The document discusses the challenges and efforts for improving education in Madagascar, particularly in the Ankilimanintsy II village and Ambovombe district, where community-driven initiatives play a crucial role in building schools. Parents are being motivated to send their children to school despite limited resources, emphasizing the importance of education in improving their community and the lives of their children. UNICEF is collaborating with local communities to complete incomplete schools and enhance the quality of education, aiming to impact over 125,000 children by 2013.

1. Schools for Madagascar Making the grade 20

2. Namorisoa
President, Ankilimanintsy II village
As the president of this village it is my role to motivate the parents to know, the way they carry themselves and how they keep themselves
send their children to school. Sending children to school is important clean — they are motivated to send the others.
for the development of our village and our district. When we built Ankilimanintsy II school the parents were motivated
Before we were in the dark. Our minds were closed. But now most to help. There was no school in the village and each family — if they
parents are convinced that education is very important. It used to be had enough money — contributed ten pieces of wood. The classroom
that the culture of our area emphasized the importance of cattle: is small, but we cannot a ord to build another. This is one of the main
Cattle were important and all of the children were sent out to watch reasons that this is an incomplete cycle school. The other is the lack of
them. But that has changed. In recent years many cattle have been a second teacher.
stolen and the environment is drier than it used to be. Now there are I know all about not being able to complete your education. My
not enough cattle. parents stopped me going to school when I was in grade four. Some of
Most of the parents in this village never went to school. But now my classmates continued and now they are living and working outside
that there are fewer cattle they see that it is important to send their the country as doctors and in other jobs. I may be the Village President
children to school, so that they learn other things. They see that this is and the most educated man in this village, but when I see what my
necessary — that their children can open their minds to receive new friends achieved it makes me sad. If I had been able to continue I
things from the world, and when they grow up they can have a job. might have done so much more.
There are still some who resist; some who still want to send their This is why I push children to go to school — my children and the
children out with the cattle. They think ‘If I have ve children, I can children of this village. This is why we worked together to build this
have one help with the cooking, one keep the cows, one stay with the school. But now when I see children like Manjo repeating the same
small children and the other two can go to school.’ class again and again, I see my own situation and I feel sad all over
But other parents are changing their thinking. They are thinking again. I worry that they may not have the opportunity to continue
‘One will manage the cattle and the other four will go to school.’ When their studies. It is because of Manjo and the others like him that we
parents see changes in their school-going children — in what they keep ghting to have grade three here.
Schools for Madagascar Making the grade 21

3. 0918 Every school day,
two parents from the
community take it in turn
to cook rice and lentils
for us.
0930 I bring the dishes
to the canteen and they
serve the food.
Schools for Madagascar Making the grade 22

4. 0935 ‘Slow down!’ the
teacher always tells us.
‘Don’t eat so fast!’
0933 Some of the water we bring to
school is used for washing our hands
before we eat.
Schools for Madagascar Making the grade 23

5. 0942 Recess
Schools for Madagascar Making the grade 24

7. Helene Ramanantenasoa
Pedagogic Counsellor, Ambovombe district
Before, parents in Ambovombe district were not interested in sending The second reason for the large number of incomplete schools is
their children to school. When UNICEF started work in this district in that there are not enough teachers. This situation is easier to resolve. If
1994 there were only 70 schools. Now there are 239. there is someone in the village who has completed grade nine or ten,
It is good that so many parents want to send their children to they can be recruited and trained.
school. The problem is that the government doesn’t have the funds to The problem with incomplete cycle schools is that children only
build all of the classrooms that are needed. So this job is falling to the complete a few grades and then they are stuck. If you only get an
parents; they can’t wait for the government if they want their children education through grade two or three, there is a risk that you will fall
to go to school. So, in communities like this one, they organize back again into illiteracy. There are studies that say that you need a
themselves and build a school so that their children are not left out. minimum of a fth grade education in order to retain literacy.
Of the 236 primary schools in this district, 119 are incomplete. We want to see these children move ahead with their education.
There are two main reasons for this. First, and most important, there One solution to this is doing more of what is already being done:
are not enough classrooms. In this area building materials are scarce organizing the community to build the schools. The parents would
and costly. They can’t make bricks here. Cement is available in town, buy what materials they can. And if, for example, they can’t a ord to
but it is expensive and hard to transport to remote areas. Also, there is buy cement, they can go to the mayor of the community and ask him
very little water here. How can you make cement without water? if he will participate by buying cement, and go to the district
Wood is scarce and expensive because the forests have been education chief to ask if he will give part of the roof if he can. In other
destroyed. This is why the parents can only a ord to build a small words, they organize themselves and negotiate the economics within
classroom. the community.
Schools for Madagascar Making the grade 26

