Education managers

Rwanda’s education system suffered huge losses in qualified teachers during the 1994 genocide but the country is rebuilding its education infrastructure and has made remarkable progress since then. Rwanda is on its way to reaching the education Millennium Development Goals with a primary school enrolment rate of over 90 per cent. But retention rates are poor, with many students not attending school past primary level, due to social exclusion and poor quality of education.

As an education manager working with the Provincial Office of Education in Shyogwe, you’ll supervise schools and promote formal and non-formal education programs. You’ll enhance the quality and effectiveness of classroom teaching and learning in primary and lower secondary schools by strengthening the professional capacity and inclusive education skills of teachers.

What does the role involve?

• Assisting the provincial coordinator of education for schools in supervising schools in the Shyogwe diocese
• Enhancing the teaching skills of teachers and enabling them to implement effective training for staff in their schools
• Promoting the effective and efficient use of teaching resources in schools
• Raising awareness of inclusive education management
• Increasing the management and leadership skills of school directors, enabling them to lead their schools more effectively

Skills, qualifications and experience required

You’ll be a qualified teacher with at least five years’ experience in primary or lower secondary education. Strong leadership and management skills are also essential, as is knowledge of best practice in differentiation and inclusive education. Patience, flexibility and the ability to speak French are important, as it will help you to build strong relationships with colleagues. A sense of adventure would also be beneficial, as you’ll be travelling around by motorbike, (VSO provide training).

And the rest...

Rwanda has a surprisingly varied landscape for such a small country. Known as the ‘Land of the thousand hills’ it’s situated on the watershed between Africa’s two largest river systems, the Nile and the Congo and most of the country is impressively mountainous. Rwanda is happily situated just below the equator, so enjoys a temperate climate all year round.

You’ll be based in Shyogwe in a small village four kilometres from the road that runs from Kigali to Butare in the South of Rwanda. It has a small market selling fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, fresh bread, milk and clothes. Rwanda is Africa’s premier gorilla trekking ground and you might get the chance to spend time with rare primates such as mountain gorillas, colobus and baboons.

Please note: this is a sample placement description to give an example of the type of volunteer opportunities we have. CUSO-VSO recruits skilled professionals from a variety of professional backgrounds on an ongoing basis. If you are interested in volunteering with us, please apply online.

The Far North Region of Cameroon is the most educationally disadvantaged in the country. The literacy rate for women, school enrolment and retention rates for girls, and the gender parity index in elementary schools are all significantly lower in the Far North compared to the rest of the country. Following Cameroon’s National Action Plan for Education for All and following the Millennium Development Goals guidelines, the aim of VSO Cameroon’s Education Program is to increase equitable access to quality primary education, especially for girls in the Far North of Cameroon.

What does the role involve?

• Work with the Local Inspector of Education and a Cameroonian National Volunteering counterpart to mobilize the education community (school councils, parent-teacher associations, mother-teacher associations, community leaders, etc) to design and implement long-term and participatory school development plans using VSO Cameroon organizational development processes and tools;
• Organize training sessions on subjects such as management, gender and disability inclusiveness, rights of the child, participative approaches, etc;
• Support the education community to develop and use management systems which promote girls inclusion in education.

Skills, qualifications and experience required

You’ll be expected to have a degree in a related field and at least two years experience in community development, project management, organizational development and/or education. Fluent French and an intermediate knowledge of English are required. You’ll need good facilitation and intercultural communication skills, knowledge of participatory tools and techniques, and have the ability to work independently. Adaptability, persistence and creativity are important assets as you may have to work with limited resources in a rural and isolated setting.

And the rest...

You will be based in Pouss, a village in the far north of the country. Maroua is the closest big city, with a
population of 300,000 people. Volunteers from the surrounding villages often get together in Maroua on
the weekend where you’ll find internet cafés, banks, a post office, and markets of all kinds. The town is
also well known for its crafts - baskets, jewelry and leather in particular. Cameroon offers excellent
opportunities for tourists. Top destinations include the capital city Yaoundé, Foumban (an important
center for traditional crafts), the volcanic Mount Cameroon, and Waza National Park where you can see
elephants, giraffes, monkeys, antelopes and bird life in abundance – and maybe catch a glimpse of lions.

We’ll ask you to commit to 12-24 months to make a sustainable contribution to our development goals. In
return, we’ll give you comprehensive financial, personal and professional support. We'll provide you with
extensive training before your placement, and our financial package includes a living allowance, return
flights, accommodation, insurance and more. When you return to your home country, we'll help you to
resettle and many of our returned volunteers stay involved with us long after their placement ends.

The three northern regions of Ghana (Upper East, Upper West and Northern) are the poorest and most disadvantaged area of Ghana. In these regions, 28.5 per cent of adults are illiterate, whilst less than nine per cent of school children who finish primary school can barely read with understanding. VSO is working in partnership with the Ghana Education Service to improve access to and the quality of education in primary schools.

As a management support officer with the District Education Office in Zebilla, you will support this work by strengthening the capacity of Ghana Education Service staff and Head teachers at the district level to implement functional monitoring services.

What does the role involve?

• Working with senior management, circuit supervisors and head teachers to ensure effective monitoring and supervision of schools
• Working with senior management, circuit supervisors and head teachers to improve the school attendance of girls in the district and improve their performance
• Working with senior management and other staff to strengthen accountability, teamwork, planning, monitoring, supervision, and effective people management
  

Skills, qualifications and experience required

You will need to be a qualified primary teacher with substantial experience in education management. You will need to have several years experience as either a prinipal/vice-prinipal or a management trainer. The ability to develop teaching and learning materials for use with children and to be able to train others to do the same is desirable. You will need to be able to work independently and be a self-starter. Patience, flexibility and a good sense of humour will also help you settle into working and living in a resource-poor country.

And the rest...

Ghana is located on North Africa’s Gulf of Guinea, bordering the Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and Togo. It is a land of plains and low plateaus, covered by rainforests in the west and magnificent Lake Volta in the east. Zebilla is the capital of the Bawku West District, which was created in 1990. It is a major stop and therefore has fairly easy access to transport to Bolga. You will be sharing your accommodation with another volunteer. Your accommodation will have electricity though water is from a borehole nearby. There is a district hospital in Zebilla and a market where you can buy food and other essential items.

We’ll ask you to commit to 12-24 months to make a sustainable contribution to our development goals. In return, we’ll give you comprehensive financial, personal and professional support. We’ll provide you with extensive training before your placement and our financial package includes a living allowance, return flights, accommodation, insurance and more. When you return to your home country, we’ll help you to resettle and many of our returned volunteers stay involved with us long after their placemen ends.