nyalley. The Coordinating officer was later informed that one of the reports fell in the top best series for JERA publication. 2009 Research Grant Two research projects were awarded to Sierra Leone namely:

(1) “The Role of Teachers, Facilitators, Teacher-Trainee s and Other Education Stakeholders in Participatory and Behaviour Change Emerging Issues Curriculum: A Case Study of The Introduction of Emerging Issues Course in Teacher Certificate Curriculum in Post-War Sierra Leone”

Team Members: Mr. Cidi Mohamed CHEBLI, Senior Lecturer, Freetown Teachers College (Leader) Mr. Mohamed Peps KALLON, Senior Lecturer, Freetown Teachers College Mr. Allieu MANSARAY, Lecturer, Freetown Teachers College Khadijatu K HARLESTON, Education Specialist, UNICEF

Mentor: Dr. Beresford B. JONES, Institute of Educational and Extra-Mural Studies, Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone

(2) “Education and Women’s Employment : A Case Study of Women in the Informal Sector of Sierra Leone for Improvement of Their Out put and Status” Team Members : Miss Agnes PESSIMA (F), Lecturer, Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone (Leader) Rev. Joe L. MASSALLAY (M), Senior Lecturer, Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone Peter O. KOROMA (M), Coordinator, PADE, 90 Sanders Street, Freetown Dominic J. SIMBO (M), Project Manager, Peoples Educational Association Sierra Leone (PEA-SL) 90 Sanders Street, Freetown Mentor: Prof Joe A. D. ALIE, Dean, Faculty of Social Science and Law Fourah Bay Collge, University of Sierra Leone

The launching ceremony of the 2009 Research Grant was held on February 15th 2009. Funds for publicity of the Grant were received from the Regional Office. The launching ceremony was graced by the presence of the Hon. Deputy Minister of Education, Dr. Lansan Nyallay. The National Coordinating Office is exerting every effort to ensure full compliance with the contract agreement among the three parties – the Regional Coordinating Office, the National Coordinating Office and the two Research Teams. Highlights are as follows: The first instalment of the research grant, however, arrived late, August 4th 2009, thereby delaying the start of the project. Nonetheless, both allocated funds received on August 4th 2009 and November 2nd 2009 had been paid to the two research teams. The financial report together with the original copies of receipts for expenditure for the first instalment had been sent to the regional coordinating office. The initial delay caused by the late remission of project funds led to some delay in the start of the two research projects. Some measures of success, however, can be assured at present. The two project mentors report that the research teams are completing the last two chapters of their research reports. Having said that, delay in completing the research report has negated the work of the National Scientific Committee and production of the Final Report to the Regional Coordination. In addition, validation of the research report with institutional partners and the ERNWACA Café on both research studies are yet to be organized.


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Membership

In 2009 membership did not increase significantly; 10 members registered bringing the total to 30. The membership roll has not been constant as some members in the course of time had moved out of the country for one reason or the other. However membership is spread out among the main institutions of the country. The challenge, however, is getting the target group of young researchers of age 40 years and below. This needs a vigorous membership drive campaign in 2010 to reach the desired target objectives.

Office Accommodation

The drive is still on to obtain a Government institution-based office. In 2009 the Coordinating Office made a representation to the Ministry of Education for assistance with office space in any of its tertiary institutions or government houses. Promises were made although the Ministry was highly engaged in a number of burning national issues. In 2010 the Coordination wishes to represent its case more vigorously. The lack of office accommodation has hindered a number of activities as well as access to socialization with members. The Coordination is limited in terms of easy and less costly free internet communication and also secretariat duties. Meanwhile the Coordinating Office is in need of two lap tops with full internet connectivity.

Finances The regional office made the following remittances between January and November, 2009. The dates specified are as at receipt of funds.

Date Received

Purpose of Remittance Amount (CFA)

02/02/2009 17/04/2009 11/05/2009 04/08/2009 12/11/2009

2009 Research Programme Advertisement Coordination support (1st Installment) 3rd Installment (30%) Research Grant 2008 (2 projects) Honoraria Scientific Mentors (2 projects) ERNWACA Café 2008 arrangement 1st Installment (40%) Research Grant 2009 (2 projects) 2nd Installment (40%) Research Grant 2009 (2 projects)

200,000 400,000

1,800,000 600,000 300,000

2,400,000 2,800,000

The swift transfer advice slips in respect of the remittances were sent to the Regional office.

Membership dues, however, are not forthcoming from a majority of members. The Coordinating Office will however make more efforts to collect dues in 2010. Meetings/Workshops

• Mr. Mohamed Peps Kallon, a member of the 2008 Research project led by Mr. C. M. Chebli, attended the Regional Training Workshop on Scholarship Writing/Articles held on June 30, July 1st – 2nd 2009 in Accra, Ghana.

• A representative of each of the awarded projects for the 2009 Research Grant attended the Scientific Writing Workshop held in Abidjan, Côte D’Ivoire, July 15th and 16th 2009.

• The National Coordinator attended the ERNWACA Strategy Session and International Colloquium, Bamako, Mali, December13th to 17th 2009.

Information Dissemination

The Coordination endeavoured to disseminate ERNWACA publications/news letters to members and stakeholders.

Acknowledgement By the close of 2009, the Coordinating Office extended special acknowledgement and thanks to the Head of Secretariat of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Freetown, for the special privileges accorded the Coordination for use of its premises over the past years. The Coordinating Office also wishes to acknowledge both technical and financial support to


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ERNWACA Sierra Leone Chapter by the Regional Office. We look forward to more of such support in 2010 and beyond.

ERNWACA Togo Activity Report The principal network activities revolve around the following axes: Launch of the ERNWACA 2009 Grants Programme On receiving the posters, they were disseminated within the University of Lomé and in certain Higher Education institutions. Then we contributed to the launch of the 2009 Grants programme with the presence of a large number of students, professionals and certain members of institutions and NGOs interested in the network’s publications and research reports. Following up awardees of the educational research g rant programme Exchanges of information took place between persons wishing to submit projects for pre-selection, those wanting to join the network, and the National Coordination Office. By the end of these preliminaries, selected candidates were trained and others who had not followed the training came regularly to consult the National Coordinator to obtain urgent information on methodology and the validation of the parts of their reports that were already written. It became evident that mentors do not care to participate in training organized for the recipients, so that they do not master the qualitative method that is the support for the study. Strengthening partnership At national level, with a view to developing the network’s visibility and disseminate qualitative research that seems to be very little used in most university departments in the country, the national Coordinating Office has photocopied and bound all reports on research undertaken since its creation up to the present day, and important documents from the regional coordinating office which it has given to the library of the National Institute of Education Sciences (INSE) at the University of Lomé. In concrete terms, these reports are consulted by masters’ and doctoral students, teachers, NGO practitioners, student Inspectors and candidates for the ERNWACA programme competition for educational research grants. Calls for candidates As soon as the national coordinating office is informed by Internet about a call for candidate, it organizes a team of young researchers to write a project to be submitted, in the hope of obtaining a new research project. This type of request at local level with international institutions mainly ensures their research partnership with the line ministries.

