JSDF – JAPAN SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT FUND November 2016 Quality Education for Every Child “ Improving Primary Education Outcomes for the Most Vulnerable Children in Rural Mongolia ” Project (2012-2017) The Project Context without having had any formal ECE. While some alternative forms of delivery of ECE were operational in urban and semi-urban Mongolian general education system educational needs of 6-8 year-old children, places of the country, children from rural reform started in 2005 to extend it from 10 thousands of nomadic herder families have nomadic herding communities had only 2 years to 12 years to align it with the hard task of deciding between: to 3 weeks of exposure to the “Ger” mobile international standards. Since the SY ECE service before enrolling in school. This 2008-2009, early childhood education  Sending their child to the school was completely inadequate for preparing (ECE) has been provided for 2-5 years old dormitory at the age of 6, and being children for schooling. There were neither children, followed by 12 years of primary and secondary education. With this completely or partially separated from their child for 9 months a year; November2016 specific programs, textbooks nor any other resource materials which could have structural reform, the primary school entry  Having the father herd animals while helped herder parents to prepare their age was lowered from 8 years to 6 years of the mother migrates to the soum children for school in their home age within a short period of timeframe. center with their 6-8 year old child, so environment. Consequently, a large that the child can attend school majority of rural herders’ children enroll in Despite this good intention, these reforms without staying in a dormitory; school without being properly prepared have brought about a new set of concerns  Sending their child to live with relatives and supported. and challenges for nomadic families in at the soum center to attend school; rural Mongolia, who make up nearly 30%  Delaying their child’s school entry until Furthermore, the challenges these young of the country’s total population. Primary the child is 7-8 or older. children experience during this school education is compulsory in Mongolia, so transitional period present a detrimental each year since 2008, thousands of herder Most of these children have had to enroll risk to their psycho-emotional well-being if families across the country have been in primary school without having attended they’re not carefully and adequately cared faced with the ethical dilemma of making formal ECE, thereby increasing their for. difficult choices so that their child can chances of having undetected learning difficulties and poor school performance. Therefore, in consideration of these issues, attend school at age six. Although school According to the Ministry of Education, the World Bank and Save the Children dormitories in soum centers (i.e. the Culture, Science and Sports (MECSS), in Japan came up with new project ideas to equivalent of an administrative district or 2011, more than 38% of all pre-school aged tackle the very specific challenges of county in other countries) have always children in Mongolia (most of whom reside delivering quality education to children of played an important role in providing in rural areas) entered primary school nomadic herding families. nomadic children with access to education, they were not yet really welcoming environments for very young children. Now when it comes to meeting the The Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF) was established in June 2000 by the Government of Japan and the World Bank as a mechanism for providing direct assistance to the poorest and most vulnerable groups in eligible World Bank group member countries. “IMPROVING PRIMARY EDUCATION OUTCOMES FOR THE MOST 2 VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN RURAL MONGOLIA” PROJECT (2012-2017) | November 2016 KEY PROJECT INFORMATION Project ID #: P130760 Implementing Agency: Save the Children Japan in Mongolia Grant Amount: US$2.46 million Approval Date: June 21, 2012 Closing Date: June 21, 2017 The Project Development Objective The World Bank with financial assistance from the Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF) is supporting Mongolia in Coverage areas: The project is  7,500 children (5-10 year olds); improving access to quality education for being implemented in 30 target soums  15,000 parents and caretakers;  the nomadic herders’ children in rural (out of 330 nationwide) four provinces of project school (5-10 400 children employees (school Mongolia. As a result of the project Coverage areas: The is being 7,500 year olds); (out of 21 in total) namely: Arkhangai (10  administrators, teachers, 15,000 parents and caretakers; social implemented in 30 target soums (out of “Improving Primary Education Outcomes for soums), Uvurkhangai (10 soums), Dornod workers, and dormitory 330 nationwide) of four provinces (out of  400 school employees (school the Most Vulnerable Children in Rural (5 soums), and Sukhbaatar (5 soums) teachers/staff members); 21 in total) namely: Arkhangai (10 soums), administrators, teachers, social Mongolia (2012-2017)”, implemented by provinces.  34 life-long education teachers; Uvurkhangai (10 soums), Dornod (5 workers, and dormitory Save the Children Japan, the education and soums), and Sukhbaatar (5 soums) teachers/staff members); outcomes of more than 7,500 most The target reach: The project aims vulnerable children (aged 5 to 10) in four provinces. to serve 22,974 beneficiaries directly  soum education 40life-long 34 and other governorsteachers; and  local government officials. 