Transitions: Critical Junctures

Caroline Arnold & Kathy BartlettCo-Directors, EducationAga Khan Foundation

Background UPE -- leading to increased enrolments Strains on education systems:

teachers- (In place? With needed skills? quality of learning students/families demand for more than primary

High drop-out at key transition points Grade 1End of primary to early secondaryEnd Secondary

Progress towards EFA completion goal and relevant MDGs

Across many countries -- massive increases in initial enrolments, but little change in survival to last gradeUganda 25%

or Primary Completion Madagascar 27% Benin 36% Pakistan 48%

Source: EFA GMR 2009

Where are efforts breaking down?

Crisis in Grade One: The Need for Attention to Early Transition

Grade 1 DROP-OUT Uganda 32% Pakistan 15%

India 14% Madagascar 25%

Grade 1 REPETITION Burundi 37% Malawi 26% Uganda 12% Nepal 37%

Source: EFA GMR 2009

Rates of Return to Human Development Investment Across all Ages

Pre-school Programs

School

Job Training

ReturnPer $Invested

R

2

4

6

8

0 6 18 Age

Pre-School School Post School

03-074

Pedro Carneiro, James Heckman, Human Capital Policy, 2003

World Bank Analysis: ECD and Primary Completion Rates highly correlated

in FTI countriesECD increases probability of school completion

y = 0.929x + 48.98R² = 0.527

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

110

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55

Prim

ary

Com

plet

ion

Rate

(%

)

Gross Enrollment Rate Pre-Primary (%)

M.E. Young, April, 2008

Investment

ECD tiny % of aid allocated to Primary Highest % is that of Canada and

Netherlands (3%)

ECD critical for achieving EFA and MDGs (ECD goes through age 8)

Lack of LearningIf not reading fluently by end grade 3 probably never will

Insufficient time for actual teaching and learning process Double shifts Absenteeism Over-crowded

timetable

Language of Instruction

Need for inclusive curriculum and reading materials

Grade 1-2 teachers: Low status Lack of skills and resources

to teach young children

Addressing transition issues for marginalised: Non-state Contributions

The DataOne third of increase in primary enrolment since

1991 in non-state provision (23 of 69 million)

% increase in enrolmentsNon-state 58%Public 10%

Massive under-reporting on non-state provision

UIS (136 majority world countries), 2007

Non-state / State Partnerships Simple

vouchers, grants, scholarships, contracting out for technical assistance

Complex -- longer-term, likely to evolve over timeRecognises complimentary roles/joint

ownership between Government and Non-state partner

Pakistan: - Private provider - especially

filling gap for girls- Primary- Secondary: coaching centres,

schools- Tertiary

- Capacity Building for gov.- Teacher Training and

mentoring (AKU-PDCs)- EMIS and new strategy

Transition Programme Research Study Random sampling used to select programme

schools and matched non-programme schools (114 total sample)

Project Control Attendance: Pre-primary 86% 34%

Class 1 64% 36% Promotion : Similar positive trends Classroom Environment: Dramatic differences in pre-school Learning Achievement data

Effects stronger for marginalized children (girls and government schools)

Importance of non-state schools in addressing quality issues

Afghanistan Dramatic drop-outs (esp. girls in 1st 3 years)

From standard school improvement to real attention to early primary

Scaffolding approach - reading and maths Early grades materials kits

Girls model high schools in selected districts with optional teacher training year built in at end

When do Children Enter and Leave the System?

GRADE

Age 6 Age 7 Age 8 Age 9 Age 10 Age 11 Age 12 Age 13 Age 14 Age 15 Age 16

M F M F M F M F M F M F M F M F M F M F M F

1 741 653 866 742 501 492 278 223 168 152 77 67 47 32 18 24 2 3        

2 10 26 381 324 544 609 393 358 343 245 197 141 119 96 78 51 30 30 10 12 9 3

3     6 13 109 86 357 264 428 373 260 228 183 168 148 134 104 70 65 41 25 17

4         7 2 66 50 143 113 291 232 279 231 182 138 144 116 99 65 44 25

5             4 2 27 21 116 97 192 128 192 160 238 155 165 103 108 40

2006 data

Mozambique – Push and pull factors

Pre-schools to improve children’s readiness and timely enrolment

Addressing later transitions Bridges to the Future Alternative offerings for upper prim.

Analyzing data/ Conducting studies Positive deviance study Current Opportunities to Learn Study

Building accountability – addressing quality of learning

Priorities for AKF More ECD and better links to primary

Focus on early primary as critical piece of education reform - Improve lower primary teachers’ knowledge,

skills and status - Specific attention to early reading

Encouraging families to look at/read books with children (all ages)

Priorities for AKF cont. Better information and data

Grade disaggregated dataSpecial studies including impact analysis

State/Non-State/Community Partnerships - Testing alternative strategies for post-primary- Developing local language storybooks - Involving parents and communities (ECD,

monitoring absenteeism, etc)

www.akdn.org

Children Ready for Schools

and

Schools Ready for Children