Training of national education inspectors The Togolese educational system has lived through a long period of crisis for training of trainers. In the desire to compensate for this handicap, in the period 2007 – 2009, an ambitious programme for training 101 student Inspectors was undertaken, including 30 for preschool and primary education and 70 for secondary education. For this reason, the national coordinator of the Educational Research Network for West and Central Africa (ERNWACA) was charged with research initiatition of the cohort of student inspectors. He also directed a dozen dissertations and took part in some fifteen presentations of dissertations during which qualitative research influenced certain university researchers.

Holding a General Assembly During its General Assembly on December 23rd 2009, the national chapter members from a database of some fifty doctoral students and 6 student researchers did not all respond to the invitation to attend because of dispersal of young researchers’ activities in the interior of the country and participation in seminars and colloquia. Nevertheless, those present were satisfied with the diversity of research activity carried out and reflected on future actions. The most actively debated problem concerns the lack of national studies despite efforts being made to write technical offers for projects. Members’ dues Mobilization of unpaid doctoral candidates to contribute to the network has been a success because of the ERNWACA grants, but they do not have money to pay their monthly dues. The dynamic of reducing the age of the national chapter in order to ensure the presence of a competent team is


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reassuring. This is a real advantage. Progressively, by the time of submitting their theses, these young people will be in a position to make their contributions. During this period of re-dynamizing the national chapter, we have not yet managed to recuperate members’ dues.


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Regional Activities

Regional activities at ERNWACA in 2009 have in particular concerned :

- Institutional meetings such as the Board of Directors meeting and the ERNWACA Strategy Session ;

- The International Colloquium organized in the framework of ceremonies to commemorate the ERNWACA 20th anniversary ;

- Monitoring transnational programmes and projects ; - Communications and scientific publication.

Institutional meetings

• 2009 Strategy Session

The fifth ERNWACA Strategy Session took place in Bamako, Mali on December 13th and 14th 2009 at the Azalaï Nord-Sud Hotel. This biennial meeting held before the International Colloquium commemorating the network’s twentieth anniversary attracted the participation of some thirty persons including the sixteen (16) National Coordinators, the Regional Coordinator and personnel of the ERNWACA Regional Coordinating Office, representatives of two network partners, namely the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and NORRAG. The objectives of the meeting were stated as follows:

1. Improve management of network through adoption of the Procedures Manual. 2. Inspire a new dynamic through elaboration and implementation of the 2011-2016 strategic action

plan 3. Build the resource mobilization capacity of national coordinating offices. 4. Strengthen the partnership between the network and the line Ministries of member countries,

training and research institutions and international organizations. Three addresses marked the opening ceremony. They concerned, respectively, the welcome address by the ERNWACA Mali national coordinator, an overview of the context of the meeting by the ERNWACA Regional Coordinator and the address by the Chairman of the ERNWACA Board of Directors who underlined the importance of reflection on research themes for the next six years.

For two days the National Coordinators worked in groups notably to exchange on the document of the procedures manual and on the national level action plans.


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In plenary session, leads for research for the ERNWACA 2011-2016 five-year action plan were discussed. The national coordinators proposed modifications to the plan presented, while at the same time calling for sharing a more detailed document before the next meeting of the Board of Directors. .

The review of ERNWACA resource mobilization, as well as of the types of ERNWACA partnerships were presented to the participants. In addition, the new resource mobilization plan for 2010-2015 was presented with the following three main axes: 1/ visibility and partnership; 2/ training; 3/ fundraising.

Following discussions arising from the presentations, the following recommendations were selected:

• To reduce the procedures manual to become a procedures “guide” that will be more practical and technical;

• Revision of national plans of the national coordinating offices according to State needs of ERNWACA member countries;

• The need to conduct a prospective review of the ERNWACA 2005-2011 action plan in order to improve elaboration of the 2011-2016 ERNWACA five-year plan;

• Setting up functional national resource mobilization committees within each national coordinating office by January 2010;

• Encouraging the National Coordinating Offices to sign memoranda of agreement with their line ministries ;

• Election of Mr. Laouali Malam Moussa, Niger National Coordinator, to the Board of Director Work ended with a session on advocacy organized by NORRAG in collaboration with ERNWACA on critical research and advocacy in the domain of education. This meeting was a space for reflection and discussion on critical research, the notion and practices of advocacy. It brought together education stakeholders in Mali, ERNWACA, members of the NORRAG network, political decision makers and civil society. .

• 2009 Board of Directors Meeting

The fifth meeting of the Board of Directors took place in Lomé, Togo, on February 12th and 13th 2009 at the Novela Star Hotel, at the very moment when ERNWACA celebrated its twentieth anniversary. The opening ceremony was chaired by the General Secretary, representing the Minister of Higher Education and Research of Togo. The meeting brought together nine out of eleven members, among whom were the Minister delegate charged with Technical teaching and Vocational Education of Burkina Faso, representing the Minister of Secondary and Higher Education and Research of Burkina Faso who honored ERNWACA by attending the two days of the meeting.

The Board of Directors (BD) analyzed and discussed the reports and other documents submitted for its evaluation before making resolutions and recommendations. The BD therefore listened to and discussed the 2008 annual report to the BD relating to implementation of the 2005-2010 action plan. The BD validated the review for the year 2008 and made recommendations, notably to present the activities carried out by referring to the resolutions and recommendations of the previous Board of Directors meeting and to encourage national coordinating offices to produce their annual activity plan with an accompanying budget. The BD approved the 2009 budget with the principal recommendation to give prominence to the budget line indicating the support for national coordinating offices. The BD congratulated the interim Regional Coordinator for the high quality of work accomplished since the beginning of the transition period. As a bonus, it proposed to offer her 25% of the base salary of the next Coordinator, with retroactive effect. Among other mandates, the BD recommended the Regional Coordinating Office (RC) to take care of : 1/ diversification of partnerships by providing operating means to the regional resource mobilization committee ; 2/ renewal of national coordinators (NC) who occupy the same positions after two


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mandates of three years ; 3/ modification of the status of ERNWACA as an INGO (International Non Governmental Organization) with assignment of its headquarters to Mali ; 4/ transmission of the procedures manual and the statutes to the members of the Board of Directors and the national coordinators with a due date for return to the RC by April 1st 2009. The BD proceeded to realign the members of its composition, 3 NC, 2 ministers of education, 2 technical and financial partners, 1 researchers’ representative, 1 previous Regional Coordinator, the regional coordinator currently in post. The BD unanimously elected the new president of the Board of Directors, Prof. Ousmane Gueye, Professor of philosophy at the University Cheick Anta Diop and national coordinator for ERNWACA Senegal. Prof Gueye will chair the next meeting in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Finally, the BD strongly commended the celebration of the ERNWACA 20th anniversary, both at the level of national coordinating offices and at that of the regional coordinating office. Thanks were addressed by Mr Joshua Baku, retiring chairman of the Board of Directors to the Government of Togo, the ROCARE-Togo organizing committee, the team at the ERNACA Regional Coordinating Office as well as the members of the Board of Governors. Other meetings

• 2009 International Colloquium « Educational researc h in educational practice and policies»

In the framework of ceremonies commemorating the twentieth anniversary of the creation of the Educational Research Network in West and Central Africa (ERNWACA) the network regional coordinating office organized, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Literacy Training and National Languages and the Malian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, an International Colloquium on the theme « Educational research in practice and policies of education in Africa».


