BUILDING EDUCATION SYSTEMS in the CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC Central African Republic, Central Cordaid 2018, CARE

» EDUCATION JULY 2018

BUILDING EDUCATION SYSTEMS IN THE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC Central African Republic, Central Cordaid 2018, CARE. ACT. SHARE. LIKE CORDAID. Photo

Children in the Central African Republic (CAR) suffer from a massive shortage of quality education services. This is caused by a myriad of factors, such as insufficient financial resources to build and maintain schools or afford learning materials, shortages of qualified staff, lack of adequate quality control mechanisms and an unsafe learning environment due to the violent conflict. Moreover, movements of internally displaced people cause an increase in the demand for educational services.

WHY THE NEED

With 4.8 million inhabitants, the Central African Republic is The ongoing war has greatly affected the education sector of one the poorest countries in the world. Over three-fifths of the CAR. The budget of the Ministry of Education is insufficient the population live on less than $1.25 a day. Although public to meet the demand for education. Children have difficulty education in the CAR is free and compulsory from ages 6 to 14, accessing basic education, given the limited means of their about 67% of the population (75% of the women) is illiterate. parents to pay school fees, the lack of functional schools and Given the need to structurally improve the educational system, a shortage of qualified teachers. Cordaid has launched an Cordaid has supported the CAR Ministry of Education since emergency education program in the northwest of the country, 2011, striving together to achieve Sustainable Development in the sub-prefectures of Bocaranga and Koui in Ouham Pendé Goal 4 on Quality Education. and the sub-prefecture of Bouar in Nana Mambére in September 2017.

FACTS AND FIGURES CAUSES OF POOR EDUCATION

4.7 million Literacy is the foundational skill for any other education. inhabitants in the CAR1 Several cultural and economic barriers are hampering access to quality education: 63% of the population lives on less than $1.25 a day2 ▪▪ Poverty, discrimination and child labor; ▪▪ Lack of teachers and low teacher motivation; 69% ▪▪ Substandard teaching skills; primary school enrolment ratio3 ▪▪ Inadequate school building infrastructure; ▪▪ Inter-ethnic and religious divisions; 29% ▪▪ Population displacement of children are involved in child labor4 BUILDING EDUCATION SYSTEMS IN THE FRAGILE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

OUR APPROACH - RESULTS BASED FINANCING

Cordaid has a long track record with Results Based directors and teachers, community-based organizations, Financing (RBF) in the health sector. Following this success, parents and children. In this way, we help to build resilient and RBF was also introduced in the education sector in 2012 in the sustainable public systems, even in complex and unstable CAR. RBF is a system strengthening approach that introduces settings like the CAR. checks and balances along the service delivery chain, encour- aging better governance, transparency and enhanced ac- Service providers such as schools are paid on the basis of agreed countability. It achieves this by linking payments directly to indicators and verified output. A detailed monitoring and performance. Where possible, Cordaid works with and evaluation system is set up to track and award performance. through existing structures and institutions, involving local Service providers are autonomous in how they spend the funds actors. Education stakeholders and partners include school in order to achieve their own aims. RBF motivates service inspectors and staff of the Ministry of Education, school providers to deliver more services of higher quality.

LINKING RELIEF TO DEVELOPMENT

To enhance institutional capacity, Cordaid trained school Despite the success of the RBF approach, it was increasingly directors and staff members of the Ministry of Education, realized that in a highly unstable country like the CAR there including the in 2014 established ‘Cellule National RBF in is a need to plan for and deliver education services in fragile education’. Cordaid seized the momentum in June 2015: the regions accounting for different levels of insecurity. The newly appointed Minister of Education declared RBF as a frequent crises in the CAR are costly, in both human life and national education strategy. resources, and they disrupt economic and social development. Short-term relief mechanisms do not, and in some cases, cannot systematically take into account long-term “ With Cordaid’s RBF approach, our country development planning. At the same time, development programs are not prepared for coping with conflicts and has the chance to strengthen the war-torn other crises. In general, instability fuels a mind-set for education system.” ‘emergency’ programming of services rather than system Cabinet Director of the Ministry of Education, CAR strengthening in the long run. However, both are needed and should be interrelated.

