The Role of the Peace Corps in Education in Developing Countries: A Sector Study. Appropriate Technologies for Development. Peace Corps Information Collection & Exchange Reprint Series R-49.

Overview & Synopsis

This report examines the role played by the Peace Corps education sector in developing countries. Section I provides a general overview of the progress over the past 20 years of education assistance. A case study is presented of education programs in Sierra Leone. Section II provides an overview of distribution of education volunteers worldwide and by programming categories in 1980. Section III considers the current condition. It describes conditions of education in developing countries, addresses the development significance of education, and presents sketches of conversations with host country officials, Peace Corps staff, and volunteers. These sketches convey the influence of the Peace Corps today on students and education systems in Sierra Leone, Togo, and Kenya. Section IV identifies policy areas where decisions can be made and offers recommendations as to decisions that should be made to guide the activities of the education sector. Appendixes, amounting to over one-half of the report, provide a summary overview of education programs in each of the three regions to which the Peace Corps sends volunteers. Each education program is briefly described. (YLB)