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The colloquium was held in Bamako, Mali from December 15th to 17th, under the distinguished patronage of His Excellency Monsieur Amadou Toumani Touré, President of the Republic of Mali, represented by the Minister of Education, Literacy Training and National Languages Professor Salikou Sanogo. The opening ceremony was chaired by the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Mali, Professor (Mrs.) Siby Ginette Bellegarde. The Colloquium also welcomed the participatin of the Minister delegate in charge of Technical Teaching and Vocational Education of Burkina Faso and member of the ERNWACA Board of Directors, Monsieur Maxime Z. Somé as an Honoured Guest. « …Educational research is a discipline that is necessary for better management of the educational system seen holistically. It assists decision makers in designing and implementing policies and programmes, as well as aiding teaching staff to improve participating learners’ performance. I think this conceptual stock-taking is important. At the beginning of this 3re millennium, we need to ask ourselves a certain number of questions on the new ways of teaching and learning (…) How can we extend access and improve the quality of the system and the quality of teachers? How can we improve school management ? What is to become of university governance? How can we make good pedagogical use of the new technologies? How can education be managed in periods of crisis, or conflict? How can funding for education be ensured? Education is the first form of wealth and knowlege has become the source of the wealth of nations. Peter Drucker notes: "Today knowledge is the only resource that counts. Traditional factors of production, the earth (i.e. natural resources), labour and capital have not disappeared, but have taken a second place. They can be acquired easily, given possession of knowledge. And knowledge, in this new sense has become an economic utility.” Prof. (Mrs.) Siby Ginette Bellegarde, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Speech at the opening of the Colloquium Some hundred participants from Africa, Europe and the United States of America took part in the sessions of the colloquium. The participants were among others the Ministers of Education and Research of ERNWACA member countries, representatives of ERNWACA technical and financial partners, including DDC and NORRAG, members of the ERNWACA Board of Governors, members of the ERNWACA Regional Scientific Committee, ERNWACA Regional Coordinators, researchers, planners, representatives of the High Council of Malian Local Government, as well as those of bilateral and multinational organizations.


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The Colloquium aimed to provide, in a holistic approach, scientific data on the impact of research on African countries with a view to sensitizing political decision makers, researchers, planners, managers and beneficiaries of educational systems to reflect on setting up new strategies likely to facilitate educational research and to improve educational policies and practices in Africa. The specific objectives of the colloquium were defined as follows:

� To share the impact of research on practices and policies in Africa in general and in ERNWACA member countries in particular;

� To identify the needs of researchers and the constraints that face them during the course of their research activities;

� To establish and strengthen institutional partnerships between researchers in the field of research and political decision makers;

� To develop an international policy for educational research through creation of a network composed of research associations to strengthen the visibility of African research.

Twenty-nine papers in all were presented during the three days of the meeting. They were distributed as follows:

� Six (6) introductory communications, � Eight (8) communications on the sub-theme « research and capacity building in Africa » ; � Six (6) communications on the sub theme « research, curricula development and the labour

market» ; � Nine (9) communications on the sub-theme « research, access and quality of education in

Africa ». In general, the introductory communications retracing the impact of ERNWACA research project were about both educational practices and policies and the quality of education in our member countries. The eight communications on the sub-theme « research and capacity building in Africa » pinpointed the contribution that research and training may make to capacity building in Africa and also placed an accent on the constraints that confront schools and training establishment, as well as development of research which faces multiple difficulties, some of which we can define, and prominent among them the thorny question of funding for research and research institutions. The six communications on the sub-theme « research, curricula development and the labour market » generally brought forth the need for reforms to contribute to eventual reduction of certain regional disparities, by taking into account each region’s possibilities of development, in order for research to continue to ensure the visibility and readability of African educational systems. In the same way, it became evident that converging pedagogy needs to be revisited, in order to contribute to these reforms, because numerous hesitations are still perceptible here and there among researchers. In so far as the situation of BMD (LMD) is concerned, the discussions brought to light the fact that to date no university is yet prepared to set up the system, including the vast majority of teachers. The nine communications on the sub-theme « research, access and quality of education in Africa » indicated in general that research is called on to define the conditions of success of all reforms carried out and the flexibility of training institutes to respond positively to this dynamic. Improvement of access, relevance of educational content and motivation of all bodies of teaching personnel should be of a type to reverse the tendency towards the brain drain in Africa. From the round table on « educational research on educational practices and policies », moderated by the Minister delegate responsible for Technical Education and Vocational training of Burkina Faso and animated by the national coordinators and political decision makers, it emerged that the quality of research produced by a certain number of national coordinating offices gives an adequate reputation to ERNWWACA which thus becomes a sought-after partner in decision making in relation to educational policies and practices. However, it must be noted that theorizing ERNWACA research projects in the majority of ERNWACA member countries remains limited in the framework of implementing national policies and practices, hence the need to strengthen policy dialogue between researchers and political decision makers, and social dialogue with the other schools actors and partners.


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The interventions of the representative of the National Assembly of Mali were principally grouped around the constraints and challenges that the educational system faces, as well as around the need to install at State level an adequate budget allocated to educational research. With regard to the discussions that had arisen during the three days of the colloquium’s work and beyond that to pursuit of ERNWACA research projects, the major questions of educational interest persist and can constitute new axes for investigation by network researchers. Principal among them are: how to mobilize funding for education and research in Africa? How to improve access to education while at the same time ensuring the quality of teaching? How to manage overcrowded classes at the level of all teaching cycles? How to ensure training of trainers of high quality? What is the future for contract teachers? How to promote vocational training and valorize non formal education? How to resolve the difficult equation between training and employment? ; How to resolve the problem of children who have dropped out of school, and reduce rates of school dropouts which is increasing with the weakening of family-based education? How to bring pupils of Koranic schools to give up begging and enroll in a formal school? How can research and advocacy contribute to reversing policy decisions and contribute to significant improvement of the quality of educational systems? At the end of the fruitful deliberations and exchanges during the colloquium, the following recommendations were formulated on the development of education in Africa:

� Adopt “research days” in ERNWACA member countries as a space for promotion of dialogue between researchers and political decision-makers;

� Conduct research projects that respond to needs of the Ministries responsible for education and research in ERNWACA member countries;

� Orient advocacy towards issues of funding educational research both by cooperation institutions and by national public authorities;

� Institutionalize the research colloquium to be held every two years. In his closing address, Professor Salikou Sanogo, Minister of Education, Literacy Training and National Languages, representing the President of the Republic of Mali, underlined the opportunity that the creation of ERNWACA represented twenty years earlier, and the important role of educational research for promoting the educational system. « Educational research facilitates identification of research problems and questions and analysis of a problem with extremely precise scientific tools. It also aims to promote collaboration between teachers, researchers and decision makers in order to improve the quality of the educational system on the one hand, and on the other, to put in place educational policies for the benefit of all learners. Research is essential for the educational system. It helps the Ministerial Departments responsible for education to design policies and programmes, and assists the teaching personnel in improving students’ performance. In this sense, we can confidently state that the creation of ERNWACA 20 years ago came at absolutely the right moment». Prof. Salikou SANOGO Minister of Education, Literacy Training and National Languages of Mali. Closing Address at the ERNWACA International Colloquium.


