- Critical Needs Assessment
The following urgent needs were established through our site visit:
- Staffing: Critically low teacher-to-student ratio (1:82).
- Health & Nutrition: Significant dietary gaps among students.
- Social Challenges: High incidence of early marriages, particularly affecting girls.
- Infrastructure: Need for a dedicated Admin block.
- Supply of teacher desks for the staff room.
- Security & Safety: Immediate requirement for school fencing.
- Logistics: Need for reliable transportation for exam collection during the national examination period.
Irbaan Primary School
- Project Spotlight: Advancing Education at Empoo Primary School
School Profile Snapshot
- Location: 3 km from the JW Marriott camp, accessible via a motorable road (approximately 20 minutes travel time).
- Student Population: A total of 1,147 students (645 boys, 502 girls), spanning from Pre-primary 1 through Grade 7.
- Infrastructure: The school currently utilizes 11 classroom blocks to accommodate the student body.
- Staffing Crisis: Operates with only 14 teachers, resulting in a critical 1:82 teacher-to-student ratio.
- Our Phased Strategy for Growth
Recognizing the school’s great potential, our strategy involves a phased approach, guided by strong partnerships, to bring the school’s standards up to national levels.
Short-Term Projects (0–3 Months)
- Develop a suitable EdTech project design for the school’s learning needs.
- Design an ideal school feeding program.
- Fundraise for book donations for the scholars.
Medium-Term Projects (12–18 Months)
- Fully implement a pilot EdTech program in at least one class.
- Fundraise for and fence off the school with electric fencing.
- Conduct capacity building training for existing staff members.
Long-Term Goals
- Strengthen the existing school feeding program, incorporating a school farm and a modern irrigation system.
- Mainstream EdTech in all classrooms in the school.
- Enhance staffing in the school and reduce the teacher-to-student ratio to at least 1:25.
- Install functional rain water harvesting systems in the school to boost sanitation.