Basic Education for a Productive Future - EPP
600 young people are gaining important skills at ground breaking academic and technical schools. EPP, Escolas Polivalentes e Profissionals, are basic academic and technical schools administered by ADPP on behalf of the Angolan Ministry of Education.
Providing young people with both technical and academic qualifications is only part of the story. In order to fulfil the goals of the USAID funded Education for a Productive Future project, EPP schools aim to educate the whole person in a bid to graduate well rounded, knowledgeable, capable and dynamic young people who can contribute to development in Angola. This is achieved through studies, courses, workshop sessions, field visits, investigations, work experience and community actions. The students are encouraged to seek information rather than be pacific receivers, to take the initiative rather than wait for something to happen. They learn about teamwork and the importance of supporting one another.
A range of professions is on offer at EPP schools, from working with environmental matters to producing food. On completion of the three-year course, graduates find work in their chosen field, continue their studies at a higher level or start their own enterprises.
EPP Cabinda and EPP Benguela were involved in the project from the beginning in 2011, while EPP Huambo joined in 2012. EPP Cabinda offers Water Assistant, Modern Cook and Pre-school Assistant courses; EPP Benguela offers Environment Promoter, Water Assistant and Food Producer courses; and Huambo offers Environment Promoter and Information and Communication Assistant courses.
Each week, each subject and each activity at EPP schools is carefully thought out, planned and implemented. At the beginning of 7th Grade the students are taken out of their familiar surroundings to investigate how and where different people live and work, and they undertake a “survival” trip where they camp out, cook food, meet local people and have their eyes opened to new situations and conditions. 7th Grade combines practical and academic subjects and gives a taste of the professions on offer. It also introduces the students to community health promotion, on the basis that to make positive decisions about personal health issues and then contribute to helping others, it is essential to be well informed. 8th grade was inaugurated in 2012 and he students began to learn about their chosen professions, in workshops and in businesses, and through practical actions in the community, while continuing all their other studies and activities. 9th grade began in 2013, with the same pioneering students who had successfully completed 8th grade. They learned a lot more about their professions, gaining many new skills and considerable practical experience, becoming adept in their particular fields. Not least, a highlight of the year was a work experience placement. Final exams combined practical and theoretical elements, and the students were examined by representatives from a variety of institutions and workplaces.
More than 600 young people attending the three EPP schools in 2013 were supported as part of the the USAID funded Basic Educaton project. The 9th grade students graduated, along with the 9th graders from 5 sister schools, in January of 2014. At the time of writing the first students had already graduated and were preparing to make their mark, using their new skills, abilities and experiences to create a productive future for themselves and for Angola.