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The ERNWACA Regional Coordinating Office addresses a special motion of thanks to the Swiss Directorate for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and to the NORRAG network for their technical, financial and scientific contributions to the Colloquium.


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Research Projects

ERNWACA Research Grants Programme

Partners 2009: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands Participating countries: 16 ERNWACA member countries pays Programme Manager : Mireille Massouka Programme Assistant : Nina Coulibaly Total annual cost : 225 855 834 FCFA The fifth edition of the ERNWACA grants programme was officially launched in January 2009 on the network website with a call for proposals to network member countries.

Four themes were announced for the 2009-10 edition

�� Millennium challenges and education for development �� Education and socio-economic integration (Women and developement); �� Curricula Reforms and strengthening of learning; �� Non formal education: traditional methods of teaching the Koran.

a) Planned Activities 1. Promotion phase and project selection 2. Regional Training Workshop in research methodology and scientific writing 3. Research and writing phase 4. Dissemination of research findings b) Activities carried out

1. Promotion phase and project selection The regional scientific committee selected 25 research proposals out of 66 submitted by the 16 ERNWACA member countries. 31 out of the 92 researchers are women. Women direct 6 of the 25 and are present on 18 teams. It should be noted that a majority of the recipients are projects are master’s degree students, doctoral students and assistant lecturers in the universities. The interdisciplinary teams are supervised by scientific mentors with the support of ERNWACA national scientific committees.

2. Regional Training Workshop in Research Methodology and Scientific Writing

A regional training workshop was organized for awardees between June 30th and July 2nd 2009 in Accra, Ghana in research methodology and scientific writing, under the distinguished chairmanship of the Ghana Minister of National Education, Sir Alex Tettey-Enyon. Some fifty participants, among


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whom were the new National Coordinators (Congo and the Central African Republic) as well as the personnel of the Regional Coordinating Office, took part in the meeting. For three days the 35 awardees: 25 from the 2009-10 edition and 10 from the 2008-09 edition benefited respectively from training in research methodology and in scientific writing. In parallel, the training sessions took place under the supervision of four bilingual trainers with the help of resource persons for each theme. The meeting enabled participants to acquire general knowledge on the notions and basic concepts of research: science, research, method, scientific method, stages of scientific method, types of research, research problems, variables, hypotheses, indicators, samples and sampling techniques. The training session closed with formal presentation to 2008 awardees of certificates of participation in the ERNWACA Grants programme. c) Impact of ativities carried out d) Success / constraints Success �� The training workshop encourages exchanges between ERNWACA member countries’

researchers �� Efforts deployed to respect the activity calendar; �� Capacity building of awardee researchers in research-action methodology and scientific writing; �� The trainers’ determination, simplicity and the subtlety of their explanations ; �� The assiduity and relevance of resource persons’ interventions, the fact that they took part in the

methodology training on the same footing as the recipients they are supervising. �� The awardees’ sustained interest during the training sessions and during group work; �� The participative approach adopted by the trainers facilitated exchanges and understanding of

certain concepts; �� Strengthening relations between young researchers and senior African researchers. Constraints �� Lack of bilingual capacity for improved sharing of information ; �� Less practice than theory during training sessions ; �� Inadequate time for thematic group work.

4. Research and writing phase The grants were made to the interdisciplinary research teams through national coordinating offices of ERNWACA member countries. A first advance of 40% was sent in July 2009. During the month of November, the second tranche of 30% was sent. The balance of 30% representing the third tranche will be sent after reception of the final research reports approved both by the national and regional scientific committees, accompanied by sponsors’ reports.

5. Dissemination of research findings

Activity awaited (during March/May)

e) Prospects for 2010 January 15th 2010 �� Calls for proposals through posters displayed at the level of higher education and research

institutions, the Website and in certain case through the media. �� Indicate the age limit for researchers applying �� Limit the number of participations by awardees to 2, so that others may benefit �� Take into account the gender aspect in selected teams

March 15th 2010 �� Date limit for submission to the national coordinating office of proposals with researchers’ CVs as

well as letters of support a/ from institutions interested by the research findings; b/ from the scientific mentor.


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April 10 th 2010 �� Transmission of the best six proposals to the regional scientific committee with notes,

commentaries and recommendations from the national selection committee.

May 15th 2010 �� Announcement of the projects to be financed; �� Transfer of the first tranche of funds after signature of the contracts.

June 23rd – 25th 2010 �� Regional training workshop in research methodology and scientific writing, bringing together one

researcher by selected team, the trainers, regional resource persons, some network leaders as well as partners.

�� Insist on the need for trainers to exploit proposals at their disposal so that the practical aspect of the training session will be emphasized.

�� Strengthen the effectiveness of the resource persons, defining their contribution in advance particularly during the training workshops.

July – December 2010 �� Literature review, fieldwork, data analysis and writing. �� Set up strategies to retain the previous awardees

PanAf Project Financial Support: International Development Research Cooperation (IDRC) Budget: 101 584 722 F CFA in 2009 Research Project Manager: Dr Moses Mbangwana Atezah Webmaster/Communication Officer: Dramane Darave Participating countries: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo-Brazzaville, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Republic of South Africa, and Senegal. Rationale of the Project The rationale of the Panafrican Research Agenda on the Pedagogical Integration of ICTs’ research challenges can be summarized in three points: �� The depth of previous research on the pedagogical integration of ICTs in Africa does not reflect

the demonstrated importance of the issue for social and economic development, nor to the level of material aid invested in ICT4ED on the continent.

�� Results of past studies have lacked a harmonized communication facility that supports the sustainability of project actions.

�� African education researchers would benefit from methodological and dissemination capacity-building.

Activities carried out in 2009

School visits

The PanAf management team visited schools two schools in Cameroon and Central African Republic in March and April respectively. The aims of the visits were to:

�� Give the PanAf administrative team a view of the field; �� Give the Cameroon and Central African Republic PanAf teams the opportunity to present their

results and bring up their difficulties concerning the project; �� Ameliorate the methodological scientific capacities and academic publications.

