Our programme is in line with the mission of the Ministry Of Education and Human Resources which is
"to ensure learning opportunities accessible to all, provide learners with values and skills to further
their personal growth, enhance their critical and exploratory thinking, encourage them to innovate and
to adapt to changes in an increasingly globalised environment". [DRAFT Education & Human Resources Strategy Plan 2008-2020, p. 7]
In 2014 our programme benefited 343 vulnerable children.
The programme aims at addressing the learning difficulties of vulnerable children and helping them to develop essential life skills such as critical thinking, participation, responsibility and ability to cooperate.
The children take part in art workshops that are carried by their teachers and TIPA facilitators, Art Festivals and several other art activities that not only help the children to acquire new skills, but also encourage them to foster a sense of responsibility, cooperation, respect for others and self-confidence.
Moreover, by conducting the performance assessment in collaboration with the children, we place them in the centre of their learning process making them responsible for their own progress.
Teachers
In 2014 we worked with 16 teachers from 2 ZEP schools selected by the Ministry of Education and Human Resources.
Our main objective in working at the ZEP schools is to complement and support the work of the school teachers and not to replace them. TIPA facilitators and school teachers work hand in hand during the workshops, exchanging experience and good practices.
We intend to help the teachers to learn and put in practice interactive pedagogy techniques and innovative teaching strategies that include the child in their own learning process and help the teachers with class management. Moreover, we work on arousing the interest for Mauritius arts and culture by including these themes in the workshops and involving Mauritian artists in our events.
Further, in line with the implementation of the "The Arts - creativity books" by the national government, we work on increasing its practical use during the weekly creativity class.
School Community
Our programme is encompassed within the framework of Ministry Of Education and Human Resources' ZEP Programme, with specific reference to the objective of encouraging school staff, parents, so called "forces vives" such as civil society organizations, private sector, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) and Community Based Organisations (CBO) to develop a synergy that contributes to the improvement of the quality of teaching and learning in the primary education sector.
Therefore, a very important part of our work is to involve the school community in the academic development of the children. We work together with teaching and non-teaching school staff, other NGOs in the area of education or child development, government and the wider civil society that are interested in our programme.
We take advantage of our Annual Arts Festivals and of Team buildings to strengthen the relationship between all these entities and improve the overall cooperation. Our main objective is to enhance the regional network around the school community.
TIPA (Terrain for Interactive Pedagogy through Arts) is a non-governmental organization. The TIPA Programme aims at addressing the learning difficulties
of vulnerable children through the development of innovative teaching strategies in collaboration with teachers and school staff in ZEP Schools
(Priority Area Schools). Tha activities proposed by the TIPA team are based on interactive pedagogy, participatory practices, and the use of arts.
TIPA aims at fostering self-confidence, participation, critical thinking, mutual respect and cooperation: those values and abilities that help the child
to approach and manage learning modules and materials.
