80663 Fast-tracking Girls’ Education A Progress Report by the Education for All – Fast Track Initiative c Niamh Burke, UNESCO I welcome this report. No issue merits more urgent attention in education than the glaring divide that separates boys and girls in many of the world’s poorest countries. Much has been achieved over the past decade—and the author highlights the policies that have made a difference. But there is no room for complacency. Interacting with other markers for disadvantage like poverty, ethnicity, and the rural-urban divide, gender inequality in education has devastating consequences for individuals and societies. It restricts opportunity, undermines progress in health, and harms economic growth. If you want a catalyst for accelerated progress towards the Millennium Development Goals, girls’ education is the place to start. And this compelling report provides a road map for the journey towards gender equity. Kevin Watkins, Director of UNESCO’s Education for All Global Monitoring Report 2011 d Fast-tracking Girls’ Education A Progress Report by the Education for All – Fast Track Initiative T his report is launched in 2011, which marks the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day. On the first International Women’s Day, wom- education, according to UNESCO. And women with post-primary education are five times more likely than illiterate women to be educated on the perils of en in most countries did not have the right to vote, contracting HIV and AIDS. The international com- and very few were encouraged to get an education, munity needs to support girls’ education in a har- or could even afford to go to school. A century later, monized, shared way, with country-owned coherent there have been vast improvements, but in develop- plans, like those centered in the EFA FTI partnership. ing countries, far too many girls are still not in school, This report by EFA FTI senior researcher, Prema and many girls face continuing health risks, harass- Clarke, publishes new and encouraging evidence of ment, and danger just walking to and from school. the EFA FTI partnership’s impact in putting more International development assistance for basic girls into school, and keeping them in school. education in the poorest nations is far below what is Cutting development aid to education now would needed. After years of stagnation, aid to basic educa- have a disastrous impact on girls and women. With tion has increased from US$ 2.4 billion in 2008, to less than four years till the deadline of the Millen- US$ 3.8 billion in 2009, and global aid for education nium Development Goal calling for universal access overall, increased from US$ 5 billion in 2008, to US$ to educational opportunities for both boys and girls, 7.8 billion in 2009. This is an encouraging develop- there is a compelling reason for the international ment, yet these levels are far from the US$ 16 billion community to give full political and financial sup- estimated by the UNESCO Global Monitoring Re- port to girls’ education. Investing in girls’ education port as needed annually to achieve Education for All. is smart economics—both for developing countries Money for education is a good return on investment. and international donors. Better educated young A child born to a mother who can read, is 50 percent women lead to more stable families, communities, more likely to survive past age 5. Each extra year of a and nations. mother’s schooling reduces the probability of infant mortality by 5–10 percent. In Africa’s poorest states, an estimated 1.8 million children’s lives could have Robert S. Prouty, been saved if their mothers had at least a secondary Head of EFA FTI Secretariat Cover image: World Bank, Honduras Introduction E ducation is a fundamental human right—a vital resource in overcoming poverty and inequality globally. All children have the right to quality basic This report publishes new and heartening prog- ress, showing the positive impact of the EFA FTI partnership on girls’ education. FTI countries have education, the bedrock for a productive life. enjoyed rapid increases in the numbers of girls at- But key to this success is ensuring that girls, as tending school. In addition, the EFA FTI model has well as boys, have full, equal access to a good quality helped reduce the number of girls who previously education system which gives them knowledge and needed to repeat a grade. This report details how skills. Better-educated girls make better decisions at EFA FTI has underpinned improvements in girls’ home, at work, and are better prepared as mothers to education. protect their children’s health from chronic illnesses The report also warns of the remaining challeng- like HIV