ThaiNGO

Job Title: Karen Refugee Primary Education Curriculum Writer

Location: Mae Sot, Tak province, Thailand

Type of contract: Consultancy

Timeframe: End February – End May, 2017

Child Safeguarding: level 3: The responsibilities of the role may require the incumbent to have regualar contact with or access to children or young people.

Background

Save the Childen (SC), in partnership with the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), Right To Play (RTP), and ethnic education entities: Karen Refugee Committee Education Entity (KRCEE) and the camp implementing body, Office of Camp Education Entity (OCEE), Karenni Karen Teachers Working Group (KTWG), and The Karenni Education Department (KnED) are supporting the provision of quality basic education and the achievement of durable education solutions for the Burmese refugees living in 9 refugee camps along Thai-Myanmar border. The refugee situation in Thailand is among the most protracted in the world. The recent positve political progress in Myanmar aims at achieving sustainable peace within the country, paving the way for potential large-scale voluntary repatriation of refugees. Considering the context, Save the Childern and partners are working to improve preparedness in the education sector for sustainable voluntary return, while ensuring that refugee childen in the camps have access to quality basic education services, adequate teaching and learning materials and a safe and condusive learning environment, and educators are sufficiently prepared.

Situation:

Training is provided to teacher trainers, as well as new and experienced refugee teachers, to ensure that childern in the nine refugee camps gain access to basic primary education. Education in seven of the refugee camps: Mae Ra Ma Loung, Mae la Oo, Mae La, Umphiem, Nu Poe, Ban Don Yang, Tham Hin is delivered according to the Karen (KED) curriculum by KRCEE trainers and INGO partner, RTP, while the education in the two remaining camps falls under the Karenni (KnED) curriculum, and is delivered by JRS.  

Most of the teachers in these targeted refugee camps are not qualified teachers and may have completed their secondary education only. They require intense and onging technical teaching and learning support. Currently, Primary teacher training in the seven KRCEE camps is undergoing a re-structure to ensure that the training for both teacher trainers and refugee teachers meets cultural and pedagogical requirements, and properly prepares refugee teachers for future integration into the KED, and potentially, the Myanmar curriculums. Save the Children has designed a training framework in three parts: a) pre-service training, aimed at introducing new teachers to the fundamentals of teaching and learning, 2) In-service training, designed to teach pedagogy through subject matter content, and 3) Friday reflective practice sessions, designed to reflect on the previous weeks teaching practice and prepare for the following weeks classes as a teacher support network. This training regime will be supported by ongoing targeted specialist mentoring by Save the Children education specialists.

Consultancy Focus:

The curriculum writer is expected to produce Teacher Subject content materials which will function as foundation guides to support Teacher training for the In – service component of training, in addition to providing guides for ongoing lesson planning by teachers. These curriculm guides will be based on the existing subject text books currently utilised by teachers in the seven targeted refugee camps: Mae Ra Ma Loung, Mae la Oo, Mae La, Umphiem, Nu Poe, Ban Don Yang and Tham Hin. Both KRCEE camp schools and KTWG schools (in Myanmar) utilise the same curriculum. Therefore, the consultant will be required to plan and work closely with KRCEE core trainers based in Mae Sot, and consult with KTWG trainers in Mae Sariang to ensure consistency and alignment in materials, as well as traveling into camps to observe teaching delivery, on occasion.

Deliverables:  

1. Develop Teacher curriculum guides and lesson plans for the following subjects and year levels:

Grade 5 Karen language (following standard of grade 1-4 – already developed)

2. Lesson plan guides for each of the following subjects, including a yearly plan and objectives linked to units:

• Grade 1-6 Mathematics
• Grade 5-6 Social Studies
• Grade 1-6 Burmese language
• Grade 3-6 Hygiene
• Grade 3-6 Geography

3. Sequential lesson plans for at least 3 units (negotiable) demonstrating:

• purpose and anticipated outcomes
• scaffolding of subject content
• a range of different methodologies and activities for learning and formative assessment purposes
• use of basic, contextual teaching aids
• a reflection section which provides scope further planning

Note: The curriculum writer will work with another curriculum writer and divide the work according to areas of specialisation in order to achieve required outcomes.

Timeframe for development of deliverables

Management

The curriculum writer will be managed by Save the Children’s Snr Field Coordinator, Mae Sot.

In relation to day to day activities related to project work, the consultant will report to Save the Children’s Senior Education Officer.

Qualifications and experience

Extensive experience in curriculum development, especially in a primary level context

Extensive experience in teacher development

Experience working in KRCEE camps along the Thai / Myanmar border

English essential, and Karen language skills preferred

Submission for consultancy

The submission must address the terms of reference and include:

A resume addressing skills and experience relevant to the role

A proposal addressing 50% of the deliverables (the role is for two curriculum writers), incorporating work plan to achieve deliverables: timeframe / log frame / methodologies and approaches to be employed / evaluation of drafts (max 5 pages).

Closing date for submissions:

Applicants should submit their interest by 24 February 2017. Submissions must be addressed to Save the Children Thailand HR at hr.thailand@savethechildren.org 

Please indicate in the subject as “Apply for a Consultancy - Karen Refugee Primary Education Curriculum Writer ._(Name of candidate)”