I'm Learning schools get Government recognition in Zimbabwe

St Joseph's and Chimhanda primary schools, from the Matobo and Rushinga districts of Zimbabwe have been awarded the Ministry of Education Secretary's Merit Award. 

This status is awarded to a school with outstanding end of course national examination results, desirable learning facilities and community involvement in the provision of quality education to their children among other things.

The two schools have been participating in Save the Children's I'm learning! programme, which focuses on ensuring schools and other education institutions and settings are Quality Learning Environments. The Quality Learning Environment (QLE) programming approach has been applauded by the Senior Zimbabwean Officials in the provincial education office especially those in the Save the Children project areas who have been seeing, first hand, the benefits of approach and used the tools themselves.

In addition to the 57 million children out of school worldwide, 250 million children cannot read or write properly by the age of 10 years old, despite half of them being enrolled in school. Their right to education and to learn is not being fulfilled. In addition to Literacy Boost, I'm Learning! is one of Save the Children's key programme interventions that is being developed to combat this global learning crisis.

I'm Learning! is a holistic approach to improving learning and well-being in school. Competent and motivated teachers, a safe and stimulating learning environment and learners who are supported by communities and families are the keys to success.

Together with research partners in Norway and each of the countries, Save the Children is currently running pilot programmes in Zimbabwe, Cambodia and Uganda to test our hypothesis that quality learning environments enable children to learn the basics better. If St Joseph's and Chimhanda primary schools are anything to go by, the early signs are positive.  Together, I'm Learning! andLiteracy Boost will be a powerful duo in combatting the global learning crisis.