AIDS. Long-term, inequalities between girls es, and the continuing need for the global commu- and boys have significant negative impacts on soci- nity’s sustained attention and financial commitment eties and progress. Girls’ education is fundamental to basic education. Because today there are 67 mil- to economic and social development of individuals, lion children still not in school—more than half of families, and nations. them girls. For 20 years, the international community has Sustained donor and domestic support for girls’ committed to significantly expanding the education education in the poorest countries remains critical. sector. A landmark effort has been the Education For This report calls on the international community to All-Fast Track Initiative (EFA FTI). continue focusing on reducing numbers of out-of- The EFA FTI partnership of developing and devel- school girls, improving learning outcomes, and tack- oped countries, civil society groups, the private sec- ling the chronic problem of girls not in school in frag- tor, and foundations forms the backdrop for putting ile and post-conflict countries. together and implementing Education Sector Plans (ESPs). The national ESPs have driven reform in a struc- tured and comprehensive way. These plans help countries prioritise girls’ education—emphasizing equal proportions of boys and girls entering the education system and completing primary school. Today, 43 developing countries are members of the EFA FTI partnership. The author of this EFA FTI report is Dr. Prema Clarke, a long-time education researcher with extensive field experience in Africa, South Asia, and her native India; she was assisted by Juliette Wilson. 2 Giacomo PIROZZI, UNICEF Niger 3 Putting more girls in classrooms G irls enrolled in primary school in partner coun- tries grew from an average 82 percent to 100 percent between 2002 and 2008 (Figure 1). Sixty- High Performance Countries— I.  sustained gender equity Twelve FTI countries fall into this category – Cambo- eight percent of girls in FTI countries now finish dia, Guyana, Honduras, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, primary school. Mongolia, Nicaragua, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Prin- And EFA FTI can show similar progress on equal cipe, Sierra Leone and Tajikistan. When this group access and opportunity for boys and girls in the class- joined EFA FTI, girls’ enrollment was already high room. Of the partner countries in EFA FTI with data and equal numbers of girls and boys in classrooms for 2008, 18 had achieved gender parity for enroll- had largely been achieved. ments, or had more girls than boys in school. Only one country, Central African Republic, remained far from Good Performance Countries— II.  gender parity of Grade 1 intake. growth in girls’ education The 30 countries which joined EFA FTI before For seven countries—Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, 2008 are grouped in this report according to their Guinea, Mauritania, Mozambique, and Niger—join- performance in girls’ education. The first group ing the EFA FTI meant a dramatic increase in girls’ (High Performance Countries) had reached and sus- participation. Table 1 shows the size of increase in tained the goal of gender parity before they joined girls’ participation since becoming a partner in the EFA FTI. The second group includes those countries EFA FTI. The boxes on three—Burkina Faso, Ethio- which have made substantial improvements in girls’ pia, and Ghana—describe the successes in more de- education (Good Performance Countries). The third tail. After joining EFA FTI, Mauritania increased girls’ group portrays small improvement in girls’ educa- enrollment from 88 percent in 2002 to 102 percent tion (Mixed Performance Countries).2 Figure 1: Girls Enrollment Rate (GER) and Grade 1 Intake Figure 2: Gender Parity Index (GIR and GER) in Rate (GIR) for FTI countries (2002–2008) FTI Countries 2002–2008 140 1.00 0.98 120 GIR 0.96 GIR 0.94 Percent Percent 100 GER GER 0.92 80 0.90 0.88 60 0.86 40 0.84 0.82 20 0.80 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Source: FTI Secretariat, using UNESCO Institute of Statistics 2009 data1 Source: FTI Secretariat, using UNESCO Institute of Statistics 2009 data The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) represents total enrolment in a specific level of education, regardless of age, expressed as a percentage of the eligible 1.  school-age population. Since it includes children that are above or below the official school age, the values can be above 100 percent. Net Enrolment Ratio (NER) is total enrolment in a grade as percentage of the eligible age-group population. Gross Intake Rate (GIR) is the proportion of Grade 1 intake as a percentage of the age group population. Albania and Vietnam also joined the FTI before 2008, however, due to a` lack of data these two countries are not included here. 2.  