Training activities within SEF logically take place on two fronts. On the one hand there is the competency enhancement of SEF’s own staff and on the other is the capacity building of program partners/stakeholder i.e. parents, communities, school staff, school based management structures, Department of Education officials and now increasingly the local government representatives. To undertake capacity building initiatives for enriching the learning environment in all SEF schools, a unit called Learning Support Unit (LSU) was established in November 2005.

Promoting education and learning as harmonious, mutual and participatory processes rather than isolated, school based and curriculum driven interventions is the main goal of LSU. Also, nurturing children’s learning capabilities and providing a conducive environment for innate intelligences to flourish and capacity development of teachers are key focus areas of LSU.

As part of SEF’s commitment to enrich the education process, LSU has been divided into two components: LSU-Academics and LSU Health. The integrated training approach is based on the premise that students/learners who are healthy and emotionally stable manifest better learning in educational as well as other settings.

Objectives

• To explore models/ways that involves challenging the myths and beliefs about education, schooling, learning, teaching, parental involvement and community participation in existing schooling system and practices.

• To explore how schools can better put into practice ideas/concepts related to open and dynamic learning, e.g. culture, indigenous knowledge systems and local values.

• To explore ways to regenerate creative and diversifying learning.

• To compare different models of learning in order to find out ways of how natural process of learning can be facilitated.

• To facilitate teachers to improve the classroom environment for effective learning that happens best in a free, challenging and nurturing environment.