Enhancing professional agricultural education in development co-operation - Adaptability of the dual system in different socio-economic contexts

Unemployment continues to be one of the most serious problems in developing countries. The lack a profound and efficient systems of vocational educati on which can meet the challenges of rapid technological development and soc io-economic change have to be considered an important cause. The German sys tem of vocational education, normally referred to as the Dual System, has r ecently attracted many Third World Governments as a guideline for the impro vement of professional education. This paper intends to assess activities o f the German Institute for Tropical and Subtropical Agriculture (DITSL), Wi tzenhausen for the assistance in implementing an improved system of profess ional education based on the German experience. Between 1985 and 1998 almos t 200 Moroccan agricultural professionals have been trained. In 1990 the Ge rman Agency for Technical Go-operation started a bilateral aid project whic h had the purpose of establishing the dual system of professional education in the agricultural sector of Morocco. The chosen approach, i.e. starting formal training five years prior to the proper project, has proven to be a decisive factor for success. In 1998/99 an effective dual system of vocatio nal training had been implemented. Countrywide 1,200 training farms had bee n recognised which cared for 2,434 trainees. 35 Technical Schools with 300 trained teachers were integrated in the system. Technical vocational education in the Republic of Indonesia has been develo ped during the past 25 years by the establishment of a total of 3.685 Vocat ional Secondary Schools. Important steps have been taken by Government to m atch technical vocational education with the requirements of the economy by placing more weight on practical instruction in the curricula. Nevertheles s, in consideration of the numerous constraints officials from the Ministry of Education and Culture came together with DITSL staff in 1996 in order t o plan a co-operation programme. The objective was to introduce key element s of the German dual system of professional education into the existing Ind onesian framework. As a result the implementation of a pilot training cours e has been implemented. This was considered a first step and a long-term co -operation programme is required in order to achieve a sustainable success.