4 Girls’ Stories—Ghana Tara E. O’Connell, FTI Secretariat Ghana is breaking down gender stereotypes L ocal development partners endorsed Ghana’s Edu- cation Sector Plan in 2004. Before joining the EFA FTI, Ghanaian schools lacked basic facilities for girls and have directly resulted from improved access to educa- tion facilities for girls. The Education Sector Plan (ESP) for Ghana includes a were unable to keep them in school past puberty. By list of general and specific interventions to increase par- joining EFA FTI, Ghana made the goals of gender par- ticipation by girls in the education system. General inter- ity and universal primary completion the stalwarts of ventions include placing schools in remote settlements government policy. With grants and publicity campaigns and constructing and rehabilitating school facilities. Both to break down gender stereotypes, the government of these strategies reduced travelling distances for girls. Ghana increased enrollment and transition to secondary Teacher recruitment, including more women teachers, education for girls. and teacher training also helped girls’ education. Other Between 1999 and 2004, there has been a modest girl-friendly measures included: increase in girls’ enrollment of about 5 percent over • Separate sanitation facilities four years. Post FTI endorsement in 2004 and over the • Eliminating gender stereotyping in educational ma- next four years, Ghana witnessed a significant 32 per- terials cent increase in gross enrollment (GER). The commit- • Encouraging recruitment and deployment of women ment to the FTI process resulted in better delivery of teachers as role models education services and increases in the demand for ed- ucation. Increases in girls’ enrollment are based on the • Putting in place systems/processes to ensure safety for size of the new recruits. The Grade 1 intake for girls, girls in school post-EFA (2004 to 2008), is 27 percent, compared to • Scholarship programs for girls the negative intake trend in the years before. This may 5 in 2008. Niger scored a 57 percent increase between Mauritania, Mozambique and Cameroon lead this 2002 and 2008 in the number of girls going to school. group, with more than a 50 percent decrease in the Overall, the seven countries show a remarkable in- proportion of girls repeating a grade. The num- crease in girls’ enrollment of an average 46 percent— ber of girls repeating a grade also falls in Burkina significantly higher than the period just before be- Faso, Guinea, and Niger. Benin, though, shows an coming FTI partners. increase in the number of repeaters. Though repeti- Three countries—Benin, Cameroon, and Timor tion in the start year for Timor Leste was not avail- Leste—have also made progress in increasing the able, in 2008 it is moderately high, at 12 percent. number of girls in classrooms since they joined EFA Reducing repetition is an important step in helping FTI. Within a year of joining, girls’ enrollment im- girls remain in school through the primary cycle proved by 13 percent in Benin. Similarly, in Cameroon and beyond. and Timor Leste, girls in school increased by 5 and 7 percent, respectively. III.  Mixed Performance Countries Overall, many of the countries in this group have Eight countries show results that are more mixed. almost equal numbers of girls and boys in classrooms. Four have seen declines in girls’ enrollment; the The seven countries with significant increases joined others have seen generally a growth. There is an the FTI partnership when it was created and the re- increase in the number of girls joining school in maining three more recently. Country governments Djibouti, Mali, Senegal, and Yemen, averaging were enthusiastic to join as partners and began tar- about ten percent. In Gambia, Kyrgyzstan, Libe- geted reform of their education sector, especially the ria, and Moldova, on the other hand, there is a de- education of girls. And this national championing of crease (between one and eight per cent) in girls’ reform has clearly contributed to the significant gains enrolment. Except for Yemen and Gambia, which in these countries. joined EFA FTI in 2003, the remaining countries In addition to increasing participation of girls, in this group became FTI partners between 2005 most of the Good Performance Countries show sharp and 2007. More time is needed to show results decreases in the percentage of girls who repeat a grade based on ESP implementation. Additional assess- in primary school. As seen in Figure 3, Ethiopia, ment is also