International Meeting


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The international meeting of the PanAf project was held on April 22 and 23, 2009 in Dakar. Participants during this meeting were PanAf researchers, representatives of ministries of education and technology, partners etc. in order to share the results of phase I and lay the groundwork for Phase II. Details of the reports are found in www.panaf-edu.org/

E-learning Africa 2009 conference

The international conference on technologies for development, education and training “e-Learning Africa 2009” was opened on Thursday 28 May 2009 under the high patronage of President of Senegal, His Excellency Me Abdoulaye Wade. The “Pan-African Research Agenda on the Pedagogical Integration of ICTs” participated and presented papers during this conference with a delegation of 13 researchers who came to present and share the status of the integration of technologies in education within their countries. Details of the papers presented can be obtained from the PanAf documents in http://www.panaf-edu.org/ Launching of the PanAf 2 in Dakar December 7th to 9th 2009 The launch of the second phase of the PanAf project took place from the 7th and 9th of December 2009, in Dakar. Present at the meeting were two new researchers from Tunisia, two researchers each from Mali, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, and one researcher each from Cameroon, Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Ghana, Uganda, Kenya and South Africa. The scientific committee members present were: Prof Therese Tchombe, Dr Nancy Hafkin, and Dr Abdoulaye Barry. Representing IDRC was the Senior Programme Officer, Mr Alioune Camara. Outcomes of PanAf I The first phase of the PanAfrican Research Agenda on the Pedagogical Integration of ICTs (PanAf) has been successful in establishing dynamic research teams in 12 Sub-Saharan African countries., creating an open, online Observatory where researchers currently share approximately 20,000 data points for 180+ indicators along 12 themes, from 100+ African schools (including hundreds of downloadable raw data files including policy documents, recorded interviews, scanned questionnaires, and examples of ICTs in teaching in learning). Section 4.3 presents a synthesis of research results from Phase 1 related specifically to the pedagogical integration of ICTs. Planned activities of phase II In Phase 2, therefore, we plan to group countries along language (English or French) and regional (adjoining countries) lines in a first series of four workshops in 2009 (Activity 1.1) followed by a second series of four workshops in 2010 (Activity 1.2). Thus, the countries will be represented at the workshops in groups of three, allowing a more concentrated capacity building effort. Phase 2 will not simply address collecting scientific data, but will also, and more importantly, assist researchers to analyze these data, make meaningful sense of them and produce publications targeting a) the scientific community b) political actors c) and practitioners Finally, at the end of the second year, we plan to hold two large workshops (Activity 1.3) to give the researchers an opportunity to finalize their scientific publications: the first workshop will be held in French and the second in English. The purpose of these workshops is to gradually and systematically assist researchers to publish research aimed at a three-fold public: the international scientific community, political actors and practitioners. As mentioned above, we clearly saw in Phase 1 that very large, bilingual workshops do not necessarily work. In Phase 2, we will hold workshops with smaller groups (with researchers from two or three countries only) in order to do intensive work on planning and writing up research articles. In addition, both before and after the workshops, individual researchers will benefit from considerable distance monitoring.


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Decentralization Projet Project title: Decentralization in Western and Central Africa: learning from local and inter-sector experiences: water, education, health. Cost : 258 205 112 Francs CFA Participating countries: Transnational Research (6 countries): Burkina Faso, Cameroun, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Senegal. Programme Manager: Prof. Dr. Djénéba TRAORE, ERNWACA Regional Coordinator Principal researchers: Dr. Laouali MALAM MOUSSA (Niger) & Prof. Ernest K. ILBOUDO (Burkina Faso). Duration of study: 36 months: Oct. 2008- Feb. 2011 (current project). Funding: CRDI. Justification The Decentralization project involves transnational research conducted by ERNWACA in six countries of West and Central Africa (Burkina Faso, Cameroun, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Senegal) with funding by the International Development Research Center (CRDI). The creation of autonomous administrative and political institutions with powers over areas that control the field of action of associations and villages brings into question the future life of associations. The questions are varied in their political, economic and social nature, and the theories that they lead to. ERNWACA, in partnership with IDRC wishes to contribute to answers to these questions by conducting transnational research. ERNWACA has already conducted a series of studies on decentralization, essentially from an inter-sector and community participation point of view in the social sectors of education, health and water. However, too little extensive research on decentralization is being carried out now in sub Saharan Africa and much less included in linkage with sector policies (water, education, health). A pre-project phase was conducted in 2007with production of an international literature review and preliminary case studies in two countries: Ghana and Mali. Two districts were selected in each country. The transnational research under way is conducted in the following six countries: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, Mali, Niger and Senegal, since they have provided situations of district studies and certain approaches to trans-sector integration. The level of progress of political decentralization has been considered as a key element in the study. The research capacities of the national ERNWACA partner teams, as well as their aptitude to reinvest and disseminate acquired knowledge of such a research project have been taken into account in selecting countries which have all currently produced a report on the stage they have reached. Interest of the study The current study will present the advantage of calling into question systematically the various experiences of local governance and to respond on the basis of objectively identified facts as to whether or not decentralization in general, and that of the delivery of basic social services, in particular, is viable and has led to development of competencies at local and community level. Another interest of this overall analysis of the empowerment of local stakeholders is measurement of the degree of synergy between the local structures to optimize utilization of resources and to satisfy the needs of the population with greater effectiveness and efficiency. The study will also make it known if decentralization has brought a plus to local communities in comparison with the prior mode of governance. At this level, clarification of the questions of ownership and partnership is a much-awaited finding. Last, the researchers involved will acquire knowledge and skills that will be re-invested in other experiences to accompany this complex process. Cost Year 1: 72 658 203 F CFA.


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A) Activities planned for 2009 �� Signature of the Contract before the start of the project. �� Payment 1st tranche of honoraria for the principal researchers. �� Payment 1st tranche of associate researchers’ honoraria. �� Purchase of computers �� March 2009: Report on the regional methodology workshop and methodology guide. - September 2009: Reports on country visits carried out during the period. �� December 2009: Report on the regional data analysis workshop.

B) Activities carried out in 2009 �� January-May 2009: Signature of contract by the National Coordinators and principal Researchers. �� Payment 1st tranche of principal researchers’ honoraria. �� Payment 1st tranche of associate researchers’ honoraria �� Report on the Niamey workshop. �� Purchase of six PC for the 4 Associate researchers and the two principal Researchers.

C) Cass of constraint

Following the January 2009 Niamey Memorandum, the element attributed to the principal researchers has been revised and reduced in favour of the associate researchers. This explains the overpayment on the budget line anticipated in the grant agreement.

D) Prospects for 2010 & 2011 �� March 2010: Provisional synthetic report submitted to the members of the project International

Scientific Committee. �� Summary executive report for realization of a film submitted to the Regional Coordinating Office. �� November 2010: Final synthetic report submitted to the International Scientific Committee and to

the Regional Coordinating Office for transmission to IDRC. �� February 2011: Report on the regional workshop for diffusion of findings + report on the workshop

for writing scientific articles to submit to journals ; Summary executive report on the process of scientific publication and for diffusion of project findings.


