South Sudan: Education Teacher Training Facilitator

Terms of reference to hire Special Needs/Inclusive Education Teacher Training Facilitator for a Teacher Training and Community Education Programme at

JRS Maban

Overview

JRS operates a certified Teacher Training (TT) program for over 500 teachers of both the refugee communities and host community in Maban South Sudan. The program is comprised of a two-year intensive pre-service program and an in-service program for teachers in schools. Upon completion, trained teachers gain an official certificate in Primary Teacher Education recognized by the Ministry of Education. JRS aims to provide holistic preparation for TT’s in its program, including subject material training, best practices in teaching techniques, and addressing the diverse needs of their future students in the classroom.

JRS is seeking to recruit a suitable candidate for the position of Special Needs/Inclusive Education Teacher Training Facilitator to conduct a 6 week intensive programme of instruction and education in this important area. . In alignment with South Sudan’s National Disability and Inclusion Policy, the Facilitator will be responsible for introducing TT’s to the unique learning needs of children with disabilities (CWD’s) and ensuring that TT’s are prepared to effectively accommodate and include them in classroom instruction.

1. Background

The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) is an international Catholic organisation with a mission to accompany, serve and advocate on behalf of refugees and other forcibly displaced persons. JRS undertakes services at national and regional levels with the support of an international office in Rome. Founded in November 1980 as a work of the Society of Jesus, JRS was officially registered on 19 March 2000 at the Vatican State as a foundation.

JRS programmes are found in 51 countries, providing assistance to refugees in camps and cities, individuals displaced within their own countries, asylum seekers in cities, and to those held in detention centres. The main areas of work are in the fields of education, emergency assistance, healthcare, livelihood activities and social services.

1. Operational Context

The overall prevailing security situation in the Maban South Sudan is fragile and with wide spread violence and multifaceted humanitarian crises. The humanitarian emergency and protection crisis in South Sudan will continue unless peace is fully restored. The implementation of the recently signed revitalised peace agreement between the Government and opposition forces is yet to be rolled out and translate into sustainable peace. There is fragmented insecurity and continued fighting with its resultant criminality, as well as widespread human rights violations against civilians, impunity and lack of rule of law is common place. However, the commencement and implementation of the revitalised peace agreement is likely to create opportunities for solutions for internally displaced persons and return of refugees from neighbouring countries.

Political instability, lack of capacity of local government institutions and continuous change of key government officials creates leadership vacuums in Upper Nile state resulting in inconsistent interpretation and application of laws including labour, taxation and other fiscal measures targeting humanitarian operation in the region. Such irrational interpretation of the provisions of the labour law led to a devastating massive attack and destruction of UNHCR and humanitarian compounds, offices, vehicles and other assets in July 2018. This continues to influence the operational environment.

General deterioration of the economy resulting in constant devaluation of the South Sudanese pound and lack of capacity and service provision by the government coupled with environmental shocks and macro-economic instability means that many individuals and households have very limited or no access basic services and goods including food. This would further impoverish refugees and deepen the already existing tensions. However, recent changes in the political relations between Sudan and South Sudan provides a glimpse of hope for better economic prospects with the opening of border ports to facilitate unhindered flow of goods and food commodities into South Sudan.

Refugees in Upper Nile State, reside in four camps across two counties of North-east and South-West Maban, with heavy reliance on humanitarian agencies for the provision of life-saving and basic services. Whilst significant progresses have been achieved since the arrival of refugees in Maban, living conditions linked to health, water, sanitation and hygiene as well as livelihood activities remain at a minimum. Security remains precarious with fragile relations with host communities compounded by hostile local government authorities. Ethnopolitical tensions remain high among refugees owing to violent inter-ethnic and tribal clashes in May 2017, resulting in spontaneous segregation of refugee camps along ethnic lines which further complicate the operational environment. Additionally, tensions between refugees and host communities continue to influence refugee host community relations further limiting the protection space and opportunities for interdependence in the area of operation. Such tensions result from use of land, natural resources, firewood collection, access to medical, educational and infrastructure facilities, family disputes, overstretched absorption capacity of conflict affected communities. Initiatives of community cohesion and mobilization, empowerment of women and youth development remain priority in the operation.

