Education in Djarkpanga
In Togo, primary education, which is free and in theory compulsory, takes 6 years to complete. Secondary schooling takes a further 6 years to complete. Facilities are sparse in far-flung rural places, such as Djarkpanga. The curriculum is similar to that used in France today. The overall structure is currently an improvement over previous decades when parents still had to pay teachers in rural areas themselves. Schools are now state-owned, Christian or Islamic, yet still, 10% of children are deprived of a basic education.
Whilst large numbers of children do attend school, their education is held back by a lack of facilities and resources. The local schools and teachers work really hard to educate children, making the best of the tools at their disposal. All children are encouraged to attend school and receive a good education; it is the disadvantaged and the vulnerable who really struggle to join in with what’s offered. Any encouragement provided in the form of donations is gratefully used to remove some of the barriers to the children’s education. There can be no doubt that basic education in the Djarkpanga region is underfunded and under-resourced. It is in response to this, and a love for the local people, that the diaspora looks to act in this critical area. Every small financial contribution to improve education in Djarkpanga will make a big difference.
How is Education Run in Djarkpanga?
Education in Djarkpanga is organized by education officials in the same way it is throughout the country of Togo. The Djarkpanga schools are run directly by the school directors. All the schools in the prefecture are headed by the inspectors, who in turn are headed by the regional director, and the regional directors are headed by the minister. Local decisions are taken by the director in consultation with the education inspector.
All teachers in schools in the region have been tested by Government examinations. In order to apply for positions in local schools they must first pass the Government set exam appropriate for the age range they seek to teach. Once a teacher is thus qualified they apply to a local school in the same way they would in the UK. Only the best teachers are appointed to the position requiring to be filled locally.
Potential safeguarding issues are detected in advance by the heads of the establishment, the heads of the neighbourhood and supervised by the heads of the association, who check in order to see the reality of these people. External safeguarding is provided by the Government of Togo, who employ Inspectors to monitor and enforce safeguarding in schools. Inspectors are in place regionally to visit schools periodically to assess whether the school meets the criteria for safeguarding all students. Once the initial assessment has been provided, the frequency of follow up visits is dependent on whether any issues are reported during a previous visit. This is a similar situation to that used by Ofsted in the UK. In addition, the heads of the establishment, the heads of the neighbourhood (with supervision by the heads of the association) carry out their own checks in order to see the reality of these people and to address any local safeguarding issues.
Schools within Djarkpanga
Within the ‘Mo plain’ (region), there are two communes (local areas), Mo 1 and Mo 2. Djarkpanga is in Mo 1 local area. There are 7 schools in the Djarkpanga local area. Of these, 6 are Primary, with all secondary and sixth form students combined into 1 building (school) currently.
Primary Schools
Secondary School
