Success Story: How Jean-Pierre went from a concerned parent to school principal

In Obo, in the south-east of the Central African Republic (CAR), an ACTED project has enabled Jean-Pierre, a Parent-Teacher, to become the Director of the school in which he was already teaching. 43 Parent-Teachers have already benefitted from the action.

Jean-Pierre’s journey began with a 35-day training course in Zemio, in 2016, which he attended with other parents from all over the prefecture. At the time he was an active Parent-Teacher, leading a class of 85 fourth-grade studens in Obo. Beyond improving his knowledge of professionalized teaching standards, Jean Pierre also obtained a certificate of completion and received crucial classroom teaching materials which were so lacking in his school in Obo.

At the beginning of the project, Jean-Pierre took part in an intensive 5-day training course aimed at parents with extensive teaching experience. This training included courses on: school management, school logistics, social and recreational activities, and ensuring that the facilities were accessible to students living with disability. “I woke up during this training,” said Jean-Pierre, who added that he is now more confident dealing with the complex situations that can arise in classrooms, as well as the measures required to ensure equal access opportunities for children with disabilities.

The training was a turning point for Jean-Pierre: “The School Inspector and the Head of Sector observed my conduct and teaching and decided to appoint me as Director. I started  at the École Bonne Semence d’Obo in September 2018. Thanks to this project, Jean-Pierre felt he had finally broken out of old rhythms and was beginning to make up for lost time, especially at the intellectual level. “Being promoted to director has really been a great success for me,” he said.