required on the specific barriers in Table 1: Good Performance Countries—Girls’ Gross Figure 3: Good Performance Countries—per cent repeaters Enrollment Rate 30 Start year 1999 Start year 2008 Burkina Faso 2002 36 39 68 Burkina Faso 25 Ethiopia 2004 38 60 92 Ethiopia Ghana 2004 76 80 105 20 Ghana Percent Guinea 2002 43 62 83 Guinea 15 Mozambique Mauritania 2002 86 88 102 Mozambique 2003 59 75 107 Mauritania 10 Niger 2002 24 32 51 Niger Benin 2007 66 94 108 5 Benin Cameroon 2006 75 98 102 Cameroon Timor Leste 2005 96 103 0 Source: FTI Secretariat, using UNESCO Institute of Statistics 2008 data Start Year 2008 Source: FTI Secretariat, using UNESCO Institute of Statistics 2008 data 6 Luc-Charles Gacougnolle, World Bank each of these countries that are not allowing girls number of repeaters in Djibouti, Liberia, and Ye- to go to school. men. Again, this fluctuation in repetition could be Performance on repetition in these countries also due to the limited length of time in which the ESP presents a somewhat mixed picture. Repetition is has been in operation. This could also reflect the very low (below 1 percent) in Moldova and Kyrgyz- challenges of improving the quality of education in stan. Moderate decreases are seen in Mali, Senegal, these countries. and Gambia. In contrast, there is an increase in the Table 2: Mixed Performance Countries— Figure 4: Mixed Performance Countries— Girls’ Gross Enrollment Rate per cent repeaters Start year 1999 Start Year 2008 20 Djibouti 2006 28 40 43 18 Gambia 2006 85 90 89 16 Kyrgyzstan 2003 97 95 94 14 Djibouti Percent Liberia 2007 83 93 86 12 Gambia Moldova 2005 100 97 93 10 Liberia Mali 2006 47 74 83 8 Mali Senegal 2006 60 78 85 6 Senegal Yemen 2003 51 67 76 4 Yemen Source: FTI Secretariat, using UNESCO Institute of Statistics 2008 data 2 0 Endorsement 2008 Year Source: FTI Secretariat, using UNESCO Institute of Statistics 2008 data 7 Girls’ Stories—Yemen Improving girls’ education in Yemen’s rural provinces Y emen has one of the highest gender gaps in edu- cation in the world. Yemen joined EFA FTI in 2003 with an avowed goal of “decreasing the enrollment Yemen’s strategy to increase girls’ participation blended innovative and traditional mechanisms. These included constructing new schools in rural areas through gap between boys and girls.� Over the last decade, the a school mapping exercise, and placing schools closer government implemented a national education plan to girls’ homes. Yemen launched girls’ education cam- focusing on boosting girls’ education in rural provinces. paigns through local media and also made use of tradi- By pooling donor support for education, and assistance tional leaders. Other interventions encouraged women from EFA FTI, the Ministry of Education introduced sev- teachers to work in rural areas by giving them adequate eral policy measures to expand access, improve quality, accommodation. The government eliminated tuition fees and internal efficiency of its sector. to defray costs to families. Girls were provided clothes, The targeted approach by development partners notebooks, pens, and bags to help them attend school since endorsement has resulted in an increase of 12 with confidence. Strategies to help young girls travel to percent in girls’ gross enrollment (GER). In spite of this school safely were introduced, and girls’ participation in increase, Yemen’s progress in bringing girls to school school was to be carefully monitored. is weak. Girls’ completion of primary education is also FTI grants were used to build and rehabilitate 214 low. The approach taken in Yemen has not produced girl-friendly schools with proper toilet facilities in four re- the anticipated improvement in girls’ education. Re- mote provinces. Kits with school supplies were given to newed debates on how to accelerate increases for girls 350,000 children. Funds also helped build teacher train- is needed. ing institutes in rural areas and 1000 women teachers were trained in these institutes. Linda Shen, UNESCO 8 Girl-friendly interventions to retain girls in school B ecause development partners have carefully har- monized their work to help build effective na- tional education sector plans, the EFA FTI model has cover school and examination fees, and to buy text- books for girls. Free education was awarded to girls from poor families and specific disadvantaged groups. improved girls’ education. Remote ethnic groups, where gender disparities are Education Sector Plans (ESPs) helped focus and widespread, were singled out for financial support. consolidate donors’ attention on a set of critical is- Quotas for girls were introduced in schools, and local sues, especially gender equity. Indeed, the preparation communities funded to