Education for rural = people, a crucial step towards the Millennium Goals

Education for rural people, a crucial step towards the=20 Millennium Goals

Identifying the needs of rural communities is = essential

15 June 2005, Rome - Education programmes that = address the=20 specific needs of rural communities are essential if = eradicating=20 extreme poverty and hunger is to be achieved by 2015, = according to=20 FAO.

At a recent meeting to explore how education = for rural=20 people can contribute towards achieving the Millennium = Development=20 Goals, FAO expert Lavinia Gasperini urged policy-makers to = give top=20 priority to identifying the basic educational needs of rural = communities in order to help them improve their livelihoods. =

Case studies presented at the meeting showed that = living=20 conditions of rural communities in different countries from = Africa=20 to Latin America can be improved when the basic educational = needs of=20 the rural people are taken into account.

For = example, in=20 Chad "community schools" teach rural people how to manage = natural=20 resources in a sustainable way. These schools were created = by rural=20 communities, or by village chiefs, to respond to local needs = and are=20 managed by the communities themselves. The main difference = from=20 public schools lies in the fact that teaching is provided in = local=20 dialects while the country's official languages are Arabic = and=20 French.

In Senegal, where 75 percent of the = population lives=20 in rural areas, the development strategy includes priorities = such as=20 improving teaching skills and adapting school curricula to = the needs=20 of rural people.

Surviving by the sea =

In=20 Chile, coastal fishing communities are among the most = deprived=20 social groups in the country, depending for their survival = almost=20 exclusively on artisanal fishing.

Artisanal fishing = training=20 courses adapted to local needs are helping the fishers to = improve=20 their occupational skills, acquire a better understanding of = the=20 marine ecosystem, achieve fairer access to available fish = stocks and=20 obtain recognition of their rights and identity as = traditional=20 fishery users.

Many of the fishers attending the = courses=20 declare that this scheme is helping to raise their = self-esteem and=20 enhance their personal development, while equipping them to = back up=20 their children's education.

Artisanal fishing has a = lesser=20 impact on marine resources and ecosystems compared to = commercial=20 fishing. In addition to being a direct and indirect source = of=20 employment for the people, it provides a substantial = proportion of=20 their protein intake, thereby playing a key role in food = security.=20

At the Rome meeting on the contribution of education = for=20 rural people to the Millennium Development Goals, results = from case=20 studies in Bolivia, Chad, Chile, Senegal and Tanzania were = presented=20 by representatives from the Italian NGO ACRA (Associazione = di=20 Cooperazione Rurale in Africa e America Latina.

Contacts:
I=F1igo Alvarez
Media Relations = Officer, FAO=20
Inigo.alvarez@fao.org
(+39) 06 570 52518
(+39) = 338 138=20 1778 (cell.)

Pierre Antonios
Media Relations = Officer,=20 FAO
Pierre.antonios@fao.org
(+39) 06 570 53473 =
(+39) 348=20 252 3807 (cell.)

print-friendly version

Contact

	I=F1igo Alvarez Media Relations = Officer,=20 FAO inigo.alvarez@fao.org (+39) = 06 570 52518 (+39) 338 138 1778 = (cell.)
	Pierre Antonios Media Relations = Officer,=20 FAO pierre.antonios@fao.org (+= 39)=20 06 570 53473 (+39) 348 252 3807=20 = (cell.)

A rural school in the Niassa region = of=20 Mozambique.

Related links
	Education for=20 rural people
	SD=20 Dimensions
	ACRA

Education for rural people, a crucial step towards the Millennium = Goals

Identifying the needs of rural communities is = essential

15 June 2005, Rome - Education programmes that = address the specific needs of rural communities are essential if = eradicating extreme poverty and hunger is to be achieved by 2015, = according to FAO.=0D
=0D
At a recent meeting to explore how = education for rural people can contribute towards achieving the = Millennium Development Goals, FAO expert Lavinia Gasperini urged = policy-makers to give top priority to identifying the basic educational = needs of rural communities in order to help them improve their = livelihoods.=0D
=0D
Case studies presented at the meeting showed = that living conditions of rural communities in different countries from = Africa to Latin America can be improved when the basic educational needs = of the rural people are taken into account.=0D
=0D
For example, in = Chad "community schools" teach rural people how to manage = natural resources in a sustainable way. These schools were created by = rural communities, or by village chiefs, to respond to local needs and = are managed by the communities themselves. The main difference from = public schools lies in the fact that teaching is provided in local = dialects while the country's official languages are Arabic and = French.=0D
=0D
In Senegal, where 75 percent of the population = lives in rural areas, the development strategy includes priorities such = as improving teaching skills and adapting school curricula to the needs = of rural people.=0D
=0D
Surviving by the = sea=0D
=0D
In Chile, coastal fishing communities are among the = most deprived social groups in the country, depending for their survival = almost exclusively on artisanal fishing.=0D
=0D
Artisanal fishing = training courses adapted to local needs are helping the fishers to = improve their occupational skills, acquire a better understanding of the = marine ecosystem, achieve fairer access to available fish stocks and = obtain recognition of their rights and identity as traditional fishery = users.=0D
=0D
Many of the fishers attending the courses declare = that this scheme is helping to raise their self-esteem and enhance their = personal development, while equipping them to back up their = children's education.=0D
=0D
Artisanal fishing has a lesser = impact on marine resources and ecosystems compared to commercial = fishing. In addition to being a direct and indirect source of employment = for the people, it provides a substantial proportion of their protein = intake, thereby playing a key role in food security.=0D
=0D
At the = Rome meeting on the contribution of education for rural people to the = Millennium Development Goals, results from case studies in Bolivia, = Chad, Chile, Senegal and Tanzania were presented by representatives from = the Italian NGO ACRA (Associazione di Cooperazione Rurale in Africa e = America Latina.=0D

Contacts: