[MLE] FW: Asia and Pacific EFA e-newsletter - Educational resource packet

Dear Interest Group,
From the below message particularly the free resource packet will be of interest to some of you.
Regards,
Karsten

Karsten van Riezen
Education Consultant, SIL Int.
Director
SIL, South Asia Group.


From: Kimmo Kosonen [mailto:kimmo_kosonen@sil.org]
Sent: 30 August 2006 07:25
To:
Subject: Asia and Pacific EFA e-newsletter - POINT 4: MLE workshop in BKK

Dear Colleagues,
Please find below the latest Asia-Pacific EFA Newsletter. Point 4 in "News and Events" is a report of a recent multilingual education workshop organized by SIL International and Mahidol university.

Please also note that APPEAL Resource Pack for Literacy and Continuing Education (section "resources") is available. This is an excellent resource on literacy and NFE and includes some 20 CDs of resource materials. This is a resource that should be found in all SIL entity libraries. Best of all, it's free. To request for a copy, please mail appeal@unescobkk.org

Best regards,
Kimmo

----- Original Message -----
From: EFA
To: EFA
Sent: Wednesday, August 30, 2006 8:29 AM
Subject: Asia and Pacific EFA e-newsletter
Dear Partners in Education,

The latest issue of the Asia and the Pacific Education for All (EFA) e-newsletter is now available online. To view the html version, please click on this url: http://www.unescobkk.org/index.php?id=4827.  To subscribe or unsubscribe to the mailing list, e-mail us at efa@unescobkk.org. Our apologies for any cross postings.

Warm regards,
The Regional EFA Coordination Team

In Focus

Countries in the region to mark Literacy Day
News and Events
1.      Gender network to discuss EFA Mid-Decade Assessment
2.      Donors express support for EFA assessment in Indonesia
3.      Bhutan to focus on access and quality of education
4.      Governments encouraged to adopt multilingual education for ethnic minorities
5.      Rights bodies in Asia-Pacific call for realization of Education for All
6.      UNESCO Dhaka Launches Resource Package on ECCE
7.      Eastern Indian state gears up for multilingual education

Resources
1.      APPEAL Resource Pack for Literacy and Continuing Education
2.      Status of Female Teachers in Nepal
3.      School Fees Abolition Initiative (SFAI) Workshop Report
4.      Journal for Education and International Development (JEID) Second Issue for 2006
5.      Disability at a Glance: A Profile of 28 Countries and Areas in Asia and the Pacific
6.      Violence Against Children East Asia and the Pacific Newsletter
7.      Development Assistance for the Provision of Education in Fragile States

In Focus

Countries in the region to mark Literacy Day
A series of events and activities will be undertaken in countries in Asia and Pacific to mark International Literacy Day on 8 September 2006. UNESCO is supporting and collaborating with Ministries of Education and NGOs to carry out national literacy-related activities throughout the region. According to statistics, 771 million adults around the world live without basic literacy skills, hampering their ability to have a quality life. More than half of the non-literate population lives in Asia. Read more


News and Events
Gender network to discuss EFA Mid-Decade Assessment
Gender experts from Ministries of Education of nine countries in South and South-East Asia will meet in Cambodia next month to discuss “Assessing Progress in Achieving Gender Equality in Education”. The meeting is the annual gathering of the Gender in Education Network in Asia (GENIA) established in 2002 by the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Education for Asia and Pacific. Read more

Donors express support for EFA assessment in Indonesia
The donor community in Indonesia is receptive to supporting an assessment of the country’s achievements and gaps in meeting the Education for All (EFA) goals. Indonesia’s Education Sector Working Group (ESWG), composed of representatives of UN agencies, and bilateral and multilateral agencies met in Jakarta on 2 August 2006, to discuss the EFA Mid-Decade Assessment (MDA). The meeting was organized by Indonesia’s Ministry of National Education (MONE), which presented Indonesia’s plans for a national EFA assessment. Read more

Bhutan to focus on access and quality of education
The Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan is working on improving access to education, particularly basic education hand-in-hand with enhancing its quality as well as focusing on boosting its adult education programmes. The Bhutanese formal education system is still in its relative infancy having started only in the 1960s, evolving from a theocratic education system provided by Buddhist monasteries. Since then, much progress has been seen in the education system but education officials also acknowledge much remains to be done to achieve the targets of EFA and the Millennium Development Goals. Read more

Governments encouraged to adopt multilingual education for ethnic minorities
Education practitioners from different countries, government officials, UN and NGO representatives, and members of minority communities met in Thailand last month to discuss relevant issues and plan for multilingual education (MLE) for ethnic minority communities. A series of specific recommendations were drafted at the conclusion of the Workshop on Multilingual Education for Ethnic Minority Communities held from 10-21 July 2006 in Bangkok. Read more

