The Child Friendly Schools framework has been adopted by the Ministry of Education, Sports, Arts and Culture.
Under the programme, 560 school headmasters and deputy heads and teachers-in-charge have received in-service training on ECD supervision. 200 paraprofessional teachers (nearly all women) completed training and were deployed to schools.
This initiative has helped to increase access and retention to schools and has helped improvve learning effectiveness and efficiency thus enabling all children to realize their right to learn.
Started in 2005 with 50 schools, the programme is today being piloted in 270 schools in Zimbabwe. It supplies learning rooms, teaching and learning materials, training of teachers in child centred teaching methodologies, life skills, Girl empowerment, agriculture, health and hygiene, water and sanitation, girls’ education-retention and completion Community participation.
UNICEF has also purchased Early Child Development (ECD) materials for 50 Schools for Africa target schools, and assisted communities to construct outdoor play equipment in 50 schools. 200 latrines for ECD children were constructed at 50 schools the construction of ECD toilets (100 boys and 100 Girls). All this benefited 4,000 ECD children (50% girls)
1,880 parents/caregivers, nearly all women, in 50 schools supported training in parenting education. 150 community service providers were made aware of importance of early access to ECD for children with disabilities