Albert Motivans, UIS

Mark Waltham, UNICEF

The global scope of OOS

Disparities in learning opportunities

Sources: UNESCO Institute for Statistics and EFA GMR

Achieving quality education for all children

is still an unfinished agenda

Sources: UNESCO Institute for Statistics and EFA GMR

% ever

enrolled

% reach

grade 5

% with

minimum

mastery in

language

Malawi

91

31

7

Namibia

97

74

19

What is the OOSCI?

• Overall objective: Strengthen national data collection, analysis and policy on OOSC

• Coordinated by UNICEF and UIS

Around half of the

world’s OOSC live in

these countries

Three core components

1. Analysis of data: Develop comprehensive profiles of excluded children based on standardized and innovative statistical methods

2. Analysis of barriers: Link quantitative data with the socio-cultural barriers and resource-based bottlenecks that create exclusion

3. Analysis of policies: Identify policies which address exclusion from education from a multisectoral perspective

Core components: example

Profile of

excluded children

6 year old children

living in rural areas

Related policies

Improve offer of

pre-primary

programs in rural

areas

Socio-cultural

barriers and

bottlenecks

Parents hold children

back, “not ready” for

school

The Five Dimensions of Exclusion Model

Primary school students Lower secondary school students

Out of

school

In

school

Primary age children Lower secondary age children

Dimension 4

At risk of dropping

out of primary school

Dimension 5

At risk of dropping out

of lower secondary

school

Dimension 2

Attended

but

dropped

out

Will never

enterWill enter

late

Dimension 3

Attended

but

dropped

out

Will never

enterWill enter

late

Dimension 1

Not in pre-

primary school

Pre-primary

age children

Analysis of children out of basic school

n OOSC

Primary age children Lower secondary age children

Out of

school

Dimension 2

Attended

but

dropped

out

Will never

enter

Will enter

late

Dimension 3

Attended

but

dropped

out

Will never

enter

Will enter

late

• Disaggregated analysis to identify complex profiles of OOSC

• In-depth analysis of administrative data

• Typology of OOSC based on past and future school exposure

• Not all out-of-school children are ‘permanently excluded’

Identifying types of out of school children

• Identify characteristics associated with dropout risk by studying

early school leavers

• Indicators potentially linked to risk of dropout (ie. overage)

In

school

Dimension 4

At risk of

dropping out

of primary

school

Dimension 5

At risk of

dropping out of

lower secondary

school

Primary school students Lower secondary school students

Analysing the risk of children

dropping out of school

The OOSCI approach

Who are children out of school and where are they?

Why are they out of school?

How can they be brought to school and stay there?

Profiles, Barriers and Bottlenecks

• Systematic identification and analysis of key barriers and bottlenecks

that obstruct school participation

• Avoid fallacy of equating profiles with barriers

Boys / girls

Children with HIV/AIDS

Working children

Children from poorest

families

Gender

HIV/AIDS

Child Labour

Poverty

Lack of gender sensitive schools

and systems

Lack of treatment or awareness

Inflexible school systems,

opportunity costs

Lack of social support

Causes of Exclusion

Four areas:

• supply side barriers

• demand side socio-cultural

barriers

• demand side economic

barriers

• political, governance,

capacity and financial

bottlenecks

Supply side barriers

Barriers include:

• School infrastructure

• Teachers

• Learning materials

• School management

• Safety

Possible responses:

• Within education sector

School improvement

• Outside education sector

School health programs

School feeding programs.

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Pri

mary

gro

ss a

tten

da

nce

ra

tio (

%)

<1 km 1 km 2 km 3-4 km 5+ kmDistance to primary school (km)

Total Male Female

Demand side socio-cultural barriers

Barriers include:

• Social or cultural practices

• Disagreement on purpose or process of education

• Violence in homes and community

Possible responses:

• Within education sector:

Community mobilization

Awareness-raising

Combatting stigmatization

Partnerships

• Outside education sector:

Removing discriminatory legislation

or policies

Demand side economic barriers

Barriers include:

• School fees, other costs

• Food insecurity

Possible responses:

• Within education sector:

Remove school fees

Scholarships

Subsidies

• Outside education sector:

Cash transfers

School feeding

Micro-supplements

• Opportunity costs

• Emergencies

Political, governance and financial barriers

Possible responses:

• Evidence based policies

• Costed strategies

• Devolution to schools

• Transparency

• Monitoring and evaluation

Barriers include:

• Political commitment

• Legal provisions

• Decentralization

• Accountability

• Budget allocations

Progress so far

Studies in 26 countries in 7 regions:

• Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka

• Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico

• Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines, Timor-Leste

• DRC, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria

• Ethiopia, Mozambique, Zambia

• Kyrgyzstan, Romania, Tajikistan, Turkey

• Morocco, Sudan, South Sudan

• 10 Country and Regional Reports published

• New partnerships in more than 5 countries

• Policy development

Plans for the future

Second phase of OOSCI:

• Produce OOSCI Guide and Operational Manual

• Regional workshops

• New studies in up to 15 countries

• Capacity building in partner countries

• Support for policy development

• Support with implementation

Thank you