BASIC EDUCATION PROGRAMME (BEP)

The main objective of the project was to improve the capacities of Kosovo schools to provide appropriate skills for students. The main goal was to improve the institutional capacity of the Government of Kosovo in the education sector and to improve the quality of primary education.

The main results of the project are:

Component 1 – Increasing management capacities in decentralized environment, improving the management skills of school directors, school boards and municipal directors of education (OCD) in the field of planning, school management and quality assurance. Didactic and training centers are established at municipal level to facilitate the professional development of managers and teachers.

Component 2 – Strengthening the Assessment of Learning Outcomes by improving capacities to develop and implement new school-based assessments, related to new curricula at local, municipal and central levels. This will support the creation of an effective and reliable system of evaluating student learning outcomes in this way increasing the quality of education at primary level.

Component 3 – Improving teacher training service by assisting MEST in providing a service for teacher training reform, which includes certification requirements; support the establishment of the licensing of new teachers from MEST, which ensures continuous professional development. KEC is responsible for implementing Component 3 and for providing the services required on the basis of the other two components.

Some of the main services offered by KEC are:

• Establishing didactic training centers in each municipality.
• Increase the capacity of school principals to manage schools effectively.
• Develop an improved, realistic and sustainable structure for school management.
• Increase the capacity of school boards, student councils and parent associations to support schools.
• Assist MEST in developing national standards for school-based assessment.
• Providing a professional development service for teachers and school directors in the SBA and assessment ethics.
• Providing professional development for selected educators in testing construction and development of an article-bank.
• Developing the capacity of the MEST Assessment Unit to fulfill its responsibilities.
• Provide relevant teaching materials and equipment to centers and schools.
• Implementation of a teacher development program aimed at developing relevant skills for students and supporting the new curriculum.
• Increase the number of qualified trainers and training providers.
• Increase opportunities for teachers to participate in support among peers, professional networks, organizations, and research.

The co-implementer of the project was FHI 360.