Japanese program empowers parents to manage schools in Madagascar

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is addressing low literacy and high dropout rates in Madagascar by involving parents and local communities in school management.

Parents, teachers, and community members form School Management Committees to oversee educational priorities and budget allocations. These committees help ensure transparency in how schools operate. In the outskirts of Antananarivo, these groups also organize school meals and provide pre-school lessons based on Japanese storytelling techniques.

The School for All program aims to create sustainable educational development by involving all stakeholders in the process. A primary school director reported a notable improvement in student reading skills since the program began. The initiative first started in Niger in 2004 and has since expanded to 11 African countries.