Statusrapport
Mid term review of the Bikita Quality Education Project (QEP) in Zimbabwe
SCN Zimbabwe launched the Bikita Quality Education Project (QEP) in May 2005. This launch made the Zimbabwe Country Programme become the 4th country to participate in the pilot SCN Quality Education Project going on in 3 other countries, Ethiopia, Zambia and Mozambique. The project targeted a group of 40 teachers at various levels of the education system in Masvingo Province where SCN Zimbabwe has a basic education project (19 Cluster Resource Teachers, 5 school heads, 6 Education Officers and 9 teacher education lecturers). These 40 teachers had 2 250 children in their classes. The idea was to develop action research skills and reflective practices in the teachers so that we influence the teaching and learning in the schools. The QEP was designed to respond to the 2000 SCN global education thematic evaluation, which found little or no effective learning in the classrooms despite the massive investment in buildings, furniture, textbooks in project areas. The objectives of the evaluation were to determine: 1. The degree to which the major aim of the project, which is to assist participants to develop reflective skills in their practice, had been achieved; 2. Whether action research skills and knowledge of doing action research had been adequately and satisfactorily acquired; 3. Key learning points and challenges of the project, and4. Whether the project was sustainable and learning outcomes of children could be improved.