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Resource mobilization and partnership development

Resource mobilization during the year 2009 has been marked on the whole by monitoring memoranda of agreement signed during the year 2008. Another activity has been elaboration of a five-year plan for resource mobilization (2010-2014) which was presented and discussed during the strategy session. At the level of project support The ERNWACA research grant programme: ERNWACA has benefited from renewed funding from the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the end of 2008 for a five year period (2009-2014). In this way for the 2009 edition, a total amount of 225 855 834 F CFA was received to cover the programme activities in the 16 ERNWACA member countries. PanAfrican Project for integration of information and communications technologies, phase 2: the grant for this project was renewed by the International Development Research Center (IDRC) for a two year duration (2009-2011). An amount of 101 584 722 F CFA was allocated to conduct the 2009-2010 phase activities. Publication project for the review RARE/JERA (Revue africaine de Recherche en Education/ Journal for Education Research in Africa) After publication of volume 1 of the review in May 2009, Swedish Development Aid (Swedish SIDA) transferred the funding via CODESRIA for the launch of volume 2 , an amount of 38 730 704 F CFA It should be noted that the Swedish SIDA grant extends over a 4-year period (2008-2011) At the level of institutional support ERNWACA institutional support during 2009 has been supported by IDRC, Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC) and NORRAG. IDRC has promised support for salaries for 4/8 members of the personnel of the ERNWACA regional coordination office as well as the costs of research, operations and installation of the incoming regional coordinator. For the whole year 2009, IDRC has allocated a total grant of 31 191 352 F CFA. SDC, for its part, has enabled institutional meetings to be held, such as the Board of Directors and the strategy session. Exceptionally, SDC gave its support to funding for a part of the international colloquium. SDC’s contribution for the year 2009 reached a total amount of 61 856 745 F CFA, or 49 196 775 F CFA representing a part of new funding for the period known as transition (January 2009- December 2010). NORRAG made a contribution of 750 000 FCFA to hold the strategy session in December 2009. The innovation for ERNWACA in 2009 was resource mobilization by the Malian Government during the December international colloquium involving the ceremonies commemorating the ERNWACA 20th anniversary the Office of the President accepted funding the budgetary lines representing media coverage, two dinners including the Colloquium gala dinner, in addition to transport of the Minister Delegate charged with Technical Teaching and Vocational Training, as well as participants, within the city. The contribution by the Government of Mali was for 2 972 500 FCFA, without taking into account the media cover and transport costs. We wish to take this opportunity to thank the Malian Head of State, His Excellency Monsieur Amadou Toumani Touré, for his much appreciated support to ERNWACA in the framework of the Colloquium. We also wish to thank the Minister of Education, Literacy Training and National Languages, Professor Salikou Sanogo and the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Professor Siby Ginette Bellegarde for their presence at the Colloquium opening and closing ceremonies, as well as for logistical, material and financial support by their respective Departments to the Colloquium. At the level of partnerships, existing technical, institutional and financial partners have been consolidated, either through renewal of their funding or through joint management of their projects.


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We can cite the following partners: IDRC, SDC, Swedish aid, WAEMU/UEMOA, Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ECOBANK Foundation, CODESRIA, University of Montreal. ERNWACA has approached certain partners and proposed lines of collaboration through projected memoranda of understanding that await signature. These partners are considered to be “essential” for ERNWACA, given their position in Africa, notably at the level of education and research. This is the case for ADEA, the African Union, the African Development Bank, UNESCO, UNICEF, ECOWAS and CEMAC. In the same way, several research networks have been asked to strengthen their collaboration with ERNWACA. This is the case of RedEtis, a research network in Latin America and WERA, a World Network based in the United States which brings together educational research associations. Prospects for 2010 :

� To encourage creation of a resource mobilization committee in each national coordinating office ;

� To elaborate draft memoranda of understanding with the Ministries in charge of Education in the ERNWACA member countries ;

� To mobilize funds from two new partners to implement at least 2 transnational projects for a duration of 3 to 5 years ;

� To organize a regional training workshop in resource mobilization and partnership, with participation of the 16 coordinating offices ;

� To mobilize at least 160 000 000 FCFA (20% of the annual ERNWACA budget) from the private sector and the States of ERNWACA member countries for the ERNWACA endowment fund.


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Communications

ERNWACA communications rely on three principal channels : �� Websites �� Electronic messaging and discussion/diffusion lists �� News bulletins Websites a) The ERNWACA website ERNWACA has a bilingual institutional website that can be accessed at: www.ROCARE.org / www.ernwaca.org. This communications support delivers promotion for the network, and diffusion of its activities. It is updated regularly with information coming from the Regional Coordinating Office and national coordinating offices which all have space within the site for publications. The ERNWACA website is also used to promote major conferences of ERNWACA partners such as UNESCO, ADEA, etc. During the year 2009, some 250 articles for information were published there and the site pages were consulted more than 38 000 times from over 1900 towns throughout the world.

b) ERNWACA virtual library This concerns a data base on the bibliographic references of ERNWACA publications. To date, it contains 450 references to publications and over 600 authors . This data base provides dissemination of ERNWACA productions via the web and is available at the address: www.ernwaca.org/biblio/opac_css/


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c) The web portal on pedagogical integration of technologies in Africa One of the elements of the project « Panafrican Agenda for research on pedagogical integration of ICT in Africa » funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) foresees setting up and animating a web portal on upto-date information on technologies in Africa<; this portal is available at the address: www.panaf-edu.org Since it was launched, over 1200 articles with information have been published. During the year 2009, the web portal pages have been consulted over 51 000 times from more than 2200 towns throughout the world.

Messaging The Regional Coordinating Office staff and National Coordinators have been provided with e-mail addresses on the basis of [email protected]. This professional messaging system enables fluid and quick communication between ERNWACA personnel, national Coordinating Offices and partners.


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In addition to these individual addresses, ERNWACA has created diffusion/discussion lists for the National Coordinators, members of the Board of Directors, of the Scientific Committee, awardees of ERNWACA grants and the various projects. Creation of these spaces for sharing enables ERNWACA to reach a precise target among its members and partners, at any moment. ERNWACA also has a database of contacts (members, partners and friends) containing more than 3 000 e-mail addresses, for major campaigns to disseminate publications. News bulletins ERNWACA produces several news bulletins and brochures to communicate with members, partners and the public. They are : �� ERNWACA News (les nouvelles de ROCARE) �� The information bulletin on ICT in education in Africa PanAf-Edu �� other brochures and posters a) ERNWACA News This publication gives information on the life of ERNWACA. It is produced twice a year in French and English and is diffused electronically and in printed form (2 000 COPIES) for members and partners. In 2009, numbers #14 and #15 were brought out, and a special edition on the occasion of the celebration of ERNWACA’s 20th anniversary.

b) PanAf Edu bulletin The bulletin provides spaces for exchanges between network member researchers of the « PanAfrican Agenda for research on pedagogical integration of ICTs” It is biennial and is diffused both electronically and in printed form. Numbers #3 and #4 were published in 2009, as well as a collection of articles published in this bulletin since its launch in 2007.


