EDUCATION FOR ALL
The role of education in the realization of Rwanda Vision 2020 will be primordial. By 2020 Rwanda aspires to be a peaceful, politically stable, dynamic, diversified, integrated and competitive middle-income economy. This vision is based on the attainment of the following aspirations which include :
Human resources
Infrastructure development
Development of entrepreneurship and the private sector
Transformation of agriculture & animal husbandry
Gender
Natural resources & environment
Regional & international integration
Culture, science & technology
Education : All Rwandans will be able to read and write and have diverse professional and technical skills. Rwanda will be endowed with an education system that is well adapted to the socio-economic problems of the country, and ICT skills will be widespread.
FSDS has integrated “The Education for All (EFA)” in its activities for the purpose of highlighting its vision of “working for human dignity”.
FSDS intends to joint the EFA movement as a global commitment to provide quality basic education for all children, youth and adults.
Remember that at the World Education Forum (Dakar, 2000), 164 governments pledged to achieve EFA and identified six goals to be met by 2015. Governments, development agencies, civil society and the private sector are working together to reach the EFA goals.
In order to sustain the political commitment to EFA and accelerate progress towards the 2015 targets, FSDS will set up mechanisms to contribute to the achievements of the six internationally agreed education goals bellow aim to meet the learning needs of all children, youth and adults by 2015 :
Goal 1 : Expanding and improving comprehensive early childhood care and education, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children.
Goal 2 : Ensuring that by 2015 all children, particularly girls, children in difficult circumstances and those belonging to ethnic minorities, have access to, and complete, free and compulsory primary education of good quality.
Goal 3 : Ensuring that the learning needs of all young people and adults are met through equitable access to appropriate learning and life-skills programmes.
Goal 4 : Achieving a 50 per cent improvement in levels of adult literacy by 2015, especially for women, and equitable access to basic and continuing education for all adults.
Goal 5 : Eliminating gender disparities in primary and secondary education by 2005, and achieving gender equality in education by 2015, with a focus on ensuring girls’ full and equal access to and achievement in basic education of good quality.
Goal 6 : Improving all aspects of the quality of education and ensuring excellence of all so that recognized and measurable learning outcomes are achieved by all, especially in literacy, numeracy and essential life skills.
FSDS strategies for the EFA programme will be focused on :
– Promoting partnership – Education for All can only be achieved through broad partnerships between governments, bilateral agencies, civil society groups and the private sector. FSDS will facilitate dialogue among local partners to ensure strong linkages and coordinated action.
– Mobilizing resources – National and domestic resources are insufficient to reach EFA. FSDS has established internal coordinating role through high-level advocacy to keep education on the top of policy agendas.
– Ensuring effective use of aid – FSDS speaks out for basic education in international efforts to coordinate effective aid delivery, promotes aid effectiveness at the national level among different partners, collects data for planning and monitoring and negotiates EFA priorities with donors and national authorities.
– Communication and advocacy – Ensuring strong visibility for the entire EFA agenda at the international, regional and country level in order to sustain political momentum and commitment. This includes working closely with the media, facilitating knowledge-sharing between countries and encouraging better information exchange between agencies.
– Monitoring progress and Capacity-building - The development of capacity at the national level to plan and manage education systems is crucial for advancing towards the EFA goals.