buy school materials for girls. of ESPs brought together different players to concen- Country plans included the creation of school trate on analyzing gender outcomes and to under- health and feeding programs, which provide healthy stand them in the context of other factors of margin- food choices daily for children and also assist with girls’ alization such as poverty and geographic isolation. In health concerns, especially in rural areas. School caf- addition, ESPs convene people to brainstorm about eterias were established in nomadic areas and scattered the right interventions to fit specific contexts and remote settlements. De-worming programs strength- thus to refine what needs to be done to improve the ened girls’ health and thus their presence in school. overall education experience for girls. The methods Gender and HIV AIDS prevention was mainstreamed used in each country differ, depending on the social in primary and secondary school activities, focusing and cultural context. ESPs also highlight the need for on the special needs of girls. Teachers were equipped increased government commitment to and financial with relevant skills to deal with HIV and AIDS. support for education. In addition, recognizing chal- Several plans include a review of school curricula lenges in implementation through Joint Sector Re- for gender stereotyping. More generally, the plans fo- views (which monitor progress across countries), is cused on gender mainstreaming across all education- crucial to identifying what works most effectively in al materials. Depicting women as role models, and in furthering girls’ education. professions normally held by men, was an important The most common intervention included in 23 strategy to encourage girls’ education. New curricula country plans was to mobilize communities to send were developed which were gender-sensitive and their girls to school. The media—television, radio, gender-responsive. In addition, curricula focused newspapers —and religious leaders were enlisted to Alberto Begue, FTI Secretariat communicate with parents and community members about the importance and benefits of education. Suc- cess stories of educated girls becoming productive members of society were publicized. To help girls stay in school, communities were encouraged to re- lease girls from both home duties and care of younger brothers and sisters. Parents were encouraged to pro- tect their daughters by monitoring schools for safety, abuse, or violence, and they were also urged to be ac- tive in parent-teacher or mothers associations. A second set of interventions in 20 countries pro- vides targeted financial support. Money was given to 9 Natasha Graham, FTI Secretariat opened for girls from remote communities. To enable young girls to attend early grades without having to walk long distances, often in bad weather, schools were constructed close to the community. Monitor- ing systems hold teachers and principals accountable for actions detrimental to the access and survival of girls. Schools provided childcare facilities for siblings brought to school. This was also an incentive for girls who had children to return to school themselves. Women teachers encouraged more girls to attend school. Accordingly, several plans focus on gender- sensitive teacher management. Incentives were given to teacher education institutions to enroll and retain more women students/trainees. Women’s entry into teaching was targeted. Women teachers were recruit- ed and deployed to act as role models. They were also encouraged to teach in rural and isolated areas and of- fered safe homes to rent or buy. More women teachers from disadvantaged communities were promoted in the system. Seven plans discussed the importance of gender- sensitive administration. These include training na- tional and sub-national technical experts and manag- ers to create program plans to target both the poorest children, and girls. Operational budgets were specifi- cally designed for local management committees to specifically on gender issues such as sexuality, repro- monitor girls’ performance and gender focal points. ductive health, and HIV/AIDS were introduced. Specialized departments on girls’ education have Fourteen country plans focus on gender-sensitive been created within the Ministry of Education. These teacher development. Strategies to ensure girls at- departments monitored gender-mainstreaming and tended school regularly and enjoyed being there girls’ outcomes during ESP implementation periods. were included in pre-service and in-service teacher Six plans have introduced laws and policies that training. Training also included modules on the re- support girls’ education. The legal and structural