EMERGENCY EDUCATION PILOT Investing further in current and future generations: breaking cycle of poverty Based on our respective experiences with through Sexual and Reproductive emergency service delivery and RBF for educa- Health and Rights (SRHR) education tion system strengthening, Cordaid designed a to prevent early marriage, child birth and consequent loss of education and Linking Relief Rehabilitation and Development livelihood opportunities (LRRD) approach and linked it to the existing education delivery system. This emergency education pilot has two goals: Strengthening schools through results based 1. At a strategic level, the goal is to develop contracting: increasing access, particularly for girls and internally displaced children, improving and apply a flexible LRRD approach in a quality of learning and school buildings protracted crisis context, such as the CAR, using the RBF approach to strengthen the educational system where possible, Addressing basic humanitarian needs DECLINING FRAGILITYDECLINING accounting for different security contexts. through input-based financing and involvement of community: building 2. At a programmatic level, the goal is shelters, schools and school gardens to improve access to and quality of education for an estimated 10,800 children, aged 6 to 14 years, enrolled at 18 schools in RELIEF REHABILITATION DEVELOPMENT the Bocaranga-Bouar region of the CAR. Approach used in accordance to context: Relief, Rehabilitation, Development The project runs for two years with a specific focus on the creation of safe learning environments. LRRD: education service delivery in protracted crisis context, accounting for different levels of fragility

2 JULY 2018 © CORDAID BUILDING EDUCATION SYSTEMS IN THE FRAGILE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

BUILDING EDUCATION IN FRAGILE AREAS

STEP ONE: Construction and STEP TWO: Strengthen the STEP THREE: Invest in current rehabilitation of buildings school system through RBF and future generations In areas affected by war and conflict, it is When schools are built or restored, One of the main reasons for girls to imperative that houses and school they are further supported by Cordaid drop out of school prematurely is early buildings are restored so that people can through RBF, an approach that awards marriage and pregnancy. This is not only return and children can pick up on their schools for obtaining good results, as affecting girls’ health status negatively, education. In the Cordaid LRRD approach, measured and verified according to but also leaves them with an unfinished we link education strengthening efforts pre-determined performance education, lower job opportunities and to humanitarian interventions that focus indicators. This involves: relatively more subsequent pregnancies on shelter, WASH, and nutrition. While and children than their educated peers. implementing activities, we account for ▪▪ Training school directors on school In addition, in the conflict-prone CAR, different contexts in terms of population management, administration and gender-based violence is massively needs, level of security and population involvement of parents; affecting society. It involves: dynamics. It involves: ▪▪ Supporting fees for schools to steer for better management and ▪▪ Breaking the intergenerational ▪▪ Assuring financial means and administration, as well as higher cycle of poverty by providing Sexual technical advice to build new school motivation of teachers; and Reproductive Health and Rights buildings and rehabilitate those that ▪▪ Supporting fees for each child (SRHR) education to prevent are damaged; enrolled with a minority status as adolescents’ pregnancies and early ▪▪ Using local materials and involving well as for quality indicators; drop outs; local communities in construction ▪▪ Setting up and implementing a ▪▪ Inviting school teachers, directors processes; triangulated data verification system and school inspectors for trainings ▪▪ Assuring essential educational to monitor the RBF routine and to on SRHR for youth and adolescents; equipment; assess the progress according to the ▪▪ Providing trainings by the local ▪▪ Addressing malnutrition by providing performance indicators. Data are Cordaid SRHR experts working for seeds, tools and training for parents collected by Cordaid, school inspectors the Jeune S35 program; and school staff to start and maintain affiliated to the Ministry of Education ▪▪ Monitoring of outputs and results a school garden and a school canteen. and community organizations. which is done through RBF indicators.

