Promoting ESD Using Locally Available Resources: A Case of Machinga TTC Resource Centre Case Study Session Dr Marlene Chikuni, RCE Zomba 9th African Regional RCE Meeting 5-7 August, 2019, Luyengo, Eswatini

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ACCELERATING PROGRESS TOWARDS ACHIEVEMENT OF SDGS IN AFRICA
Promoting ESD using locally available resources:
a case of Machinga TTC Resource Centre
¹ Mrs M. Luhanga, ¹ Rhana Kapito Mndala and
²Marlene Chikuni, PhD
¹ Machinga Teachers Training College
² Chancellor College, University of Malawi; RCE
Zomba coordinator
9th African RCE meeting. Kwaluseni, Eswatini.
5 – 7 August 2019
OUTLINE
•introduction
•Project activities
•Way forward
Accelerating progress towards achievement of SDGs in Africa
CHALLENGES IN SCHOOLS
• Limited teaching materials
• Large pupil : teacher ratio
• Community participation apathy
• Lack of entrepreneurship skills: leaners shd be taught to be independent
• Education should create freedom & independence: safeguard against
violence, abuse, exploitation.
Accelerating progress towards achievement of SDGs in Africa
PROJECT BACKGROUND
•Machinga TTC: one of the teacher training colleges in
Malawi
•UNICEF funded project that led to establishment of Teacher
Resource centres and a manual
•Improve life skills based & gender responsive methodologies
•Access and quality education for all especially girls
Accelerating progress towards achievement of SDGs in Africa
TRC PROJECT
• Be self sustaining to achieve quality education: consumables, long lasting; most
communities do not donate because never asked!
• T&L
• Realia: coins, tools, tins, bottles, glass, mirror, clothes
• Specimen: whole animal, plant or parts of
• Model: train, plane, brain, earth globe
• Pictures & illustrations
• Materials/tools: scissors, knives, blades, rulers, markers, pestles, pots, glue, paper,
strings, crayons, cellotape, flexafoam, wires
RELEVANCE
• T&L materials shape young minds
• Most textbooks implicitly communicate traditional & limited gender roles:
traditional societal notions
• Immediate & complete overhaul of textbooks not possible at school level
• Adaptability

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RESOURCE CENTRES
• Demonstration
• Use locally available materials to make visuals for teaching
• Address limitation of relevant teaching models
• Empower teachers to use imagination
• Makes learning fun
• Open door policy community come & go to read and learn; part & parcel of
resource committee
Accelerating progress towards achievement of SDGs in Africa
ESD & SDG LINKAGE
• SDG 4
• Tell me & I’ll listen. Show me & I’ll understand. Involve me and I’ll learn – Teton
Lokota Indian –
• Participatory teaching and learning: fun & transformative, build critical &
analytical skills of learners
• Community involvement: schools do not exist in isolation; sustainability
• Provide materials and skills
REQUIREMENTS
• Resources must be accessible/within reach for any intended user
• Expressive arts
• Environmental and social science
• Science and technology: Maths, Agric, Biology, Chemistry, Human ecology
• Foundation studies
• Language: Chichewa, English
• Shopping corner; Reading corner
Accelerating progress towards achievement of SDGs in Africa

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LINKAGE TO GAP PRIORITY ACTION
AREAS
1. Advancing policy: National Education Policy
2. Transforming learning and training environments: using locally
relevant and culturally appropriate strategies
3. Building capacities of educators and trainers: participatory
teaching & learning methods
4. Empowering and mobilizing youth: transformative teaching and
learning
5. Accelerating sustainable solutions at the local level: community
involvement
ACCELERATING PROGRESS TOWARDS ACHIEVEMENT OF SDGS IN
AFRICA
IMPACT
• Manual for setting up TRCs published
• Upscaling: every two years graduates go out to establish more TRCs
• Sustainability: project still ongoing despite conclusion of initial project
• Increased literacy rate in surrounding communities
• TRCs is one way of increasing access to quality education: SDG 4 achievement