VVOB focusses mainly on sub-Sahara Africa and the Least Developed Countries (LDC group), which is in line with Belgium’s national development policy.

VVOB ensures the improvement of the quality of education:

• through capacity building of government education actors and other education actors in the global South. This is achieved through technical assistance provided by local and international experts.
• by connecting these actors in the global South with each other, and connecting actors in the North with actors in the South. This way, VVOB facilitates knowledge exchange between partners with a similar mission.
• by inspiring education actors in Flanders and the South on equity-related issues in education, based on worldwide research, experiences and expertise.

Currently, we have long-term partnerships with education actors in Cambodia, DR Congo, Ecuador, Rwanda, South Africa, Suriname, Uganda, Vietnam, Zambia and Belgium/Flanders. At times, we conduct short assignments in other countries.

VVOB aligns its activities with the education needs and strategies of its partner countries. We formulate those activities with the relevant education institutions, and implement them together too. This local rootedness explains our thematic focus and above all ensures sustainable results.

We focus on the professional development of teachers and on effective school leadership in four educational subsectors, by developing the capacity of local education actors.

We support the professionalisation of teachers by strengthening the institutions tasked with their initial training and continued professional development, and those institutions responsible for the mentoring and coaching of new teachers. This way, the pedagogical and didactic competencies of both new and experienced teachers are strengthened.

We are also committed to the professional development of school leaders. Effective school leadership creates an environment in which teachers provide quality work. School leaders guide, support and develop their teachers, and have, as such, a big impact on learning outcomes of learners too.

We offer technical solutions in the form of technical assistance that reinforces the capacity of the government and local education authorities. This mainly concerns departments in the ministries of education and institutions that provide professional development opportunities to teachers and school leaders. We offer practical and technical education expertise as well as process support, and simultaneously make sure that our partners increasingly take the lead as the programme progresses. This guarantees the sustainability of our results.

Four educational subsectors:

• Teachers and school leaders in early education (and in the transition to primary education) provide an equal start to all learners to ensure their full development during their future education.
• Teachers and school leaders in primary education use appropriate pedagogical and didactic methodologies to improve literacy, numeracy and life skills in all learners.
• Teachers and school leaders in general secondary education (and in the transition to it) ensure all learners acquire the necessary 21st century skills.
• Teachers and school leaders in technical and vocational education and training prepare all learners to the needs of society and decent work.

Equity, and gender equity in particular, is a common thread in all our activities.