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With support from the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL), through a project funded by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), the country is embarking on an ambitious reform aimed at strengthening and expanding learning opportunities for young people and adults who are excluded from the formal education system.
This initiative is part of the Programme for the Refoundation of Chad’s Education System (PRET), which seeks to improve access to quality education, strengthen learning outcomes across both the formal and non-formal sectors, and promote social and economic inclusion, particularly for women and rural communities.
An important milestone has been reached with the completion of two national assessments conducted jointly by UIL, the UNESCO Office in N’Djamena and the Directorate of Literacy and the Promotion of National Languages (DAPLAN). The studies assessed the capacity-building needs of NFBE stakeholders and reviewed existing curricula, providing a solid foundation for modernizing the subsector and strengthening its contribution to lifelong learning.
National consultations identify key priorities
The assessments brought together several hundred stakeholders, including learners, facilitators, centre managers, inspectors and policymakers. This participatory approach helped identify the sector’s most pressing challenges while highlighting reform priorities that reflect local realities and needs.
One message emerged clearly from the consultations: existing literacy and non-formal education programmes must evolve to better respond to learners’ needs while strengthening the capacities of those responsible for delivering quality education.
Updating curricula to meet learners’ needs and changing realities
The review found that current literacy curricula no longer fully reflect Chad’s evolving economic, social and technological context. Four out of five facilitators (80%) reported that they already adapt learning content to make it more relevant to local communities, while 65% of national officials consider the existing curricula to be outdated.
Learners’ responses clearly underscore the need for reform:
- 89% would like more content related to health;
- 86% expressed interest in crafts and vocational skills;
- 85% called for greater emphasis on agriculture;
- 83% highlighted the importance of applied numeracy.
Participants also recommended developing illustrated, context-specific learning materials available in national languages. Future curricula should better address the needs of women, young people, persons with disabilities, mobile populations and refugee-hosting communities.
Strengthening capacities across the education system
The assessments also revealed significant capacity-building needs at every level of the system.
Among facilitators:
- 85% expressed the need to strengthen their skills in learner-centred pedagogy and adult learning (andragogy);
- 87% identified learner assessment as a priority for professional development.
Inspectors and centre managers highlighted the need to strengthen pedagogical supervision (83%) as well as monitoring and evaluation capacities (79%). Among managers and decision-makers, 85% identified strategic planning as a key priority.
The studies also pointed to major systemic challenges. Insufficient learning materials were identified as the main obstacle by 84% of facilitators. In addition, 85% of inspectors and 77% of managers reported that limited logistical resources significantly constrain supervision and on-site support activities.
The consultations further emphasized the importance of providing continuous professional support beyond one-off training sessions in order to foster lasting improvements in teaching practices and programme delivery.
A roadmap to guide the reform
The findings from the assessments will inform the development of a National Capacity-Building Plan for facilitators, inspectors, centre managers and NFBE administrators. They will also support the development of a National Curriculum Framework designed to harmonize and modernize learning pathways across the subsector.
The reform will include revising curricula, improving pedagogical modules, updating learning guides and developing more practical, inclusive and context-responsive learning resources tailored to Chad’s needs.
Advancing lifelong learning
These initiatives mark an important step towards strengthening literacy and non-formal basic education in Chad. By enhancing the capacities of education professionals, improving programme quality and ensuring that learning resources better reflect learners’ needs, the PRET-NFBE initiative will help build a more inclusive and effective lifelong learning system that supports the human, social and economic development of the country.
read more: https://www.uil.unesco.org/en/articles/chad-new-assessments-lay-foundation-transforming-literacy-and-non-formal-basic-education