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c) Other brochures and posters During 2009, ERNWACA produced a 16-page brochure on « the ERNWACA Grants Programme and multidisciplinary research». This brochure was printed in 3 000 copies and acts as a presentation and advocacy document for the ERNWACA flagship programme. To this should be added the posters that are produced regularly for dissemination of calls for proposals at the launch of the ERNWACA grants programme and of the Journal for Education Research in Africa (JERA/RARE).


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ERNWACA Publications in 2009

Journal of Educational Research in Africa (JERA or RARE in French), Vol. I (2009)

JERARE is a long-time objective of ERNWACA, and its main aim is to help promote quality research relevant to African contexts and should help teachers, educational administrators and policymakers gain analytical in-depth understanding of contemporary educational issues. SIDA/SAREC SUPPORT TO ERNWACA

In this request, ERNWACA requested support from Swedish SIDA, which granted support for research and capacity-building by funding four years of the ERNWACA Journal on educational research in Africa. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between ERNWACA and CODESRIA to oversee the activities of this project. Papers accepted for the first edition of JERA N° 1 ERNWACA (ROCARE) is pleased to initiate this dialogue through JERA in this first volume where eight issues are discussed. The concerns are pertinent to the education process: The role of the home as a partner in the education process is highlighted in the paper that raises concern about school discipline, which is a global problem. The paper’s focus on the home as the first agent of socialization in the life of children reiterates that it should inculcate appropriate forms of behaviour good for healthy development. Gender perceptions and schooling preferences are addressed. Evidently, Sub-Saharan Africa is lagging behind in the EFA and MDG objectives. Gender gap perspectives rest on the fact that a combination of economic, cultural - including geo-cultural - as well as gender differences impact the gender gap in school enrolment.

Determinants of career choice are of great interest as there is the need to identify and establish a framework for professional orientation and integration to support the process. It is crucial to note that both individual and social factors play an important role in structuring students’ professional choices.

Socio-cultural and historical perspectives impact the transformation process as is the case in post apartheid and post-struggle South Africa. Many other factors such as severe deprivation, violence and emotional hardships account in large part for emotional traumas and burnout among educators. Even unequal access to material and pedagogical resources as well as insufficient social support structures for educators and learners are other critical concerns. Change and transformation cannot be effective in education if these are not addressed appropriately. Textbooks are vital pedagogic teaching support materials which must be relevant to the realities of pupils’ environment. Textbook content must necessarily be familiar to the pupils so that their education can be more meaningful and applicable to their daily activities. Distance education is an important delivery mode in education offerings where individual and experiential learnings are experienced. The effectiveness of the program depends on the quality of the


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tutors who must necessarily be well trained so that they can better manage the many problems faced by distance learners. The use of information and communications technology (ICT) in teaching is greatly encouraged because it gives students access to reading materials. Accordingly, Universities are investing in provision of Internet infrastructure on their campuses. This study assumes that students in tertiary institutions use the Internet as a knowledge acquisition tool and that its use affects academic performance.

Education reforms are important and should be seen more as a political programme rather than a well-planned and realistic attempt to resolve the challenges facing the education system. ACTIVITIES REALISED, THE IMPACT OF ACTIVITIES CARRI ED OUT, AND SUCCESS STORY

• Launching ceremony

The Educational Network for West and Central Africa (ERNWACA) proceeded July 16, 2009 in Abidjan, Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, to the formal launching ceremony of the Journal of Educational Research in Africa « JERA » under the active patronage of the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Professor Ibrahim Cissé Bacongo. « JERA » is sponsored by the Swedish Development Cooperation Agency (Swedish SIDA) via the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA). The authors whose articles were among the first twenty were invited to attend a scientific writing workshop. Policy leaders in the educational field were invited so that it will help to create a policy dialogue environment. The scientific committee of ERNWACA, former Regional coordinators of ERNWACA and the personalities who initiated the JERARE project in ADB and ECA were also invited. The launching was combined with training in research methods and scholarly writing which is one of the main activities in the Memorandum of Understanding signed between CODESRIA and ERNWACA. To achieve this main aim, the first twenty authors whose articles were accepted were therefore selected to take part in a scientific training workshop and the participants were encouraged to do a similar training with their peers when they return to their respective countries. Secondly to fulfil part of the MOU, which was to encourage Policy dialogue, the educational authorities, NGOs and four Ministers in charge with education were invited to discuss research problems during the launching.


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• Perspective for 2010 The second volume 2 N°1 of JERA will be published E arly March 2010 and the volume 2 N° 2 will be published in July 2010. Education, violence, conflicts and prospects for pe ace in Africa (2009) A universal phenomenon, violence in the school setting does not spare Africa and still remains very little documented there. In addition, sub Saharan countries that have not experienced armed conflict, often at regional level, are rare. Their immediate effects: partial or total destruction of educational systems, and mobilization of youth to become child soldiers, hinder Education for All (EFA). This book calls into question the educational dynamic of African societies in three contexts: in a situation of peace, during conflict and after conflict. The contributions assembled, case studies and prospective research studies, call for reflection on possible or evident inter-relations between education, violence, conflict and prospects of peace. Finally the book attempts to situate the social and political dynamics that, before, during and after conflicts corroborate the fragile future of education in Africa. ERNWACA Grants Program for Interdisciplinary Educat ion Research “as an effective instrument for capacity building within ERNWACA mem ber countries” (2009) The ERNWACA grants program is the largest ERNWACA program in terms of its geographical coverage and mobilisation of human resources. It is a unique Program that gives the chance to every ERNWACA member country to participate in order to strengthen research capacity among young researchers. The program addresses young doctoral researchers, teachers and administrators living in Network member countries. The call for proposals is launched every January on the ERNWACA website and through the media and posters in member countries’ teaching and research institutions. PanAf Network National Reports (2009) What is the PanAfrican Research Agenda on Pedagogical Integration of ICTs? “The participation of researchers, educators and policy decision-makers in processes of change that information and communication technologies bring to education, is an opportunity to construct, shape and share development knowledge.” The objective of the PanAfrican Research Agenda on the Pedagogical Integration of information and communication technologies is to better understand how the pedagogical integration of ICTs can enhance the quality of teaching and learning in Africa. Collection of PanAf Project news bulletins (2009) In this document, you will find a collection of articles published by researchers of the project « PanAfrican Research Agenda on the pedagogical integration of ICTs » (PanAf) during the two years of project implementation. These are analyses, testimony of experiences of integration of technologies in African schools.


