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PTAs Gain Legal Status in Djibouti
FrontLines - March 2010
By Brooke Harris
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A PTA meets in Djibouti..
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More than four years ago,
USAID introduced the concept
of Parent Teacher Associations
(PTAs) into the education system
of Djibouti, a former
French colony in East Africa
bordering Somalia, Ethiopia,
and Eritrea, and hosting both
French and U.S. military
bases.
At first, some officials at
the Ministry of Education worried
that parents would misunderstand
their role in supporting
schools and try to usurp
ministry responsibilities. Ministry
officials preferred to limit
the role of PTAs to supporting
improvements to the school
environment—such as infrastructure,
school canteen services,
and the like—and to
supporting limited student
services.
Innovative Response
In 2005, USAID introduced
the idea of parents working with
teachers to benefit Djibouti’s
schools. The Agency provided
training and technical assistance
to these associations and the
schools they served. USAID
staff also worked with the Ministry
of Education to help draft a
decree that would define and
legalize the PTA’s role.
After four years of work
that included ministry officials,
parents, educators, and
USAID staff, President Ismail
Omar Guelleh signed the decree
and formalized the partnership
between parents and schools.
The decree calls for primary
and secondary schools to establish
PTAs made up of school
administrators, teachers, parents,
and students. Each PTA is to
meet once a trimester to decide
on activities that meet the needs
and desires of the school and
students.
The PTAs decide upon objectives
and activities for the year,
design a plan of action, adopt a
budget, and create working
groups to complete projects. The
PTAs are also charged with
advising the school on attendance,
the integration of girls,
special needs students, school
hygiene, security, child safety,
monitoring, and maintenance of
school equipment.
By acknowledging the need
for parent-teacher partnerships,
the decree protects the authority
of school leadership while placing
responsibility in the hands of
the parents through the PTAs.
The new approach is a response
to parents who expect the school
to handle every issue as well as a
call to action for those who long
to improve conditions and help
the schools with additional
support.
Mohamed Yacin Yonis of the
Ministry of Education, said:
“When problems arise in the
school, the parents will know
they have a role in improving the situation. If a parent says,
‘I don’t have money but I can
fix an electrical problem,’ that
is one small part that a parent
can be responsible for.”
Results
Since the PTAs formed,
many school improvements
have been carried out. Parents
now share their specialized
skills in farming, fishing, artistry,
cooking, couture, electrical
engineering, and other disciplines
to augment school
functions. Garden projects in
southern districts, library
projects in northern districts,
and latrine and water projects in
every district have all been executed
with the help of parents.
All future projects will be
approved by the PTAs.
Zahra Ali Ismael, the program
officer with USAID’s
implementing partner, the
Academy for Educational
Development, said, “[the
decree] encourages community
participation to the
projects decided upon and
developed with the Ministry of
Education and other partners.
Parents understand their role
as supporters, not replacements
[for school staff].”
USAID’s training for
school staff and parents is continuing.
Former Chief of Party
Alpha Souleymane Diallo,
said: “We want to see all PTAs
aware and involved. It’s a
grassroots approach with a
legal framework that empowers
PTAs to improve the quality
of education in schools.”
Officials say it has taken a
long time to build confidence
and formally recognize the role
of communities in assisting in
school management. Now they
are reaping the rewards for
their work. An evaluation of
the program concluded that:
“The radically different way in
which communities now relate
to Djibouti schools through
government recognized PTAs
made a positive difference in
the way schools are managed
and supported, especially in
rural areas.”
★
FrontLines is published
by the Bureau for Legislative and Public Affairs
U.S. Agency for International Development
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