Presence of armed elements and combatants in and around refugee camps as well as the host community remains a major protection concern, with its associated risks related to physical safety of refugees, SGBV, child protection and forced recruitment, rampant theft and vandalism of humanitarian facilities with impunity continue to pose serious challenge in the operational environment. Porous/non-existent borders coupled with ethnic affinity between the people of Sudan and South Sudan means free and unhindered access for the armed elements.

In the operational environment political uncertainties and ethnical disputes coupled with general economic decline have further increased the complexity of the dynamics.

JRS operations in South Sudan.

JRS currently works in South Sudan in two different field locations, Maban and Yambio. These projects are supported by a Country Office Team based in Juba. This ToR applies to work in JRS Maban.

Greater Maban is divided in two Counties, located in Northern Upper Nile, South Sudan, and the area was severely affected by the Second Sudanese Civil War. Most of the Mabanese returned from exile in 2011, thus the majority of host community members are recent returnees. Shortly after the independence, armed conflict restarted in Sudan’s Blue Nile and South Kordofan States between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N). The fighting caused a large number of people to flee into South Sudan. Maban hosts four refugee camps (Doro, Gendrassa, Kaya, and Yusuf Batil) with 143,208 refugees as of Feb 2018. UNHCR 2018 figures are higher though: 157,714 (81210 f, 76504m).

On December 15, 2013, civil war erupted in South Sudan. Thousands of people have been killed due to the fighting between government troops, the opposition forces, and several tribal militia forces. Thus, the refugees from Sudan have found themselves caught in between two wars, the one at home from where they fled (Sudan) and the one in the country currently hosting them (South Sudan). Host community members also live in a very precarious situation and not uncommonly with less support than the refugees. In Maban, the relationship between the refugee and host community was tense throughout 2016 and the first part of 2017. In 2017 several major insecurity incidents have greatly affected greater Maban, most especially the armed fighting between different factions within the refugee camps that sparked in May 2017, which up to date has not been fully resolved. The camps are heavily divided along ethnic and political lines, reflecting the still ongoing conflict within the SPLA-N across the border. The compromised civilian character of the refugee camps is still a major concern for agencies operating in Maban.

On the 23rd of July 2018 a peaceful protest took place, at what is perceived as a lack of employment opportunities by the youth but quickly became violent and led to attacks, looting and burning of humanitarian premises and damage to humanitarian vehicles. This lead to the evacuation of humanitarian staff including the JRS team, who arrived safely in Juba on the 24th and 25th of July. The team was able to come back to the field at the end of September and teh activities resumed on October 2018. The current situation is quiet, with no major incidents.

KEY ISSUES:

Through focus groups with JRS staff as well as individual interviews and focus groups with beneficiaries, JRS was able to identify this major challenges that will frame its work in the coming year:

In Maban: (1) access to quality education; (2) access to quality early childhood development education and support; (3) negative attitudes towards people with special needs and the social exclusion these people experience; (4) weak family units that leave children and women vulnerable to abuse and exploitation; (5) tension between the host community and refugee communities in Maban.

The findings in the JRS needs assessment point that provision of quality education is still a major challenge. The difference between the Sudanese curriculum (in Arabic) and the South Sudanese curriculum (in English) is one of the major challenges. 60 % of the camp population are below 18 years of age and thus at school going age. Professional skills and qualification of Primary teachers, and lack of enough female teachers are some of the major concerns raised by most stakeholders. If these are properly addressed they can raise the standard of education. As of December 2017, none of the primary school teachers in the camps in Maban County had yet graduated from a certified Teacher Training (TT) program. In 2016 and JRS managed to secure accreditation for its TT program This has created interest among teachers as well as the larger population, since it is the only certified higher education program offered in Greater Maban.

JRS Maban Teacher Training Programme 2019

JRS will operate a certified teacher training program for a total of 511 trainee teachers. Successful implementation of this programme in 2019 will provide an additional 146 qualified Primary School Teachers in Maban.

The training to be offered will be carried out in partnership with Solidarity with South Sudan and follow their training curricula, which are aligned to the University of Juba College of Education requirements and provide an opportunity to acquire a Certificate in Primary Teacher Education recognized by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology at the successful completion of the program.

The course will be organized to cater for trainees are four different stages of coverage of the set curricula. The training will be built on the training offered to trainees by JRS in 2018 and will be offered in two modalities.

Pre-Service Modality

The first modality, known as Pre-Service will be offered to 40 students and will be a 5 full day a week programme over 44 weeks. It will be run from the relocated Arrupe Learning Centre (ALC) which, in 2019, is located as part of an extended JRS Compound. At the conclusion of the 44 weeks these trainees will sit their final examinations for qualification to gain a Certificate in Primary School Teaching.