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The PanAf project brings together 13 countries of sub Saharan Africa in order to better understand how the pedagogical integration of ICTs can enhance the quality of teaching and learning. The project is jointly executed by the Educational Research Network in West and Central Africa (ERNWACA) and the University of Montreal, with the financial support of the International Development Research Center (IDRC). Trip record of the PanAf Project (2009) Another important aspect of the PanAf project consists of carrying out field visits in the schools targeted by the research. It is for this reason that the management team has been to more than twenty schools on the continent in order to better understand the manner in which the technologies are used there, in teaching as well as in learning. This document, just like a trip record, proposes to relate the experiences concerning integration of technologies in the schools visited. You can find out here for each of the schools visited, the school context, the state of the ITC infrastructure, the uses of ICT in education, as well as the challenges and difficulties confronting the schools that have made the choice of integrating ICT in their practice. Pedagogical Use of ICT: Teaching and Reflecting Str ategies, Ottawa: IDRC. (2009) This book on teaching and reflecting strategies on the pedagogical integration of ICTs in Africa is a collective and bilingual publication. It is divided into 10 chapters. The second chapter is signed by Professor Pierre Fonkoua of the University Yaoundé I and entitled “ICTs for teachers of today and of tomorrow”. The third chapter is written in English by Professor Tchombe Thérèse, now retired. It focuses on perceptions of learning and its impact on the practices of ICTs integration. The fourth chapter focuses on ICT and the types of tools and systems. It is written jointly by three researchers of the project: Mohamed Toure of the Ministry of Education in Mali, Moses Mbangwana of ERNWACA-Cameroon and Pape Sène of ERNWACA-Senegal. The fifth chapter focuses on the pedagogical integration of ICTs at the level of students and teachers in the classrooms. It is signed by Thierry Karsenti and his collaborator Salomon Ngamo Tchameni. The sixth chapter deals with the prerequisites to the integration of ICTs in teaching and is again signed by Solomon Tchameni Ngamo of the University of Montreal. The seventh chapter is written by Kathryn Toure, former ERNWACA Regional Coordinator and currently Regional Director of IDRC in West Africa. It focuses on the process of appropriation of ICTs. The eighth chapter, signed by Djénéba Traoré, current ERNWACA Regional Coordinator, addresses challenges inherent to the integration and use of ICTs in education in Africa. The ninth chapter presents a variety of promising strategies to encourage the use and integration of ICTs. It is signed by four researchers of the project: Pape Sene from Senegal, as well as Lamine Diarra, Mohamed Maïga, Djénéba Traoré and Mohamed Touré, all from Mali. A general conclusion closes the book.


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ANNEXES

Personnel organization chart


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1/ Membres of ERNWACA (756) 2/ Year of admission as ERNWACA member country

41

119

33

58

45

139

26

4642

14

7

3633

48

3732

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

Nombre

Nombre de membresPays

Membres du ROCARE par pays

GUINEE

Côte d'Ivoire

Republique Centrafricaine

Mali

Bénin

BURKINA FASO

Niger

Nigeria

SENEGAL

Mauritanie

TOGO

The Gambia

CONGO-BRAZZAVILLE

Ghana

Sierra Leone

Cameroon

Country Year of admission as ERNWACA member

country Niger 2002 Nigeria 2003 SENEGAL 1994 Mauritania 2006 TOGO 1989 The Gambia 1989 CONGO-BRAZZAVILLE 2009 GUINEA 2004 Côte d'Ivoire 1996 Central African Republic 2008 CONGO-BRAZZAVILLE 2009 Ghana 1989 Mali 1989 Benin 1991 Sierra Leone 1989 BURKINA FASO 1989 Cameroon


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3/ Year of official recognition in country

COUNTRY Year of admission as ERNWACA member country Year of official recognition in your country

NIGER 2002 1997 NIGERIA 2003 2003 SENEGAL 1994 1998 MAURITANIA 2006 2005 TOGO 1989 2004 THE GAMBIA 1989 1989 CONGO-BRAZZAVILLE 2009 2009

GUINEA 2004 COTE D'IVOIRE 1996 2004 CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC 2008 CONGO-BRAZZAVILLE 2009 2009 GHANA 1989 1993 MALI 1989 2008 BENIN 1991 1991 SIERRA LEONE 1989 1989 BURKINA FASO 1989 2004 CAMEROON 1989 1999 4/ Situation of collection of members’ dues

Pays/Country Members’ dues Mali 13% Ghana 20% Côte d'Ivoire 22% Cameroon 46% The Gambia 100% Congo-Brazzaville 100% Niger Information not available Guinea Information not available Central African Republic

Information not available

Benin Information not available Burkina Faso Information not available Nigeria Information not available Senegal Information not available Mauritania Information not available Sierra Leone Information not available Togo Information not available


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5/ Countries with an action plan

PAYS/COUNTRY ACTION PLAN NIGER NO GUINEA NO MALI NO BENIN NO BURKINA FASO NO NIGERIA YES COTE D'IVOIRE YES SENEGAL YES MAURITANIA YES TOGO YES THE GAMBIA YES CONGO-BRAZZAVILLE YES GHANA YES SIERRA LEONE YES CAMEROON YES CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

YES


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ERNWACA Board of Directors and Mandates

Annex A to 19 July 2008 extraordinary Board meeting report: ERNWACA Board of Directors and Mandates

Noms et prénoms

2005 Dakar

2006 Banjul

2007 Accra

2008 Lagos

2008 Bamako

2009 Lomé

2010 2011

* BEN BARKA Lalla X

MOE Gambia X

BAKU Joshua X X X X X

ILBOUDO Ernest X X X X

Regional Coordinator X X X X X

DOUGNA Paul X X

* BAH Diallo Aicha X X

BIH Emile X X X X X

DIARRA Mohamed Chérif X X X X

MEN Sénégal X X X X

DOUGNON Denis X X

BAMBA Abou X X

MEN Burkina

NJIE Makaireh (observer in Lagos) x X

GUEYE Ousmane (observer in Lagos) x X

MOE Ghana

2005 Dakar

2006 Banjul

2007 Accra

2008 Lagos

2008 Bamako

2009 Lomé

2010

2011

Total attending meeting 9 7 8 7 + 2 8 Total members 10 10 11 10 10 11** 10

% present 90% 70% 73% 70% 80% Observers GUEYE Ousmane X KANE Ousseynou X * DANSOU Kafui X X BITTAYE Abdoulaye X NJIE Makaireh X AGYEMAN Dominic X BOAKYE Kofi X * VILLET Charmaine X ADEGOKE Kasali X * BUSARI Temi X AMEVIGME Philippe X Membre ROCARE-Togo X UEMOA, IDRC &/or other partner X Fondation Ecobank X * denotes women ** 11 is max. number of Bd members

Tel: (223) 20 21 16 12 • Fax: (223) 20 21 21 15 • BP E 1854, Bamako, MALIBénin • Burkina Faso • Cameroun • Centrafrique • Congo • Côte d’Ivoire • Gambia • Ghana • Guinée • Mali

• Mauritanie • Nigeria • Niger • Sénégal • Sierra Leone • Togowww.rocare.org

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