Ensuring Inclusive and Quality Education For
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ENSURING INCLUSIVE AND QUALITY EDUCATION FOR ALL A Comprehensive Review of Community Schools in Zambia September 2016 Introduction ................................... 1 Study Approach ......................................... 2 INTRODUCTION History and Policy Development . 3 Growth of Community Schools ............. 3 Community schools are Exhibit 1: Distribution of School Types in Zambia Policy Challenges for Community the second largest (Ministry of General Education [MOGE] 2015a: 7) Schools ........................................................ 5 provider of primary Community School education in Zambia and Characteristics ............................... 7 thus play a critical role in School Administration.............................. 7 the government’s efforts to Volunteer Teachers .................................. 8 achieve universal primary School Resources ...................................... 9 enrollment (Exhibit 1). Donor Support ....................................... 10 MOGE Support....................................... 11 Community schools are a Learners and Learner Performance ... 13 grassroots strategy to serve disadvantaged Conclusion .................................... 16 populations, seeking to References .................................... 17 meet education needs in low-income urban areas and isolated rural locations, as well as for families struggling to meet the By Rebecca Frischkorn and costs of their children attending school. Considering the indispensable role these schools serve in providing access to primary school in Zambia, it is Zachariah J. Falconer-Stout critical to look more deeply at the quality of this education and how the unique characteristics of community schools affect the learning environment. This publication is made possible by the support of the American There has been growing concern about the quality of education People through the United States provided in Zambia, brought into renewed focus with Zambia’s Agency for International commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals, which reaffirmed the Development (USAID). It was Education for All goals to provide inclusive and quality education to all produced by EnCompass LLC for children by 2030. Regionally, Zambia places at the bottom in terms of the Time to Learn Project, which reading and math scores (Hungi et al. 2010). Zambia’s Grade 5 National is funded by USAID in Zambia Assessment Survey in 2014 showed less than 40 percent of learners under Contract No. AID 611-C- meeting minimum standards for English, Life Skills, Mathematics, and 12-00002 and implemented by Zambian Languages (Exhibit 2), and progress among all but private Education Development Center. schools has been essentially flat since 1999. Surprisingly, government The contents of this study are the school learners tend to perform only slightly better than community sole responsibility of the school learners despite the fact that community schools operate with author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government. September 2016 | 1 substantially fewer resources. However, average 1. What common factors characterize community school performance only provides community schools as compared to the part of the picture; it masks the substantial other three types of schools in Zambia? variation that exists among community 2. To what extent do these unique community schools in terms of quality, with some far school factors support or hinder learning? exceeding national averages, while learning at others is truly minimal. This study uses an exploratory approach to consolidate and synthesize the existing research Study Approach and data from the Ministry of General Education (MOGE), civil society organizations working with While a number of studies have examined community schools, the academic community, and community schools in Zambia, there has not been the United States Agency for International a comprehensive overview since 2006. Many of Development (USAID) Time to Learn (TTL) these studies focus on a narrow topic within the project’s broad learning agenda from the last 4 field of community schools, or have small sample years (2012 – 2016). TTL has worked with over sizes that impede the ability to generalize broadly. 2,000 community schools located in 6 of Zambia’s Misinformation regarding community schools also 10 provinces; its research and evaluation work has persists. For example, national figures for grade 7 compiled two representative cross-sectional exam pass rates are often cited as showing that datasets (2012 and 2014) that include Early Grade community schools perform better than Reading Assessment, classroom observation, and government schools. These data obscure the fact school demographic data, and conducted over 3 that only about 3 percent of community schools months of qualitative data collection. In addition, meet the strict requirements to be exam centers this study reviewed data and findings specific to and thus overstate community schools’ Zambian community schools from over 45 reports performance as a group. Consequently, there is and policies from government and other sources. a need to synthesize findings across studies and data sources in order to present an This report begins by situating community schools accurate “big picture” and summarize the within the historical and policy context, followed most important factors that will have by an examination of the particular characteristics bearing on current and future community of community schools (infrastructure and school initiatives. materials), sources of support (community, donors and MOGE), types of teachers, and finally learners This study provides in-depth review of community themselves. The study concludes by considering schools, as they exist today, through the lens of learner achievement at community schools, two key questions: examining what can be learned from community schools and what work needs to be done. Exhibit 2: Aggregated Grade 5 Mean Performance in All Subject Areas by School Type* *Community schools were first included in this assessment in 2003; private and grant-aided schools were first included in 2006. Source: MOGE 2015b: 23 September 2016 | 2 HISTORY AND POLICY DEVELOPMENT Dr. Janice Steven, in collaboration with the Sisters structural adjustment programs in the 1980s of Charity, established the first recognized instituted major cuts in public expenditure, and community school in 1992 (Chondoka 2006); it further aggravated the alarming increases in began with 48 girls learning under a tree in Misisi poverty among the majority of Zambia’s compound in Lusaka, an informal, low-income population. The transition to a multi-party state in settlement lacking basic amenities, such as water 1992 established a firm commitment to and sanitation (Sampa and Gwaba 2014). Over the liberalization, promising economic revitalization following decade, other communities across the through privatization of state enterprises and country followed suit, founding their own private sector expansion. Liberalization of the community schools to address an increasing education sector had two significant changes for demand for education, particularly among poor Zambian households: (1) large increases in user and disadvantaged populations. This section fees, which transferred a significant portion of discusses that expansion in the context of broader education costs onto parents and guardians; and trends in the Zambian education sector and (2) increased numbers of private and community explores the current policy challenges for schools, which were now allowed to emerge and community schools. contribute more directly to the education delivery system (Exhibit 3) (Petrauskis and Nkunika 2006; Growth of Community Schools UNICEF and UNESCO Institute for Statistics [UIS] 2014). Key Point Due to limited resources, Exhibit 3: Official School Categories in Zambia the Zambian education Government: fully supported and sector has continually operated by Government of Zambia struggled to meet the education needs of its population. Community: organized, owned, and Community schools provide access to operated at community level by a parent education to poor and vulnerable committee, may receive support from civil populations, becoming the second society organizations or government largest provider of primary education. Grant-aided: run by organizations other than MOGE (often faith-based organizations), but with government The education sector in Zambia has gone through teachers and assistance a number of phases. In the period between Zambia’s independence in 1964 and the move to a Private: run by private agencies and one-party state in 1972, the new government individuals and financed primarily through worked to forge a national education system by tuition; may be for profit or not-for-profit assuming increasing responsibility for running schools, including management, setting of standards, and financing. Enrollment rates Following liberalization’s cuts to education increased and access to education expanded expenditures, the quality of school infrastructure throughout these early years (Petrauskis and and teaching and learning materials declined, as Nkunika 2006: 4). well as teacher motivation due to poor conditions Zambia’s economic decline during the late 1970s of service between 1991 and 2001 (Beyani 2013: into the 80s, precipitated by the fall of copper 21). Urban schools became overcrowded, while prices in 1976, had far-reaching effects on education opportunities