Education Cluster Meeting Tuesday 9 September 2008, 14:00h Chatrium Hotel Chair: Cluster Co-Leads Marc Wetz (UNICEF) and Shirley Long (Save the Children) 1. Introduction and welcome • Welcome to new and rotating UNICEF Education Field Officers who have been able to attend, from Bogale and Labutta. New Officers are U Thein Than Tun (Bogale) and U Nay Aung (Labutta). 2. Action points from last meeting • Scanned copies of Department of Basic Education (DBE) school construction designs were posted to the Education Cluster website. UNICEF designs will be posted once finalised. • A Who What Where list of partners planning reconstruction is being compiled and will be shared back to cluster through the website. 3. Feedback on way ahead for cluster; consultation on improving cluster • The feedback process is open for comments, based on the list of bullet points submitted earlier by partners and priorities as defined by Cluster Leads (both circulated by email). • An exit strategy is being discussed, and so an increased role for GoUM coordination in relation to school reconstruction is proposed. It was noted that government involvement at the local level is also important. Cluster Leads have talked with many TEOs and smaller agencies in almost all townships where cluster partners are working. In some areas there is evidence of very good collaboration, and some areas this is slightly weaker. We are hoping for more regular feedback from the township level, but have not yet received any reports. The Education Cluster should have its own reporting channel on a regular basis from field level. Stakeholders are becoming much more aware of each other and may feel less inhibited about reporting, and setting up a more defined way of sharing information between government and cluster. This was proposed as an action point for follow-up. 4. School reconstruction • Updated application procedures for reconstruction was provided from government, and has been posted to the website. Many have already submitted proposals. • Update from Chairman of the Myanmar Engineering Society (MES). Since the initial versions of procedures were shared and posted to the website, a more detailed version has now been developed. Two types of donor are recognised: one with its own designs, or another that plans to use DBE designs. At present more detail is needed on what DBE and Ministry of Social Welfare Relief and Rehabilitation (MSWRR) plan. Initial proposal gets initial approval based on a conceptual design, but a construction drawing is needed in order to get final technical approval. Action point: Post new version to website. The Chairman of MES noted that further, more complete guidelines may yet be provided later, as the Minister of MSWRR has not yet given final approval, and so this is still a draft version. • How to get formal approval: The procedure depends on whether DBE’s or own designs are proposed, and then standards are needed. Initial verbal approval has been provided for several organisations. Last week a “one-stop service” was being provided at MSWRR. • Although designs are being provided at central level, the need for survey and consultation with local people before actual building were stressed. • In terms of progress of school design approval, initial designs have been approved, pending some modifications to account for a higher tidal surge in one township. Looks at facilities and environment for children. MES Chairman noted that it is possible for donors to choose to use the UNICEF design, however the characteristics of the area need to be considered and whether the designs are suitable depends on results of local survey. • DBE has a list of schools for reconstruction classified by location: Coastal, Middle or Inland locations. Consult DBE for information on where schools are damaged and in need of rebuilding. • BAJ presented proposed designs during the meeting on 30 August, to be applied to one school in Mawlamyinegyun. It is a two-storey school, with the lower storey being used for teaching in a normal situation. Verbal approval was received but formal documents have not yet been submitted. • UN Habitat got DBE approval for a transitional-type structure – in 40 locations – with concrete footing and wooden frames, and now plans to upgrade these from semipermanent to permanent in second-phase funding. These are based on DBE temporary design, but with some strengthening. Each is budgeted at USD 3,000. Structures comprise a bamboo mat wall, upgradeable to wood or concrete, and a tarpaulin roof. UN Habitat is waiting approval from Regional Office and donor commitment. Some changes are being made to the initial list of planned schools as there is some overlap in Labutta and Dedaye. The timespan for transitional structures also needs to be better defined. Temporary structures generally are expected to last less than one year, while transitional are 1-2 years, and permanent are defined as 10 years or more. UN Habitat is still