NEW LESSONS THE POWER OF EDUCATING ADOLESCENT GIRLS A GIRLS COUNT REPORT ON ADOLESCENT GIRLS CYNTHIA B. LLOYD POPULATION COUNCIL NEW LESSONS THE POWER OF EDUCATING ADOLESCENT GIRLS Cover Photo Girls at a rural secondary school in Bangladesh head home after class. Offering new options and access to secondary school is a major prior- ity for adolescent girls’ education. Photo Credit: Brent Stirton / Getty Images NEW LESSONS THE POWER OF EDUCATING ADOLESCENT GIRLS Cover Photo Girls at a rural secondary school in Bangladesh head home after class. Offering new options and access to secondary school is a major prior- ity for adolescent girls’ education. Photo Credit: Brent Stirton / Getty Images TAkING action FOR ADOLESCENT GIRLS’ education or family obligations. The programs can also provide COUNT INVEST supplementary training beyond the formal curricu- ADVOCATE lum for the development of skills for social and civic Collect and compile data on Expand opportunities for girls participation—in the process teaching basic health, Promote easy transitions non-formal education to attend secondary school reproductive health, and financial literacy. between non-formal and A questionnaire module on non-formal education Governments should define basic education as formal schools should be introduced into national household surveys education through lower secondary school, or to age Produce curricula relevant to Complementary schools should be developed within and censuses to collect data on the extent and cover- 16. To accommodate the resulting influx of students, adolescent girls the non-formal education system to help girls, many age of non-formal schooling, and its implementation governments and the private sector should increase Adolescent girls in the developing world need to of them primary-school dropouts, continue on should be tested on a pilot basis in several countries. the number of formal and non-formal secondary acquire remunerative and marketable skills which are to formal secondary school. They should also offer school places in the educational system by extending not taught at home, such as facility with computers, younger adolescents the opportunity to reenter Build and maintain a global existing primary school facilities and offering well- fluency in an internationally spoken language, financial formal primary school. database for education targeted subsidies to disadvantaged girls to attend skills, and knowledge of social systems. New methods programs for adolescent girls either public or private secondary schools. to promote interactive and collaborative learning can Encourage and evaluate help develop critical thinking and decisionmaking skills Our program and project compendium should innovation Support the non-formal and instill a habit of lifelong learning—capacities that become the platform for the development of a The curricula in both formal and non-formal schools will equip girls for a rapidly changing world. dynamic global database of education programs that education system attended by adolescents should be revamped to serve adolescent girls. Its scope should be expanded The non-formal education system must be well develop new approaches to education. Although in order to identify promising models appropriate to integrated with the formal system and be designed Offer post-secondary many of the current approaches are unproven, some girls’ educational needs in different settings. This to help adolescent girls to achieve their educational vocational programs appear particularly promising. To test their effective- database should be made available to donors, practi- and developmental needs. Non-formal schools must The majority of girls who complete secondary school ness, research/program partnerships should invest in tioners, and international agencies. be upgraded, certified, and licensed, and path- do not continue on to university. For girls going designing and implementing pilot projects to measure ways should be established from the non-formal to directly into the workforce, it is important to offer and assess their impact on girls over the short and the formal sector, as well as from the formal to the programs that support them in making a success- medium term. non-formal sector. Baseline surveys should assess ful transition to remunerative work and household educational backgrounds, skills, and knowledge gaps financial management. Such programs must be based of population subgroups who are potential benefi- on market assessments and provide relevant, flexible ciaries, in order that educational systems can be skills for employment and professional growth in an designed to address existing needs. ever-changing global economy. Develop after-school Provide training and ongoing tutoring and mentoring incentives for women to programs in both primary enter and remain in teaching and secondary schools Female teachers can reinforce the importance of These programs should support girls’ education and education to girls, and many girls respond better to development and enhance their chances of progressing female teachers. The number of women who enter to or succeeding in secondary school. They can provide teaching is increasing, and teaching appears to be one-on-one mentoring and ensure that after-school a viable, desirable profession for women who have hours are dedicated to study and not to part-time jobs completed secondary school. ii iii TAkING action FOR ADOLESCENT GIRLS’ education or family obligations. The programs can also provide COUNT INVEST supplementary training beyond the formal curricu- ADVOCATE lum for the development of skills for social and civic Collect and compile data on Expand opportunities for girls participation—in the process teaching basic health, Promote easy transitions non-formal education to attend secondary school reproductive health, and financial literacy. between non-formal and A questionnaire module on non-formal education Governments should define basic education as formal schools should be introduced into national household surveys education through lower secondary school, or to age Produce curricula relevant to Complementary schools should be developed within and censuses to collect data on the extent and cover- 16. To accommodate the resulting influx of students, adolescent girls the non-formal education system to help girls, many age of non-formal schooling, and its implementation governments and the private sector should increase Adolescent girls in the developing world need to of them primary-school dropouts, continue on should be tested on a pilot basis in several countries. the number of formal and non-formal secondary acquire remunerative and marketable skills which are to formal secondary school. They should also offer school places in the educational system by extending not taught at home, such as facility with computers, younger adolescents the opportunity to reenter Build and maintain a global existing primary school facilities and offering well- fluency in an internationally spoken language, financial formal primary school. database for education targeted subsidies to disadvantaged girls to attend skills, and knowledge of social systems. New methods programs for adolescent girls either public or private secondary schools. to promote interactive and collaborative learning can Encourage and evaluate help develop critical thinking and decisionmaking skills Our program and project compendium should innovation Support the non-formal and instill a habit of lifelong learning—capacities that become the platform for the development of a The curricula in both formal and non-formal schools will equip girls for a rapidly changing world. dynamic global database of education programs that education system attended by adolescents should be revamped to serve adolescent girls. Its scope should be expanded The non-formal education system must be well develop new approaches to education. Although in order to identify promising models appropriate to integrated with the formal system and be designed Offer post-secondary many of the current approaches are unproven, some girls’ educational needs in different settings. This to help adolescent girls to achieve their educational vocational programs appear particularly promising. To test their effective- database should be made available to donors, practi- and developmental needs. Non-formal schools must The majority of girls who complete secondary school ness, research/program partnerships should invest in tioners, and international agencies. be upgraded, certified, and licensed, and path- do not continue on to university. For girls going designing and implementing pilot projects to measure ways should be established from the non-formal to directly into the workforce, it is important to offer and assess their impact on girls over the short and the formal sector, as well as from the formal to the programs that support them in making a success- medium term. non-formal sector. Baseline surveys should assess ful transition to remunerative work and household educational backgrounds, skills, and knowledge gaps financial management. Such programs must be based of population subgroups who are potential benefi- on market assessments and provide relevant, flexible ciaries, in order that educational systems can be skills for employment and professional growth in an designed to address existing needs. ever-changing global economy. Develop after-school Provide training and ongoing tutoring and mentoring incentives for women to programs in both primary enter