Trainig and Information Progrmme on Environmet TIPE

CONTEXT

The Sahelan child is at the center of preoccupations

The Sahel is facing environmental problems associated with fragile ecosystems namely desertification and drought.

In 1986, president Abdou DIOUF, incumbent chairman of CILSS for 1986-1988 biennium, invited his peers to initiate an environmental education programme aimed at sensitizing sahelian youths on ecosystems degradation problems and commit themselves to environmental protection actions.

Through financial and technical support from the European Union, CILSS is initiating the Training-information Programme on the Evironment (TIPE), the first stage environmental education a complementary strategy for drough and desertification control.

TIPE is a programme that place the Sahelian primary education child in the centre of preoccupations.

1 - It matches the foundations of the revised strategy of CILSS aimed at making Man driving-force of development.
2 - It keeps in line with the major axes of agenda 21 of the EARTH Summit of Rio.
3 - It contributes to the implementation of the internationational Convention to combat drought and desertification (CCD).
4 - It consolidates the long-term commitment of CILSS States for Evironmental Education (EE) through a declaration referred to as the Dakar Declaration : Contract for a new generation of environment managers. This declaration comprises the adoption of national strategies and measures for the perpetuation of EE in sahelian schools.

PROGRAMME DESCRIPTION

A Major Pedagogical Innovation
TIPE started its experimentation phase in 1990 for a three year duration. Upon termination of this phase, a consolidation and transitional phases were conducted till September 1995. Internal and external evaluations illustrated the execution of this first implementation through the following figures :
78 066 pupils educated in environment
    881 teachers and supervisors trained in EE
   908 schools and communities involved
   72 pedagogical tools/aids produced.

Since October 1995, TIPE started a second five-year phase whose aim is to incorpotate sustainably EE into Sahelian Systems.

    Overall objectives
   To improve the qualiy and the efficiency of education in primary schools.
   To strenghten local capacities for natural resources management in the Sahel.

    Specific objectives
    To lead the Sahelian school children to adopt a more active attitude that is more respectful of the environment.
    To develop their sense of individual and collective responsability in the management of natural environment and its resources.
   To encourage a social mobilization a round schools through the conduct of environmental action projects.

    Strategy
   It is grounded on a three-fold legitimacy, viz :
   Institutional legitimacy (incorporation-perpetuation)
   Pedagogical legitimacy (consolidation of active pedagogy practices)
   Social legimacy (partnership and mobilization, extension-decentralization).

Approaches
The intervention of the programme in schools, combine three approaches.

Pedagogical approach with teachers and pupils through the introduction of EE in teaching. That is the introduction of a content (EE) through a pedagogical method (pedagogy by objective, active pedagogy). It is based on the training of teachers and the production of pedagogical tools for pupils and teachers.

Communication approach : in the direction of the community (parents, teachers, local authorities...) for sensitizing them on environmental issues and obtaining their commitment and participation through initiatives for environmental protection

Partnership approach by developing links between the school, technical services, projects and other intervening-parties, involved in desertification control actions.

In such a way, EE can be experienced as a regular act in learning to be achieved through the Sahelian education system.

The capitalization of achievements and the increased qualification of human resources appear as a channel on which TIPE is investing through in-service training, pre-service training, the production of didactic materials, and the setting up of a suitable implementation mechanism.

Institution mechanism For implementing TIPE phase II
    Regional steering committee : representatives of the European Union, representatives of the regional expenditure authorizing officer (CILSS)
    Regional orientation committee: European Union, CILSS and presidents of NOCs-controls the proper implementation of activities and validates the annual programming submitte by a regional technical committee
      Regional technical coordination : based at the Sahel Institute, pilots the whole programme.
    National orientation committee : gathering the main ministries involved in the implementation of the programme, the Delegation of the European Union, the national CILSS correspondent and an NOG.It ensures the steering of programme at the country level.
   National project manager : responsible for the implementation of the programme at national level. He/She is assisted by a national pedagogical team and by local pedagogical teams, composed of resource-persons as need arises.

FACT AND FIGURES ABOUT TIPE PHASE II

Establishing a regional synergy
After a successful experimentation phase, during the second phase, the point is to extend activities, incorporate them into national systems and establish sound foundations for the perpetuation of Environmental Education (EE). Expected results are :

Qualitative level :
        a content of primary education and pedagogical methods that are officially modified
        improved pedagogical skills of teachers
        an actual taking account of local realities in the learning process
       an involvement of rural communities in school activities and their sensitization on the environmental issue
       more sustained working relationships between teachers and technical services
       the production of appropriate didactic tools
        the valorization of the sahelian expertise in the field of Environmebtal Education (EE)

Quantitative level :
         672,000 pupils, trained and sensitized
        15,400 teachers with strengthened prdagogical skills
        3,015 village communities covered by the programme.

These indications show that by the end, an average of 23% of beneficiaries (pipils, teachers, schools) will be reached.

STILL TO BE KNOWN

Dynamics for exchange at grassroots level

In order to promote exchange among field actors, three poles have been set up, viz : Cape Verde, Mauritania and Senegal (West), Burkina Faso and Mali (Center), Niger and Chad (East). Multiform activities such as competition between schools, caravans, twinning of schools,...are programmed.

A Regional Data Bank (BRD)
It ensures the capitalization of achievements through :
   the setting up of a bibliographical data base, DIGI (HOPE) of over 1,100 references on Environment and Education
   a TIPE school map that,presents, per country, an overview of the network of teachers, pedagogical supervisory staff and trained field-partners, pupils and schools involved in the programme
   a six-monthly Newsletter "Sahel Environmental Education", a forum of information and exchange of views among EE actors.
    A data bank of images illustrating the major activities of the programme in countries and at regional level.
    an electronic network for information flow
   and a directory of EE actors.

A Regional Research Programme on Environmental Education In the Sahel (PRESS)

This research programme accompanying TIPE, is founded by CRDI :
   provides clarifications on the pratices of EE actors
   takes into account the research themes targeted on institutional and pedagogical aspects
   strengthens indivividual and institutional research-capacities in CILSS countries.

A Sahelian Environmental Education Programme at secondary education Level (PSE)

As a second component of PSE, it ensures the junction with TIPE by ensuring the training of teachers and pupils in secondary education. Founded by UNSO/PNUD.

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