40 soum governors and other local educationally under-performing and over a five-year period, including: The target reach: The project aims government officials. under-served rural provinces of Mongolia are expected to improve. Component 3: Pilot compensatory The project consists of three main education programs for lower primary out components: of school children (8-10 years of age) in rural communities. Component 1: Strengthening school Component 2: Introducing extracurricular preparation programs for new school after-school programs in rural schools for This component contributes to universal entrants (5-6 years of age) in hard-to- vulnerable children (6-10 years of age) primary education enrollment and reach rural communities. living away from home. completion by piloting compensatory distance education programs for lower This component focuses on introducing This component introduces a constructive, primary out of school children (school and strengthening school preparation enabling and child-friendly environment in dropouts and non-school enrollers aged 6- programs for children who enter primary rural schools that incorporates child 10). This component of the project aims to school with limited or no ECE. The main participation, play and learning, as well as enhance the substance and reach of the purpose of this component is to improve care and protection during after-school existing Life-long Education (LLE) the children’s readiness for school and hours. This component’s interventions are program of the government by targeting dormitory-life, thereby lowering their designed to reduce the target children’s lower-primary age children who have chances of emotional distress, falling emotional and psycho-social challenges either dropped out of school (before behind in school learning, and dropping that result from family separation at a completing grade 3) or do not have the out in primary grades. young age, and also to improve their opportunity to study in the formal school school transition experiences and ensure system. their optimal development. “IMPROVING PRIMARY EDUCATION OUTCOMES FOR THE MOST 3 VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN RURAL MONGOLIA” PROJECT (2012-2017) | November 2016 PROJECT BENEFICIARIES AS OF NOVEMBER 2016 Results achieved to date:  Community Education Councils (CECs) with active participation of parents and  8,084 herder children;  All new programs developed under the community members and local education project, namely (a) the home based school stakeholders have become effective in  15,423 parents; preparation program; (b) extra curricula each participating community. They play programs specifically targeting the a crucial role in addressing the specific  1,954 school employees; primary children living in dormitories and challenges faced when delivering quality at relatives’ homes away from their own primary education to children of nomadic  143 life-long education teachers; families; and (c) home based herding families; compensatory education programs for  692 soum governors and other local  Under the CEC leadership, local schools out-of-school children, have been government officials and communities have successfully successfully piloted and refined and have become fully operational in all 30 project implemented small projects with 106 communities in the four project provinces; small scale community initiative grants. Ensuring that the Project  The home based school preparation  Local capacity has been built for better reaches out to the most program has been enriched with the coordination, planning, outreach and disadvantaged children in School Readiness Toy and Book Mobile delivery of education services to the target hard-to-reach-children. Mongolia Kits (packaged in 10 different sets) specifically designed for children in the  As of November 2016, the total number The project’s locations have been selected mobile herding communities. These were of child beneficiaries reached 8,084 on the following criteria: made available at “My Book Palace” at the (108% of its target by the project closing local school or public library in each date). i) Being one of the highest populated community so that the herder families provinces in the country with a high could take them home to use with their proportion of nomadic people; children; ii) Being one of the lowest reported formal preschool enrolment rates; Progress made towards meeting the project result indicators (as of November 2016) iii) Having higher than the national average Year Year Year Year Year End PDO 1 2 3 4 5 Target reported school dropout rates; June June June June Nov June iv) Being one of the provinces most 2013 2014 2015 2016 2016* 2017 severely impacted by the Dzud (winter) Indicator 1: Number of target disaster of 2009-2010. children who have been successfully prepared for 0 473 1,701 2,791 3,808 3,300 Additional factors considered were: schooling through home-based school preparation program i) Primary Education Teacher Training Colleges being located in Arkhangai and Indicator 2: Number of target Dornod provinces (strategic locations to children enrolled in extracurricular 0 2,355 2,877 3,535 4,120 scale up program actions and outcomes to 4,196 after-school programs, with the surrounding provinces during and after improved learning achievements the project period); and Indicator 3: Number of target ii) Ensuring efficient project operations (i.e., children enrolled in compensatory ease of access from Ulaanbaatar). 