lationship between pupil and teacher, emphasizing framework for inclusive education was strength- the mentoring of girls. Teachers were given guides/ ened. Laws protecting girls from violence, particu- handbooks about harassment of girls and women larly sexual harassment, drug abuse, and child labor teachers, with special emphasis on building confi- were disseminated across school systems. Schools dence to report cases. were charged with the implementation of gender and Ensuring that school environments are conducive development policies. Non-formal and alternative to girls’ participation is an important intervention in methods were introduced to accelerate education for about a dozen sector plans. Learning environments girls over the age of school entry. School calendars were created which were healthy, safe, and free of gen- were adjusted so that hours of instruction were flex- der-based violence. Separate latrines/toilets for boys ible, to increase girls’ access. and girls were built, along with sanitary facilities to as- sist girls during menstruation. Boarding schools were 10 Tara E. O’Connell, FTI Secretariat Girls’ Stories—Burkina Faso Girls in Burkina Faso are taking enormous strides A ccording to the Poverty Reduction Strategy 2004 (Ministry of Economy and Development), educa- tion in Burkina Faso was seen as “worrisome.� There Focusing on the low proportion of girls going to school, Burkina Faso’s education sector plan chose were meager increases in Gross Enrollment Rates (GERs) special measures to draw girls’ into between 1998 and 2002 from 41 to 44 percent. More- the system. School meals and com- over, 56 percent of children were excluded from the prehensive campaigns on the im- education system. Boys’ enrollment far exceeded that of portance of schooling motivated all girls. The completion rate for girls was one of the lowest children to enroll in school. Within in Africa for a variety of reasons, poverty being one of the overall strategy of encouraging the most prominent. communities to send their children But the “worrisome� label changed once Burkina to school, pressure groups, mothers joined the FTI partnership in 2002. There was clear associations, and quotas (50 percent) for girls’ recruit- acceleration in access and a strengthened capacity ment were set up. Women teachers were sent to areas for girls’ education. Improvement in girls’ enrollment with low girls’ enrollment to serve as role models. Within in Burkina Faso by 73 percent, since becoming an FTI the school system, specialized departments for girls’ partner, is testimony to the goals outlined in the plan, education were created, and in addition, teachers were which emphasized increasing coverage of education trained to supervise girls’ education. Stereotyping girls’ without undermining the quality of education girls re- images in curricula and textbooks were eliminated, and ceived. Similar increases apply to the Grade 1 intake regular information sessions were conducted on the risks and transition rate for girls into secondary schools. In faced by girls in schools. Female students also received addition, there was a substantial decrease in the per- incentives such as take-home rations and prizes for at- centage of repeaters annually. tending school. Burkina Faso—Girls’ enrollment Burkina Faso—Girls’ transition and repetition 100 50 80 GER 40 Transition Rate 60 30 Percent Percent NER 40 20 Endorsement % of Repeaters 20 Year 10 0 0 1999 2002 2008 1999 2002 2008 11 Girls’ education—the remaining challenges T he EFA FTI has played a transformative role in im- proving girls’ education in developing countries. While further fine-tuning of the FTI design would be build knowledge and skills will be the single great- est challenge in the coming decade. In all developed countries, girls significantly out- helpful, it is critical to continue bringing local edu- score boys in reading at the primary level. Nowhere cation partners and governments together to jointly is this true in FTI countries. Comparative informa- develop strategic plans and collectively chart clear tion on learning levels for boys and girls is available directions for reform in girls’ schooling. It will be im- for a few FTI countries that appeared for SACMEQ portant to help countries distil their implementation tests (Table 4).3 In none of these countries do girls experiences, especially in slow performing cases, and significantly outperform boys. to identify interventions that have had greater impact. 