RESULTS* 123 schools strengthened and rehabilitated in 2016 - 2018 53,913 boys and girls enrolled at beginning of school year 2016 - 2017 and 43,678 of

Central African Central Republic, Cordaid 2017, these children retained until end of school year Photo 73% RETAINED AT END OF SCHOOL YEAR of the parents satisfied about the education services Percentage of children retained at end of school year 2016-2017, by sex and region offered by the contracted % schools in 2016 - 2017 84 82 82% 1,500 80 81% refugee teachers returned, 78 contracted by the Ministry 76 of Education, to their schools 74 75% all over the country 72 73% (together with UNICEF) 72% 72% 70 in 2013 68 Girls *figures relate to the regions Ombella- 66 Boys Ombella-Mpoko Lobaye Nana-Mambere Mpoko, Lobaye and Nana-Mambere

JULY 2018 © CORDAID 3 BUILDING EDUCATION SYSTEMS IN THE FRAGILE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

WHERE WE WORK about cordaid

Healthcare Sudan Cordaid works to end poverty (Darfur) Humanitarian Aid and exclusion. We do this in

Education akaga the world’s most fragile and chad Rule of Law conflict-affected areas as well

jobs as in the Netherlands. We Building a business Vocational & jobs professional training Building a business amingui- engage local communities to jobs

jobs Building a business angoran Building a business Healthcare rebuild trust and resilience Cameroon South Sudan Healthcare and increase people’s self- jobs jobs Healthcare Education Building a business Healthcare Building a business Education Haute-kotto reliance. Our professionals

jobs jobs Nana-Rule of Law BuildingOuham a businessEducation Ouham-pendeEducation Buildingrebii a business Haut-mbomou provide humanitarian jobs Rule ofHealthcare Law Healthcare ooumBuilding a business Ouaka Rule ofjobs Law Vocational & assistance and create opportu- emoBuilding a business Rule of Law Education professional training VocationalHealthcare & HealthcareEducation jobs nities to improve security, Building a businessHealthcareprofessional training Rule of LawVocational & jobs Nana-mambereVocational Education& professionalRule training of Law jobs Building a business EducationHealthcare Building a business Mbomou healthcare and education and professionalEducation training

Ombella-mpokojobs Healthcare Vocationaljobs & asse-kotto stimulate inclusive economic Rule ofprofessional Law trainingBuildingBuildingRule of a Law abusiness business jobs Rule of Law VocationalEducation & Healthcare Building a business professional training Healthcare Mambere-kadeiEducation Bangui growth. We are supported by Vocational & Rule of Law Education Vocational & HealthcareVocationalHealthcare & Education professional training professional training more than 300,000 private Rule of LawHealthcareprofessionalLobaye training Rule of Law Education Rule of Law donors in the Netherlands and Sangha- Education Vocational & VocationalEducation & professional training professionalmbaere training by a worldwide partner Rule of Law Vocational & Rule of Law DemocraticVocational Republic & ofprofessional Congo training Rule of Law professional training network. This gives us the Cameroon Congo Vocational & Vocational & Vocationalprofessional & training leverage and implementing professional training professional training power to solve problems and create structural change in the most challenging settings. CORDAID’S WORK ON EDUCATION IN THE CAR

Cordaid supports primary education in the CAR since 2011. In 2013, the Cordaid country office contact in Bangui participated in the implementation of the Emergency Transition Plan (2014-2017) funded by the Global Partnership for Education (SME) through UNICEF. The focus was on Alinda Bosch construction, rehabilitation of schools and sending teachers back to schools. Education Expert [email protected] Following good results within the health sector, Cordaid introduced Results Based Financing (RBF) to the education sector. This RBF education program was gradually but steadily making Jameson Gadzirai progress. During school year 2014-2015, Cordaid contracted 141 schools in four prefectures (the Program Director CAR Nana-Mambéré, Ombella-Mpoko, Lobaye, Ouham and Ouham-Pende), covering approximately [email protected] 10% of the country’s schools. As a result of the program, access to education was established for approximately 60,000 underprivileged children. Cordaid the Netherlands Lutherse Burgwal 10 2512 CB The Hague +31(0)70-31 36 300 www.cordaid.org Central African Central Republic, Eddy 2016, van Wessel Photo

1 World Population Review, http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/central-african-republic-population/ CARE. 2 Unicef, https://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/car_statistics.html 3 Unicef, https://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/car_statistics.html ACT. 4 Unicef, https://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/car_statistics.html 5 Jeune S3 (Santé, Sexualité, Sécurité) is an alliance of nine partners led by Cordaid. Jeune S3 ensures that young people are SHARE. able, motivated and have the opportunity to make informed choices about their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and that their sexual and reproductive rights are respected. LIKE CORDAID.