0 18 51 67 80 education program, with 80 Target children are being identified by local improved learning abilities Community Education Councils (CECs) with the active participation of the communities. Indicator 4: Number of direct 0 2,846 4,629 6,393 8,084 7,500 Under the project, 30 CECs have been beneficiary children established in 30 target soums. Indicator 5: Percentage of female 0 49.2% 48% 47% 49% 50% direct beneficiary children * Including the number of children have newly enrolled in SY 2016/2017 (expected to successfully complete) the programs by May 2017. “IMPROVING PRIMARY EDUCATION OUTCOMES FOR THE MOST 4 VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN RURAL MONGOLIA” PROJECT (2012-2017) | November 2016 Mr. B.ADYASUREN, a herder of Yosonzuil soum, Uvurkhangai aimag, whose two children benefited from the Home-based School Preparation Program “We could not enroll our daughter in a kindergarten because we live far away from the soum center. As parents we were worried a lot when we thought of Besides achieving the specific Ensuring Sustainability in the school. Luckily, people from the CEC reached us and introduced the target results, in the process of project target areas: homebased school preparation implementing the project we program. My eldest daughter A.  At local level, technical capacity has have observed: been sufficiently developed to continue Nomin-Erdene was prepared for the home-based school preparation schooling through this program and  Solid commitment from parents, program, the extracurricular after- now is studying in the soum school. In children and facilitators; school program, and the compensatory the beginning, teaching our child was education program. Community the most difficult thing for us, but  Increased parents, especially fathers’, involvement is assured as the CECs are thanks to teachers we learned how to involvement with their children, well established and well able to teach and encourage our children. We  Positive outcomes from providing continue to strengthen public awareness understood that parents can develop mobile kits, facilitating regular and facilitate participation of parents our children at home. When A. Nomin- teachers’ visits and providing and the community. Erdene was enrolled in school, we counselling in herders’ homes; actually did not worry about her  The project’s approaches and because we were sure that she was well  Greater participation by different prepared for school like other children methodologies have been well adopted stakeholders, such as parents, school who had attended kindergartens. by relevant institutions within the employees, community and local government education system, such as Based on our experience we have also governors, in providing quality prepared our youngest daughter Life Long Education Centers and Aimag education, especially for marginal Education Boards etc. A.Nominjin through this program and children; she is now enrolled in the 1st grade this  Strong advocacy activities at  (Although limited) there is some financial September. We think that this program international, national and local levels; support from the local governments. is really useful to all herder families who have the same issues.”  Good management at local level The project has been implemented in 30 through the establishment of a CEC in soums in Mongolia, less than 10 per cent each target soum as well as Local of all rural soums. Although local Project Committees at provincial level; governments, education authorities and  Broader acceptance and increased local communities in the project sites ownership of the programs by the have all shown strong commitment to Government (i.e. MECSS); maintaining the project initiatives, implementation beyond the project sites  Increased commitment to sustaining requires stronger commitment from the the project’s innovative interventions government. and local initiatives. Given the proven success of the project and the specific local needs, in 2016 the MECSS requested WB financial support for a nationwide replication of the project. JSDF – JAPAN SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT FUND November 2016 B.BAZARDARI, 5th grade student, Bayandelger Soum, Sukhbaatar aimag (in the middle of the photo) “I live in school dormitory. I have learned a lot from extracurricular after-school program, learned to make cars, write poems, draw pictures and express my opinions and introduce myself. I also write comments about the activities that we have at the Child Development Center. I write things like what I have learned and how I have helped others. Sometimes I read my comments in front of children and sometimes the teacher reads. When we communicate with others my teacher taught us to be patient and listen to others. Before enrolling the program, I used to fight often with other children. But now I made many friends. I got 75% on Mongolian language on the 2nd term of the school year. And at the end of the school year I got 85% on Mongolian language and 90% on math”. Mr. B.GANZORIG, a herder of Undur-Ulaan soum, Arkhangai aimag “My son G. Turbat was born deaf and never attended kindergarten or primary school until he was 10 years old in 2014. When the compensatory education program was introduced then my son lived in the soum center in order to study the compensatory education program. He learned a lot through the book and toy kits for disabled children. He became good at drawing. My son enrolled in the 1st grade in the soum school in 2015 and in 2016 he moved to Ulaanbaatar and started studying at school #29 for children with disabilities. He successfully passed assessment exams and was enrolled in 4th grade and is doing well at his school on his own. We are so proud of him. Before the project reached us, we did not even think that we could ever have a chance to send our son to school. I am very grateful that this project has made such a great difference to my family and especially to the future of my son.” JSDF Project: Improving Primary Education Outcomes for the Most Vulnerable Children in Rural Mongolia (2012-2017)