2. Out of school children: Though the overall These interventions would specifically address the trends in girls’ enrollment are improving, out-of- constraints and limits unique to each country. Look- school girls in at-risk communities are particularly ing ahead, there are three areas which can expand the vulnerable. This group includes girls who have gains so far, and also tackle the challenges that remain. never attended school, who attend sporadically, or 1. Learning levels: While remarkable gains have who have permanently dropped out. Understand- been made in increasing access to schooling for ing the number and characteristics of girls who girls, there is more work to be done to improve have never attended, temporarily, or permanently learning outcomes. Children in Grade 2 in Mali, dropped out of the school system is critical. At-risk Gambia, Nicaragua, Uganda, Liberia, and Hondu- communities include girls in ethnically or socially ras were tested on the number of words they could marginalized groups, girls with mental and physi- read. Significant numbers of children are unable to cal disabilities, working girls, and girls with HIV read a single word after several years of schooling. AIDS. And girls living in extreme poverty are at Overall levels of learning for both boys and girls particular risk. Addressing the needs of such girls are low. Improving education quality that can must be the focus for action in the next decade. Table 3: Learning levels for select Anglophone FTI countries 3. Fragile and post-conflict countries: Fragile and Endorsement 2000 2007 post-conflict countries have joined EFA FTI, e.g., Country Year Boys Girls Boys Girls Haiti, Central African Republic, Liberia, and Sierra Reading Scores Leone, and others. Lack of physical infrastructure, Kenya 2005 546 547 544 542 scarcity of basic school supplies, and weak adminis- Lesotho 2005 447 455 464 472 trative capacity in these countries significantly chal- Malawi 2009 432 426 439 429 lenge efforts made to improve girls’ participation. Mozambique 2003 518 514 478 473 Girls caught up in violent civil conflicts are highly Zambia 2008 440 447 437 432 disadvantaged. The effect of violence on girls’ edu- Mathematics scores Kenya 2005 574 552 568 546 cation is almost twice that of boys. When conflicts Lesotho 2005 446 448 477 477 end, double the efforts are needed to draw girls into Malawi 2009 438 428 453 441 school. The immediate post-conflict period in these Mozambique 2003 537 520 488 479 countries requires additional efforts to sustain the Zambia 2008 440 430 441 429 influence of the FTI process in initiating major re- Source: SACMEQ 2002 and 2007 form. SACMEC stands for Southern and Eastern African Consortium for 3.  Monitoring Quality Educational Quality 12 Girls’ Stories—Ethiopia Ethiopia’s political leaders champion girls’ education E thiopia’s education sector plan was endorsed by the FTI partnership in 2004. At that time, 45 percent of the girls in the 6 to 11 age group were not attending Ethiopia—Increase in girls’ participation 100 GER school. 80 NER Increases in girls’ education in the years before join- 60 Percent ing EFA FTI were encouraging. From 1999 to 2004, over a four-year period, the increase in girls’ gross enrollment 40 (GER) was about 31 percent. In contrast, after joining Endorsement the FTI partnership, in the following four years, the in- 20 Year crease in GER more than doubled to 92 percent. Girls’ net enrollment (NER) also increased 39 percent, reaching 0 1999 2004 2008 75 percent in 2008. Although completion rates are still too low, these have increased from 24 percent in 2004 to 43 percent in 2008. • Encouraging parents and government officials to Ethiopia’s success in increasing girls’ enrollment was monitor schools for violence against girls grounded in its vision for all children to have access to • Providing sufficient toilets for girls and establishing quality education by 2015. The Education Sector Plan “girls clubs� in schools confirms Ethiopia’s pledge to “take affirmative action to • Targeted recruiting of women as teachers and admin- ensure equity in female participation… in all education istrators and training programs and to increase their role and par- ticipation in development.