In-Service Teacher Training

The second modality known as In-Service will be offered as a five days per week multi-stage and multi-year, camp-based in-service program for teachers in schools, with school-based coaching and targeted interventions. It will be offered in all four camps.

210 trainees will be offered a programme to complete the fourth and final stage.

The course will also include instruction at two additional levels, Stages 2 and 3. At Stage 2, a total of 169 students and a total of Stage 3 a total of 92 trainees will be offered a yearlong course to complete the respective stages of Teacher Training.

These courses will be carried out during the school calendar throughout the year from Monday to Friday both in the afternoon and morning hours.

Taken together, Pre-Service and In-service is offering teacher training to 10 Teacher Training Class Groups in five locations.

Objectives of this assignment

JRS is seeking to recruit a suitable candidate for the position of Special Needs/Inclusive Education Teacher Training Facilitator. In alignment with South Sudan’s National Disability and Inclusion Policy, the Facilitator will be responsible for introducing TT’s to the unique learning needs of children with disabilities (CWD’s) and ensuring that TT’s are prepared to effectively accommodate and include them in classroom instruction.

Key Responsibilities of the Facilaitor.

• Facilitate a training for 511 students over a period of 6 weeks, totalling 54 hours of training for each student. The trainer will be expected to lead a total of 5 groups of learners simultaneously over the period of the six weeks.

• Training topics will include: ( this list is indicative)

• Barriers to accessing equal education for CWD’s (sensitive to local context);

• Approaches to minimizing and eradicating stigma/negative attitudes towards people with disabilities;

• Typical and atypical developmental/educational milestones for primary age children;

• Causes and characteristics of the most common disabilities, including how they affect development and learning;

• Instruction skills, communication skills, and classroom practices which support inclusive learning and individualized support for CWD’s;

• Strengths-based approaches to CWD’s;

• Preventative and reductive strategies to address challenging behaviours;

• Collaborating and supporting caregivers of CWD’s;

• General classroom management skills as they apply to inclusion of children with Special Needs

• Maintain attendance lists for accountability and reporting purposes

• Prepare and score a pre-test and post-test to evaluate participants’ increase in knowledge

• Submit a weekly report summarizing covered topics, activities, and challenges of the week’s training

• Submit a final report summarizing pre-test/post-test results, evaluation of participants’ progress, analysis of opportunities for improvement and growth, and program recommendations

• Timeframe

The duration of this contract for services will be 6 weeks. Those interested in being considered for this contract must be available to travel to Maban form the middle of January 2019 and be available until the end of March.

1. Technical Requirements

Essentials:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Special Education, plus 5 years’ practical experience, preferably in a humanitarian or development context
  or
  Master’s Degree in Special Education, plus 2 years’ practical experience, preferably in a humanitarian or development context

• Demonstrated expertise in training facilitation and adult learning principles

• Experience facilitating in international or humanitarian contexts for diverse groups of learners

• Sensitivity to cultural factors and local traditions shaping attitudes towards CWD’s

• Ability to work independently

• Ability to work under time constraints and meet deadlines in hardship and stressful conditions

• Proactive and self-motivated

• Fluent English language skills

Desirable

• Oral and Written Arabic language

• Previous experience working in South Sudan or the region

• Experience with JRS

• Understanding of the role of faith-based institutions in humanitarian work and ensuring its mission and values are envisioned in all the work

HOW TO APPLY

Interested parties can send a written application to: sds07.director@jrs.net

and sds07.education@jrs.net and affan.agrippa@jrs.net

The application MUST include :

1. Curriculum vitae (with 2 references at least),

2. A cover letter outlining your suitability for this contract. This letter should highlight your knowledge of the subject area and you experience and competence as an instructor.

3. Essential to the application is the submission of a suggested workplan and timetable detailing objectives-activities-outputs bearing in mind the objectives of the course and the need to deliver training to 5 groups of 54 hours each over 6 weeks. This workplan should details the scheme of learning of each session.

4. A compressive breakdown of the costs being proposed by the potential facilitator.

5. All interested parties should submit their applications by 5 pm ( Juba Time) on Thursday 3^rd January 2019.

N.B.: A sample of the Contract of Service will be send to those candidates preselected.