Focused Sector(s): Education

Project: Education Quality Improvement Programme (EQUIP)

Date and duration: August 2008 – June 2009 (10 months)

Location: Tanjung Pinang, Riau Islands Province (KEPRI)

Beneficiaries: 40 principals, 80 teachers, 3 superintendents and 7,162 students

Problem(s)

• Sub-standard teaching qualifications, ineffective teaching methods, poor school management and infrastructure, and a low level of community involvement
• Non-stimulating rote-learning methods still common in elementary and secondary schools
• About 60 per cent of teachers in Indonesia are under-qualified, affecting the quality of graduates and ultimately, the workforce
• Students from the Riau Islands Province (KEPRI) were particularly affected

Intervention and Impact

• Conducted a baseline study to assess the educational issues and determine the best way to implement an education programme
• Conducted intensive workshops and training for principals, teachers and management staff of schools to enhance the capacity of both teaching and non-teaching staff in:
  • Developing lesson plans
  • Effective teaching pedagogies
  • Classroom management
  • Student assessment
  • Developing creative teaching materials and learning tools
• All this led to a number of positive outcomes including
  • Leadership development in the teachers, principals and superintendents involved in the training
  • Teachers who were equipped with the skills and tools necessary to improve the quality of English language education at schools
  • A learning community that included teachers and principals
  • Increased awareness at local government level regarding the need for the professional enhancement of education officers in remote areas
  • A better quality of education all round

Cost: S$177,092