Upgrading the Technical Agriculture Education System in Lebanon – BT Curriculum Review for 2 majors

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Date: 12/2017 – 4/2020

Educational Services and Planning:

  • 10% educational management
  • 50% curriculum elaboration
  • 30% professional development
  • 10% strategic planning

Partner: FAO

Description:

1. The BT program was revised in close consultation and participation of school teachers, academics, practitioners and private sector representatives within the committees specifically established by MoA at national and school communities levels. The BT curriculum and course review followed Competency Based Training (CBT) approach and the labor market. The latter was using the following resources. Training and coaching of the teachers was fundamental to the review and write up of the curricula, and text books. The curriculum review followed the curriculum elements shown in the sketch below. To finalize the following:

  • Course curricula
  • TP Practical guide/manual text book
  • Student text books
  • Practical work curricula

To this end, curriculum elements were elaborated in consultation and participation with school teachers and the private sector committees formed by MoA specifically for this reason. The committees (one for animal production major and one for plant production major) were represented by private sector, academics, sector representatives, and or potential employers,

Facilitated consultations and workshops with EES, school teachers and private sector established committees to finalize the following:

  • Job referential for plant and animal majors in relation to Job/market place
  • Short term course modules are revised and standardized.
  • Competencies referential for plant production and animal production majors
  • New BT grid for both plant production and animal production majors

2. WARD trained and guided school teachers and experts to revise the curricula outline and the lesson plans in conformity with the student’s BT level (EQF3). This is in line with the curricula review and update needed as was suggested by consultations and agreed upon and validate further by MoA.  Final curricula documents were revised, edited and quality checked by WARD. As for the text books WARD only guided the lead writers work in finalzing the text books to be in conformity with their respective curricula. Accordingly, in total, 90 curricula were revised, updated and or elaborated with 78 text books elaborated. 8 new subjects were introduced to the program. and these are:

  1. Organic agriculture
  2. Medicinal and aromatic plants
  3. Soiless agriculture
  4. Agricultural rural heritage
  5. Principles of veterniery inspection
  6. Husbandry of other animals
  7. ICT
  8. Entrepreneurship and financial literacy (curricula only)

3. FAO experts and school teachers were coached and trained to finalize the course curriculum of plant and animal majors (in Arabic) and their related student text books or references. Training topics included the following:

  1. Elaboration of learning objectives,
  2. Evaluation and assessment,
  3. Lesson plans and practical assignments,
  4. Search engines, modalities and requirements (copyrights), illustrations, and exercises
  5. Mainstreaming gender learning across the curricula: integration of learning experiences, languages and materials supportive of gender‐sensitive perspectives, attitudes and competencies. This was provided by FAO project manager along the training agendas.

4. 12 STC were elaborated with a standardized template with following topics they were further revised and adapted following implementation at vocational trainings for youth and BT students in accelerated training course in partnership with AVSI:

  1. Aromatic plants: Zaatar production and harvest
  2. The stone Pine in Lebanon: production, cultural practices and harvesting
  3. Olive harvest and postharvest practices
  4. Apple harvest and postharvest practices
  5. Basics of Agriculture: plant production
  6. Agricultural practices in plant nurseries
  7. Occupational Safety and Health
  8. Olive production
  9. Apple production
  10. Table grape production
  11. Avocado production
  12. Organic agriculture

Four were revised by WARD to be in conformity with same standards and template of above as they were elaborated and implemented by AVSI in similar programs at MoA.

  1. Fruit trees grafting and pruning
  2. Garden construction
  3. Leafy green vegetable: Lettuce production
  4. Field crop Production: Potato

5. Institutional arrangements/legislation for school management- School constitution was reviewed in line with new BTA program an amended version was produced and then endorsed and issued by MoA.