Entries Invited for First Commonwealth Education Good Practice Awards

These awards recognise a programme, project, policy strategy or significant intervention which has made a positive difference to the status or condition of primary school children, their teachers or the education system of a country.

Entries are being invited for the inaugural Commonwealth Education Good Practice Awards 2006 organised by the Commonwealth Secretariat. These awards recognise a programme, project, policy strategy or significant intervention which has made a positive difference to the status or condition of primary school children, their teachers or the education system of a country in one or more of the Six Action Areas in education identified at the 15th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (15CCEM) in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 2003. The areas for action are: achieving universal primary education; eliminating gender disparities in primary and secondary education; improving quality in education; using distance learning to overcome barriers; supporting education in difficult circumstances; and mitigating the impact of HIV/AIDS on education systems.

Entries must include a 50-word executive summary, and a description of the project that should not exceed 500 words, together with information on the budget, the size of the organisation and its target or beneficiary population. The entries should have authorising signatures of the permanent secretary of the ministry or the chief executive officer of the organisation.

Ann Keeling, Director of the Social Transformation Programmes Division of the Secretariat, which is organising the Good Practice Awards, said: "Good practice in education must demonstrate relevance in a socio-culturally sensitive environment. Its impact and effect must be measurable qualitatively and quantitatively. The programme, project or policy must be sustainable in order to have a positive impact over the long term. It must involve community participation or contribution, and be economically efficient and effective. Finally, it must be easily replicated so that other communities and education systems can benefit from good ideas. We would like to recognise and celebrate those effective teaching and learning processes that can be shared with all countries in the Commonwealth."

Dr Roli Degazon-Johnson, Education Adviser and Co-ordinator of the Good Practice Awards, said selection of entries will be in two phases. "There will be an initial short-listing in mid-2006 followed by the selection of finalists just before the 16CCEM in December next year. We are working together with the Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management, which co-ordinates the Innovation Awards programme for the Commonwealth public sector, as they have a wealth of experience which we can tap."

All entries should be sent to: The Co-ordinator, Commonwealth Education Good Practice Awards, Education Section, Social Transformation Programmes Division, Commonwealth Secretariat, Marlborough House, Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5HX, UK.

The closing date is 31 March 2006. For enquiries, please e-mail r.degazon-johnson@commonwealth.int.

CNIS - Commonwealth News and Information Service Issue 260, 9 November 2005

Key Links:

• Awards in Commonwealth Education Good Practice for 16CCEM