Tomorrow Today

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Challenges

Access to education

and training

Quality of education

and training

Decentralization and

community involvement

Gender-responsive

learning environments

Organizational and

institutional efficiency

Accommodation of non-

traditional learners

Redefinition of

agricultural education

Skills training for rural

people

Recruitment and

retention of extension

staff and school teachers

Effective pro-rural,

people-centred policies

Responses

Positive discrimination policies and programmes for rural people including:

Education and training fee removal; Free access to learning materials; School feeding programmes to improve

attendance; Free school transport programmes; Expansion of the school network and training centre construction;

Double-shift classes and after-hours adult education; Targeting the needs of specific rural groups; Satellite schools in

remote areas for the youngest children and girls

Application of information and communication technologies as appropriate; Improved teacher training and professional

development; Creation of conditions for teacher retention in rural areas and reduction of rotation; Design of training

materials to address rural life problems; Combination of academic and life skills for greater relevance; Use of school

gardens as living laboratories and integration in school curriculum; Provision of a safe and adequate learning environment;

Farmer participation in curriculum planning and training events; Use of improved monitoring and evaluation tools

Combination of national and local curriculum planning; Community participation in curriculum development;

Community-based approaches to increase community ownership; Education that is relevant to rural livelihoods and

the community; Parent-teacher associations to improve school resources; Involvement of communities through school

gardens; Community monitoring of quality and relevance

Flexible training programmes to accommodate labour peaks; Well-supervised boarding facilities to safeguard women and

girls; School meals for all rural children; Take-home rations for girls as an incentive for families; Half-day farmer training

for women with responsibilities at home

Coordination among ministries of education and agriculture; Coordination among public providers of extension and

education, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the private sector; Multi-stakeholder participatory planning of

programmes to support ERP; Adult basic education classes run by extension officers

Flexibility in the training and education calendar to accommodate weather, cropping patterns and nomadic movements;

Provision of education for out-of-school rural children, youth and adults (especially girls and women), retired child

soldiers, refugees and displaced persons, people in inaccessible and remote areas, disabled persons, ethnic minorities,

working children, the elderly, nomads and pastoral communities, people suffering from diseases, and others; Use

of front-line extension staff to reach remote audiences, farmer-to-farmer training approaches and non-formal basic

education approaches

Revised curricula at technical and vocational agricultural education and training colleges for improved training of

technicians; Improved training of trainers for agricultural education; Agricultural education that reflects the fact that both

on-farm and off-farm competencies and skills are important to sustaining livelihoods of people in rural areas; Agricultural

education that reflects changes in technology, global supply chains, market and health challenges, on-farm and off-farm

employment, environmental changes, and enterprise development

Increased and improved formal and non-formal skills training for youth and adults; Training for school drop-outs;

Diversification of competencies and skills to reduce vulnerability and foster resilience to address shocks; Provision of

literacy and numeracy training together with skills training; Training in both life skills and job skills

Recruitment of teachers and extension staff from rural areas; Bonuses and higher salaries as incentives for rural staff;

Provision of subsidized housing; Posting of newly qualified staff in pairs; Creation of career progression options; Provision

of land and training in agriculture; Profit sharing in school-based income-generating activities

Increased financing for ERP; Education and training data disaggregation for urban and rural people; Policies that

recognize the diversity of needs of rural people; Policies that recognize agroecological and geographical circumstances

as well as socio-economic and cultural differences of residents of rural areas

Challenges and responses of the ERP global partnership

Source: FAO

Research was conducted to collect successful responses to chal-

lenges confronting policy-makers and government and civil society

front-line practitioners working to provide effective education and

training for rural people. This information, as well as ERP good prac-

tices and training materials, was published in the global repository of

the knowledge base of ERP

and shared worldwide in electronic and

print formats so that the public could benefit from the experiences of

others working in this field. The above table summarizes some of the

important challenges and responses identified since the

launch in September 2002 of the ERP global partnership

designed to contribute to the acceleration of progress

towards the MDGs and sustainable development.

The key policy considerations reached by the part-

nership are that, while considerable progress has been

made, much work remains to be done. Six years of

policy, advocacy and capacity development work has led