9. But even if they did this, these parents have no idea how to help, everyone inevitably agrees to build the school because they are
organize and manage those who would construct the school. If we aware of the bene ts it will bring. This means that even if it costs them
can teach them how to do this, they can proceed on their own. But time or money, they will participate willingly because they understand
even then, the schools will need to be renewed or rebuilt every year why they are doing it. Without this — if you only dictate to them —
or two, depending on the weather. So another idea is to ask organi- they will not be motivated. That is why the CPRS is so important.
zations like UNICEF to help us build durable schools — schools that In the future I would like UNICEF to help us to improve the quality
would not require parents to build or renew them. of education in Madagascar. Children need to know more than
We have been working with UNICEF for 15 years now. In that time, reading, writing, calculating and speaking French. They need life skills.
they have introduced some valuable systems to encourage Their parents should see that there is a di erence if children go to
community participation. The CPRS or ‘contract for school success’ is school. Children should acquire some knowledge, some competencies
the biggest bene t of our collaboration. The CPRS encourages the that help them in their lives. They should also learn some activities
participation of all the community members — parents, local that will help them to nd employment when they nish school.
authorities, the district education chief, teachers and children — in I would like to see one other thing happen — and I hope UNICEF
order to promote education. can help with this: I would like to situate junior secondary schools
This starts even before they build a school. The community has a nearer to primary schools. To go to primary school children walk, on
meeting and the stakeholders discuss the problems of education in average, three to four kms each way. To go to secondary schools they
their community. When everyone understands the problems children often walk as far as 10-15 kms. More children could continue their
will face if they don’t go to school, and know what they can do to education if schools were not so far away.
Schools for Madagascar Making the grade 28

10. 1210 I walk home with my friends. While we walk
we talk about what we are going to do when we
get home.
Maka: I am going to watch the cows.
Fisaorantsoa: I will help my mother cook.
Liatinatae: I have to collect firewood.
Manjo: I am going to help my mother in
the field and then do my homework.
Schools for Madagascar Making the grade 29

11. 1335 Setting off for the field

13. 1742 Homework
Schools for Madagascar Making the grade 32

14. When I grow up, I want to be...
Liatinatae Maka Soabinagoe
a teacher a district education officer a teacher
Schools for Madagascar Making the grade 33

15. Fisaoratsoa Manatenasoa Manjo
a midwife a teacher a policeman
Schools for Madagascar Making the grade 34

16. Manjo and generations of children following him need a
complete primary education if they are to have a chance
to achieve their dreams.
With your help, by 2013 UNICEF Madagascar will complete
180 incomplete cycle schools.
This is part of a larger UNICEF initiative to complete more
than 1200 child-friendly schools in Madagascar by 2013.
By equipping them with the amenities, staff and materials
needed to provide a quality education, UNICEF will have a
direct impact on more than 125,000 children by 2013, and
on many more in the generations to come.

17. For further information contact
UNICEF Madagascar
Maison commune des Nations Unies
Zone Galaxy Andraharo
Antananarivo 101
Madagascar
Tel : 261 20 23 300 92/93/04
antananarivo@unicef.org
www.unicef.org
Photography, words & design: Kelley Lynch
www.kelleyslynch.com