Education for Children and Youth Project Quarterly Report No. 14 April – June 2016

The Project aims to support the Ministry of Education (MOE) in its efforts to expand access to education for children and youth living in areas where there are high rates of violence and crime in El Salvador. The Project is being implemented in 27 cities, 54 of which have the highest rates of violence. The governmental partner is the Ministry of Education (MOE) of El Salvador, and USAID has signed an implementation agreement with the Foundation for Comprehensive Education of El Salvador (FEDISAL) as the local partner. The partner network comprises six organizations: Salvador del Mundo Foundation (FUSALMO), Salesian Association Institution (AIS), Education and Work Foundation (EDYTRA), Don Bosco University (UDB), Pro-Education Foundation of El Salvador (FUNPRES), and an international partner, Family Health International (FHI 360). The Project's main objective is to promote the Integrated System for Full Time Inclusive School (FTIS) Policy at the local level and support its continuity and sustainability with national and international partners. The FTIS Policy aims to improve the quality of education, peaceful coexistence, and access to education for youth. To achieve this objective, the Project leads a strategic alliances process with the most important actors in the national education scope, providing horizontal technical assistance to educational authorities. The Project has covered 664 schools, which represents 13% of the total public schools in El Salvador. The Ministry of Education has prioritized 1,500 schools to expand the Full Time Inclusive School Approach for the following three years, contributing 44% to FTIS expansion. The Project continues supporting work sessions with the technical and consultancy teams to expand the FTIS model, with the purpose of creating a strategy and transferring mechanisms, continuance, and sustainability of the Project's technical lines to the technical teams designated by MOE at central and departmental levels. The Project also supports the classroom redesign through quality improvement in the learning process and educational environment, developed through revitalization and consolidation of five strategic proposals involved in the technical activities of the Project. The Ministry of Education has requested support for four basic elements during discussion tables, including primary aspects of the FTIS Model, educational policy based on the organizational structure of departmental authority, and people with the appropriate profile to assist students considering the National Teacher Training Plan. The Project is working on a proposal to respond to MOE's request for vocational teaching and strengthening of pedagogical advisors, which represents a new coaching opportunity for MOE in the strengthening process of quality educational policy. The contribution requested by MOE is perfectly aligned with the objectives and results expected from the Project, subject to the approval of USAID.