requesting clarification on definitions, and DBE has some guidance. UN Habitat plans to upgrade all 40 temporary schools, but the cost is high at USD 9,000 per school. UN Habitat is trying to get subsidised timber to reduce the cost to around USD 3,000. • Metta Development Foundation has received provisional approval for its reconstruction plans. • As well as plans, school building standards are needed. Standards differ for the delta areas. The technical working group for Shelter has already drafted standards, with inputs from agencies and the Ministry of Construction, especially for rural and sub- rural health centres. Design parameters for schools should be similar, but for WASH will be different depending on location (and water table level), following UNICEF and DBE standards, as well as disaster resistance standards. 5. Brief updates from field visits; agencies; inputs for this week’s Education SitRep • IRC plans for reconstruction of two schools, and at a meeting last Thursday MSWRR suggested rebuilding a high school also. • UNESCO‘s proposed project is still under discussion with government counterparts. A Disaster Preparedness and Response Education (DPRE) working group meeting was held last week and another is planned for next week. • GAA proposed seven schools to MoE, but not yet their own designs, as these are still in process with an architect. • AMRA Foundation is planning for building of five primary schools in Dedaye, and has an architect from Germany. • LRC asked if any agency was able to assist for the education in monastic setting in Mawlamyinegyun of some 88 separated children, 40 of whom have lost both parents. • Samaritan’s Purse is planning to build five schools in Pyapon. • JICA is continuing a survey on building needs for cyclone-affected areas. • Partners has carried out a survey in Kyauktan, Htantabin, Hmawbi and Taikgyi with TEOs for education needs. Partners has 10 years experience working on WASH in Shwepyithar. • UNICEF ToR are being drawn up for a construction unit in UNICEF. There has been a doubling of the number of students in some schools. In two villages 250 households from two camps were transferred to Myaungmya. Supplies will be provided for these schools. New boundaries have been redrawn since 4 September, and Bogale now includes two village tracts from Pyapon, and changes might apply to TEOs. • UNICEF Bogale -have tried twice to hold cluster meeting but with little success, and so have concentrated on individual meetings. • UNICEF Labutta -cluster meeting has previously been held in Labutta, also Cluster Leads meeting. • Feedback from field visit. • Myaungmya, Thingankun, Pathein and Labutta were visited, 8-9 schools. • There is still a need for furniture. • There are concerns about availability of clean water into the dry season. UNICEF is providing ceramic filters to 2,000 schools. Additional information on school-sized filters is requested. • Some people say that school feeding would be a good idea. • Teachers have requested health checks for students. There are mobile clinics in affected areas, but they are not checking in school. There is a school health annual programme, not regularly implemented in normal occasions. • Monitoring of buildings in terms of reconstruction and repair is needed. Field monitors are not given enough information and there is a role for agencies to help support field workers with training and information. • Many out-of-school and working children. • Review of the contents of school kits could be useful. 6. AOB • Next DPRE meeting on 16 September, and is open to all. • Education Discussion Meeting on 18 September with DPRE as the theme. • Periodic Review is a project of the TCG for monitoring of Delta region, building on the earlier Village Tract Assessment (VTA) baseline, by using similar indicators to assess progress over time. Fewer villages will be selected in a representative sample. The review will be carried out three times over the next 12 months (planned for November; February-March; June). It is open for participation and provides opportunities for capacity building. A consultation is in process and there will be a VTA lessons learned workshop on Friday 12 September. • MES informed that Ministries want more permanent school reconstruction. The first point of contact for interested parties is U Myint Thein, International Relations Director at MSWRR, telephone 09 860 1003. • UNICEF has blended food for feeding children (UNIMIX wheat soya blend). 20kg per bag, provided free of charge for use in 20 Nargis-affected townships. • UN Habitat is providing only school buildings and not any other materials and so is concerned about operationality of schools. Interested in partnering with another agency to provide school materials. • MES is holding a short seminar, with seven speakers on for engineers from Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 September. 7. Date of next meeting Wednesday 24 September 2008; 2pm, Chatrium Hotel