UNICEF and JICA launch an initiative to reduce school dropout

In Madagascar, only 23% of children aged 7 to 14 have mastered basic reading skills and 7% in mathematics. To address these challenges, UNICEF and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Madagascar have signed a cooperation agreement to strengthen the country’s education system.

This partnership, established for a period of three years, aims to improve basic learning. It follows an initial agreement signed in 2020, which helps to strengthen the effectiveness of remedial courses for students in difficulty.

This agreement provides for several actions: teacher training, promotion of the « Teaching at the Right Level” (TaRL) teaching method, strengthening school management and monitoring learning. The cooperation concerns nearly 4.5 million children and 107,944 teachers in 27,803 public primary schools spread across 23 regions.

« This partnership aims for sustainable change and improvement in the quality of education », said Christine Jaulmes, UNICEF Representative. Tanaka Kaori, JICA Resident Representative, emphasized that this initiative will promote access to education and the dissemination of the TAFITA project nationwide.