� EFA FTI provided the oppor- • Micro-level initiatives to address specific needs of tunity for partners to join in providing coherent support girls-out-of-school in implementing this vision. • Establishing a special day to celebrate girls Interventions outlined in the ESP to bring girls to • Strengthening monitoring, and making the school school included: system accountable for actions detrimental to the ac- • Publicity campaigns creating awareness at the region- cess and survival of girls al level Giacomo PIROZZI, UNICEF Niger 13 Conclusion This report spells out the impact of EFA FTI in im- mitments from donors, and developing country gov- proving girls’ education experience in developing ernments now would have disastrous consequences. countries. The FTI model puts country governments Targeted efforts are needed in a set of countries where in the driver’s seat. The countries themselves put to- girls’ enrollments remain low, especially in fragile and gether the plans; they direct additional financial sup- post-conflict countries. We must focus particularly on port to implement ESPs; they, with the partners, en- learning outcomes for girls. And few FTI countries able more girls to not only attend but stay in school. have sufficiently invested in areas such as Early Child- The impact across FTI countries is strong, with growth hood Education with its significant potential for im- in girls’ education in 26 out of 30 FTI countries. proving girls’ success in school. In 2011 and beyond, it is imperative that the global Much has been done. And the results are encourag- community continue to focus on improving the edu- ing. But much remains to be done still. cational experience of girls. Lessening financial com- Gennadiy Ratushenko, World Bank 14 ANNEX 1 Interventions to improve girls’ education Administration capacity Scholarships/incentives Monitoring outcomes Teacher management Curriculum/textbooks Advocacy/awareness Health and HIV/AIDS School environment Laws and Policies Teacher training School feeding Country Albania Benin � � � � Bhutan Burkina Faso � � � � � � � Cambodia � � � � � Cameroon � � � � � Central African Republic Djibouti � � � � � Ethiopia � � � � � � Georgia � � Ghana � � � � Guinea � � � � � Guinea-Bissau � � � � Guyana � Haiti � Honduras � Kenya � � � � Kyrgyz Republic � Lao PDR � � � � � � � � Lesotho � � � � � Liberia � Madagascar Malawi � � � Mali � � � � Mauritania � � Moldova Mongolia � � Mozambique � � � � � � Nepal � � � Nicaragua Niger � Papua New Guinea � � Rwanda � � � � � � � � Sao Tome and Principe � � � Senegal � � � � Sierra Leone � � � � � � � Tajikistan � � � � The Gambia � � � Timor Leste � Togo � Vietnam Yemen, Rep � � � � � � � � � � Zambia � � � � � � � � � Source: FTI Secretariat – Country Education Sector Plans 15 ANNEX 2 FTI countries: Gross and Net Enrollment Ratios (2007/2008)* Gross Enrollment Ratio Net Enrollment Ratio Country Endorsement Year Girls Boys Girls Boys Benin 2007 108 125 87 99 Bhutan 2009 106 106 84 82 Burkina Faso 2002 68 79 56 64 Cambodia 2006 112 120 87 90 Cameroon 2006 102 119 82 94 Central Africa 2008 72 102 56 76 Djibouti 2006 43 49 39 44 Ethiopia 2004 92 103 75 81 Gambia 2003 89 84 71 67 Georgia 2009 106 109 98 100 Ghana 2004 105 106 77 76 Guinea 2002 83 97 66 76 Guinea Bissau 2010 Guyana 2002 108 109 95 95 Haiti 2008 Honduras 2002 116 116 98 96 Kenya 2005 110 113 82 81 Kyrgyzstan 2006 94 95 83 84 Lao PDR 2009 106 117 81 84 Lesotho 2005 107 108 74 71 Liberia 2007 86 96 Madagascar 2005 150 154 99 98 Malawi 2009 122 119 93 88 Mali 2006 83 100 65 78 Mauritania 2002 102 95 79 74 Moldova 2005 93 95 87 89 Mongolia 2006 101 102 88 90 Mozambique 2003 107 122 77 82 Nepal 2009 Nicaragua 2002 116 118 92 92 Niger 2002 51 65 43 55 Papua New Guinea 2009 Rwanda 2006 152 150 97 95 Sao Tome & Principe 2007 129 131 97 98 Senegal 2006 85 83 74 72 Sierra Leone 2007 148 168 Tajikistan 2005 100 104 95 99 Timor-Leste 2005 103 110 74 78 Togo 2010 97 113 78 89 Vietnam 2002 Yemen, Republic 2003 76 95 66 79 Zambia 2008 118 120 96 95 Source: FTI Secretariat, using UNESCO Institute of Statistics 2008 data The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) represents total enrolment in a specific level of education, regardless of age, expressed as a percentage of the * eligible school-age population. 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Center for Global Development, Washington DC. Pereznieto P., Harper C., Clench B., & Coarasa J. 2010. The Economic Impact of School Violence: A Report for Plan International. London Sen, Amartya. 2000. Social Exclusion: Concept, application and scrutiny. Asia Development Bank. Manila. UNESCO. 2010. Global Monitoring Report. Paris. UNESCO, 2010. Gender and Social Exclusion. Paris, Brussels. UNESCO. 2010. Gender Responsive Budgeting in Education. Bangkok. Hungi, Njora, Demus Makuwa, Kenneth Ross, Mioko Saito, Stephanie Dolata, Frank van Capelle, Laura Paviot, Jocelyn Vellien. 2010. SACMEQ III Project Results: Pupil Achievement levels in Reading and Mathematics. Working Document No. 1 Acknowledgments Michael McDowell, Angela Bekkers, Sandra Barton, Carolina Valenzuela, and Yann Doignon 17 To comment on this report, please contact: Michael McDOWELL; mmcdowell1@educationfasttrack.org and telephone (202) 473-7776, in Washington, D.C., U.S.A. 900 19th Street, N.W. Sixth floor Washington, D.C. 20006 U.S.A. www.educationfasttrack.org b www.facebook.com/EducationForAll