RESEARCH OUTPUTS FOR YEAR 2
Position Paper: Accelerated Education Programmes in addressing the OOSC challenge in West Africa: Towards achieving Basic Learning and Skills for Life
This position paper is developed for the Governments and UN delegations from Ghana, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. It focuses on the out of school challenge in West Africa and the growing learning gap among the rural and urban poor and between low- and high-income earners. It reviews the Out of School challenge in relation to the social and economic impacts for governments and society at large; and reviews the evidence of Accelerated learning programmes to address this challenge given the persistent supply and demand drivers. These include weak and under resourced formal school systems in the zones of deprivation and the persistent negative practices against particularly girls in these areas. It calls on policy makers to scale up Accelerated Education Programmes (AEPs) and mainstream funding into government budgets in order to meet the basic needs of the poor and marginalized across these countries.
Summary of Key Findings from Out of School Mapping Survey Across Deprived Rural and Extreme Poverty communities in the Northern and Upper East Regions of Ghana
The brief summarises the key findings from the OOSC Mapping Report and provides key recommendations for addressing the OOSC situation in Ghana.
Expanding the Evidence Base on the Out-Of-School (OOS) Population Incidence in Sierra Leone: Key findings from the Mapping Survey in Three Districts in Sierra Leone
The issue brief provides findings and evidence-base on the OOSC Incidence in Sierra Leone. The objective of the out of school mapping exercise was to gather data on the prevalence of the out of school situation in Sierra Leone, across selected districts, chiefdoms and communities, across different contexts. The findings show that the main driver of the OOS situation is economic and has to do with parents’ inability to provide their children’s basic needs for school such exercise books, uniforms and lunch.
The Effectiveness of Accelerated Education Programs (AEP) and Empowerment and Livelihood for Adolescent (ELA) Girls in Sierra Leone
This policy brief gives an overview of alternative modes of learning in Sierra Leone, evidence on the effectiveness of AEPs, provides policy considerations on the effectiveness of AEP in Sierra Leone recommendation
IDRC KIX Out of School Children and Youth (OOSCY) Mapping: Understanding the Profile of OOSCY in Nigeria
The brief presents the results from the OOSC Mapping exercise and recommendations to the government/policy makers, education innovators/ Civil Society Organizations and Schools and communities.
OOSC Mapping Report for Sierra Leone
The Out of School Children (OOSC) Mapping survey is the first primary research under the “Increasing Access to Quality Education for Rural and Marginalised Children in West Africa”. The project focused on gathering data on out of school populations being reached by the alternative education innovations across selected districts and communities in the northern and Southern regions of Sierra Leone. The study gathered data on the profile of OOSC in Pujehun, Kambia and Port Loko districts based on gender, age, disability, and other socio-demographic characteristics. The mapping exercise explored the diverse contexts within which education innovations are being implemented (rural deprived and extremely deprived contexts, socio-cultural and poverty context).
Out of School Mapping Exercise for Ghana
This report presents the findings of the out of school mapping study conducted across eight districts in the Northern, Upper East and North East Regions. The study gathered data on the profile of OOSC in eight districts across the Northern, Upper East and North-East regions based on gender, age, disability, and other socio-demographic characteristics. The exercise explored the diverse contexts within which education innovations are being implemented in rural deprived and extremely deprived contexts, socio-cultural and poverty context.
OOSC Mapping Report for Nigeria
The Out of School Children (OOSC) Mapping survey is the first primary research under the “Increasing Access to Quality Education for Rural and Marginalised Children in West Africa”. The project focused on gathering data on out of school populations being reached by the alternative education innovations across selected districts and communities in the northern and Southern regions of Sierra Leone. The study gathered data on the profile of OOSC in Pujehun, Kambia and Port Loko districts based on gender, age, disability, and other socio-demographic characteristics. The mapping exercise explored the diverse contexts within which education innovations are being implemented (rural deprived and extremely deprived contexts, socio-cultural and poverty context).
Key Findings from Out of School Mapping Survey Across Deprived Rural and Extreme Poverty communities in the Northern and Upper East Regions of Ghana
This write-up highlights the findings from the OOSC Mapping exercise which was focused on profiling the different categories of out of school children in intervention and non-intervention communities, covering variables such as gender, age, disability. The findings reveal the key factors that contribute to children leaving school, based on perspectives from household heads and primary caregivers. Socio-cultural practices (such as early marriage), engaging children in both household chores, especially girls, and productive activities such as farming as well as economic deprivation and high poverty levels, etc., are key factors that contribute to the out of school phenomenon. Key supply drivers of OOSC drawn from the mapping study include long distances between home and school, lack of access, challenges with teacher deployment and associated issues, high pupil-to-resource ratio, and low rates of teacher retention, especially in deprived and hard to reach areas.
Effectiveness of Accelerated Education Programmes in Nigeria
The Policy Brief on the Effectiveness of Accelerated Education Programmes (AEPs) in Nigeria highlights the success of AEPs in providing education access to out-of-school children, particularly in the northeast region. It emphasizes the need for urgent intervention to address the high number of out-of-school children in Nigeria despite the policy of free and compulsory education. The AEPs have been instrumental in reaching various marginalized groups, including internally displaced children, economically disadvantaged, and disabled children. The programs focus on equity, quality, and community engagement, leading to significant learning gains in foundational literacy and numeracy. Recommendations include increased government support and funding to scale up AEPs for broader impact.