JICA Training Program for Young Leaders: “Women’s Education in Afghanistan”

2012年1月26日更新

From January 12 to 26, 2012, Ochanomizu University conducted a training program for 19 female teachers from Afghanistan. The project was commissioned by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and the university’s Global Collaboration Center took the lead, working in cooperation with Tsuda College, Tokyo Woman’s Christian University, Nara Woman’s University, and Japan Women’s University. This was the ninth year for our university to accept the trainees for this program. Some 135 teachers have completed the program to date.

In order to improve the educational conditions in Afghanistan, where the rate of school attendance for girls is low, it is important to focus on education for girls and on female teachers. This fiscal year as well, this training program sought to encourage the improvement of the quality of female teachers and build attractive schools in Afghanistan. The substance of the training allowed the teachers to learn about the importance of education for girls and about teaching methodology, to deepen their understanding of Japan’s postwar revival and gender equality, and to develop a vision for Afghanistan’s recovery.

This year in particular, the emphasis was on creating a place for discussion-a place where two-way learning could take place. There were lively debates between the highly aware trainees and the lecturers. Japanese elementary, junior high, and high school teachers as well as university students also participated in the debates, and everyone learned a great deal from each other. Home visits were arranged so that the trainees could visit Japanese households and have close exchanges with students from Ochanomizu University and other schools, providing an invaluable opportunity to learn about each other’s culture and society.

At the International Symposium on Assistance for Afghanistan’s Recovery, held on January 25, 2011, the focus was on non-formal education, or in other words, educational programs outside of the curriculum, such as literacy education, job training, and follow-up for dropouts. The speakers included Hiromi Sasai (Senior Researcher, Research Department of Lifelong Learning Policy National Institute for Educational Policy Research), Takafumi Miyake (Director, Afghanistan Office, Shanti Volunteer Association), Rie Koarai (Programme Specialist, Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO), and Jun Sakuma (Deputy Director General and Group Director for Basic Education, Human Development Department, JICA), all of whom drew on their rich practical and research experience to raise a wide range of issues. The meeting offered an opportunity to think about the importance of combining non-formal education along with the regular school curriculum in Afghanistan, where both the rate of school attendance and the dropout rate are high. Roughly 200 people attended, and the enthusiasm was palpable at this international symposium.

In a survey taken at the end of the course, the trainees praised the program, having met all of their training objectives and they were highly satisfied with the stimulation they received from Japan’s culture and educational sites. On the final day, when preparing their action plans for the future, the trainees conveyed their strong desire to share their experiences in Japan with other teachers, put what they learned to practical use, and contribute to improving education through concerted effort by the community and all teachers. Each trainee had the opportunity through this training program to clarify their understanding of the issues and construct an action plan.

Follow-up efforts will also be carried out, including the creation of networks among the trainees, and we would like to continue to devote our efforts to international cooperation focused on support for girls’ education.