Primary school education Belazao Madagascar

Organisation: Madagascar Development Fund
Location: Belazao, Madagascar
Project: Building a new 3 classroom school
 

Belazao primary school, consisting of three classrooms,  was built in 1969 and was the first in the Commune.  Two other buildings, of 4 classrooms, were built later with funds raised by the Association of Parents to accommodate  the increasing number of school age children in Belazao  and neighbouring villages. As the number of children increased the Commune made available an office to add to the capacity of the seven existing classrooms. 

The Ministry of Education pays the salaries of 6 civil servant teachers.  Five others, who were recruited locally,  are paid, partly in cash and in kind, (cassava and sacks of rice), by the Association of parents of children who attend the school.

Lack of adequate space has also meant that many children are taught in classrooms that accommodate classes of two different levels, creating confusion and reducing  the effectiveness of  the teaching – which has a detrimental effect on exam results.  

There were approximately 50 children of school age in this and neighbouring communities who  received no education due to the shortage of space.  Others walk a considerable distance to attend the nearest school.

Thanks to Karen Bartman's donation the community now has a new school building