School Mapping and Micro-Planning with Muriel Poisson

04 February 2019

This April, interested applicants can register for the two-week intensive course on school mapping and micro-planning. We sat down with Muriel Poisson, Programme Specialist at IIEP, to talk about why this course is relevant to planners today.

What is the main objective of your course?

The overall objective of this course is to provide participants with the skills and tools needed to apply school mapping techniques to their own country. Over two weeks, participants will gain a greater understanding of how school mapping can be used to ensure a better match between education provision and local needs and demand. The course is designed in a very practical way: it allows participants to experience each of the steps involved in school mapping, from diagnosis to the making of a prospective school map. By the end of the course, participants are asked to formulate proposals on the opening and location of new schools, the allocation of school equipment, or the allocation of teachers in a given area, and to defend their position. This allows them to realize the potential of school mapping to reduce inequalities in the provision of educational services between schools and areas, with a view of achieving the Education 2030 international agenda.

Why is this course especially relevant today?

It is vital for educational planners today to be able to look beyond macro-level planning and to understand what is really happening in education at the local level. Some of the limitations of macro-planning include limited knowledge of the local realities education systems face and a lack of involvement in decision-making at the local level. Micro-planning – which occurs at the district or sub-district level – pays specific attention to local characteristics and needs and helps strengthen local capacities for improved education service delivery. The course also looks at how school mapping techniques can help adapt the school network, address inequalities in school provision, or strategize the opening and location of new schools to achieve universal access – while keeping an eye on quality and financing.

Can you describe what a typical day in your course may look like?

This course involves mostly practical exercises so participants are able to directly apply their new skills once they return to their professional lives. The exercises draw on real country data and IIEP’s long-time expertise in the area of school mapping – including through the technical support it provides to Member States in that field. Working with Excel, GIS, and other programmes, participants make real simulations and projections that can later be adapted and applied to their own country contexts.

Want to learn more about this course? Read more about it!

Interested in joining this course? APPLY HERE