Duration: October 2005 – September 2006
Donor: Catholic Relief Services (CRS)
Objectives: Effective implementation of the educational decentralization to improve North Macedonia education system and educational improvement initiatives to address the local educational needs of the primary schools. The expected outcome from this project was that both citizens and government have the skills to participate together in building links for effective educational improvement, while exercising their rights, accepting responsibilities and holding authorities accountable and transparent. The project targeted four municipalities from Strumica region, Regional Municipal Educational Body representatives, and primary schools from Strumica region and worked intensively through the program for strengthening the communication between municipalities and schools, supporting participatory approach in decision-making processes while addressing educational needs priorities and establishing procedures for government-school cooperation.
Results:
• The cooperation between schools and municipalities over issues of primary schools in Strumica region was strengthened and the educational policies for government-school cooperation were adopted;
• The produced policies were made to be used by other municipalities as a model to support their educational decentralization processes;
• Skills building and methodologies provided to the targeted project participants to enhance their capacity to successfully address educational issues at a municipal level;
• Small grants provided to 4 schools in order to address educational priorities;
• Fundraising training organized for school representatives from the targeted municipalities and supported schools through Regional Municipal Educational Body representatives to develop School Action Plans.