Rights bodies in Asia-Pacific call for realization of Education for All
National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) in Asia-Pacific have called on governments to maximize the allocation of resources to ensure the realization of the right to education. NHRIs will also assist governments in the region in a review of progress towards the attainment of the Education for All (EFA) goals. Representatives of NHRIs gathered for the annual Asia-Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions (APF) from 31 July to 3 August 2006, in Suva, Fiji. Read more

UNESCO Dhaka Launches Resource Package on ECCE
UNESCO Dhaka and Bangladeshi NGO Inner Force have launched a resource package on Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) to help institutionalize pre-primary education in Bangladesh. The resource package on Child Development and Pre-school Programme aims to provide teachers, parents and other concerned sectors with a guideline on ECCE. The package comprising three books in the Bangla language was launched in Dhaka on 20 July 2006. Read more

Eastern Indian state gears up for multilingual education
Teachers from 10 ethnic minority groups in the eastern Indian state of Orissa underwent a training and orientation on multilingual education (MLE) and the development of learning materials. The workshop is part of preparations as the State gears up to adopt a multilingual approach for the education of tribal children in 2007. Orissa is one of the states in India with the largest tribal groups with as many as 62 tribes. Read more


Resources
APPEAL Resource Pack for Literacy and Continuing Education
This is a collection of resource materials produced by UNESCO Bangkok’s Asia-Pacific Programme of Education for All (APPEAL) over the years. The materials are divided into three parts: literacy and continuing education, community learning centres, and further reference materials in specific content areas. This resource pack is meant for planners, practitioners, researchers and other personnel working in literacy and continuing education and can be translated to local versions. It also contains summaries of each resource material, the full texts of which are available in the accompanying CD-ROMs. To request for a copy, e-mail appeal@unescobkk.org or visit the APPEAL Website for other related resources

Status of Female Teachers in Nepal
This book discusses the outcomes of a research commissioned by UNESCO Kathmandu into the status of female teachers in Nepal. The study gathered both qualitative and quantitative information on different aspects of the personal and professional lives of teachers. It also covers the values and perceptions shared by male teachers, school teachers, parents and students of female teachers. The paper discusses the major findings and conclusions of the study. To request for a copy e-mail kathmandu@unesco.org

School Fees Abolition Initiative (SFAI) Workshop Report
This document reports on the highlights of the School Fees Abolition Initiative (SFAI) Workshop: Building on What we Know and Defining Sustained Support organized by UNICEF and World Bank, from 5-7 April 2006 in Nairobi, Kenya. The paper notes that schools fees are a major barrier to education and the realization of the EFA and MDG target of universal access to primary education. It includes highlights of the Nairobi workshop, resources and documents related to the topic, and reflection from participants. Download from the UNESCO Headquarters Website (pdf)

Journal for Education and International Development (JEID) Second Issue for 2006
JEID is an online journal that disseminates research and discussions of policy and programs to an international community of development practitioners. JEID 2:2, the second issue for 2006 features five papers that describe education issues and projects in Latin America and in three countries in South-East Asia. One of the papers examines sub-regional inequities in education access using extensive data from 30 countries and points to Bangladesh as the exceptional country where regional education policies are effective in reducing inequalities country-wide. Two other papers address girls’ access to and retention in education. Visit the JEID Website to read the papers

Disability at a Glance: A Profile of 28 Countries and Areas in Asia and the Pacific
This publication is a result of the outcomes from a 2004 survey on the extent of the national level commitment to the Biwako Millennium Framework principles and directions. It aims to provide disability-related statistical data and policy-related information that shows how a particular country or area defines disability and collects related statistics. Published by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP). Download from ESCAP's Disabilities web page (pdf/780KB)

Violence Against Children East Asia and the Pacific Newsletter
The newsletter examines every month a key issue identified in the UN violence study, which is a global report that will be published in October. It will provides a background, highlights progress, key facts, figures and resources, and introduces agencies, activists and children in the region who are leading the push to end the violence. It is part of an initiative undertaken by eight regional agencies which have formed a coalition to raise awareness on the issues related to violence and children, and explore solutions.  Visit their website to read and subscribe to the newsletter

Development Assistance for the Provision of Education in Fragile States
This paper from the UK Institute of Development Studies (IDS) examines how development assistance in fragile state environments can enhance access to quality basic education for the poor and vulnerable, at the same time improving governance. This is seen contributing to the mitigation of the risks of fragility, and increase the effectiveness of future aid. Download from the ELDIS Website (pdf)


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