Improving Primary Education Outcomes for the Most Vulnerable Children in Rural Mongolia” Project (2012-2017)
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
JSDF – JAPAN SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT FUND November 2016 Quality Public Disclosure Authorized Education for Every Child “Improving Primary Education Outcomes for the Most Vulnerable Children in Rural Mongolia” Project (2012-2017) Public Disclosure Authorized without having had any formal ECE. While The Project Context 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 completely or partially separated from specific programs, textbooks nor any other Public Disclosure Authorized November2016 and secondary education. With this their child for 9 months a year; 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 Therefore, in consideration of these issues, attend school at age six. Although school difficulties and poor school performance. Public Disclosure Authorized the World Bank and Save the Children dormitories in soum centers (i.e. the According to the Ministry of Education, Japan came up with new project ideas to equivalent of an administrative district or Culture, Science and Sports (MECSS), in tackle the very specific challenges of county in other countries) have always 2011, more than 38% of all pre-school aged delivering quality education to children of played an important role in providing children in Mongolia (most of whom reside nomadic herding families. nomadic children with access to education, in rural areas) entered primary school 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 Coverage(out of 330 nationwide)areas: The of projectfour provinces is being 7,500400 childrenschool (5employees-10 year olds); (school Mongolia. As a result of the project (out of 21 in total) namely: Arkhangai (10 implemented in 30 target soums (out of 15,000administrators, parents and teachers, caretakers; social “Improving Primary Education Outcomes for soums), Uvurkhangai (10 soums), Dornod 330 nationwide) of four provinces (out of 400workers, school andemployees dormitory (school the Most Vulnerable Children in Rural (5 soums), and Sukhbaatar (5 soums) 21 in total) namely: Arkhangai (10 soums), administrators,teachers/staff members); teachers, social Mongolia (2012-2017)”, implemented by provinces. Uvurkhangai (10 soums), Dornod (5 34 life-long education teachers; Save the Children Japan, the education workers, and dormitory soums), and Sukhbaatar (5 soums) and outcomes of more than 7,500 most The target reach: The project aims teachers/staff members); provinces. 3440 life soum-long educationgovernors teachers; and other and vulnerable children (aged 5 to 10) in four to serve 22,974 beneficiaries directly local government officials. educationally under-performing and 40 soum governors and other local Theover atarget five-year reach: period, including:The project aims under-served rural provinces of Mongolia government officials. are expected to improve. Component 3: Pilot compensatory The project consists of three main education programs for lower primary out of school children (8-10 years of age) in components: 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 out-of-school children, have been Under the CEC leadership, local schools government officials successfully piloted and refined and have and communities have successfully 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 Mongolia Kits (packaged in 10 different sets) target hard-to-reach-children. specifically designed for children in the As of November 2016, the total number The project’s