Education Matters More

  • P Project/Program

I Inactive

Key Information

In Ethiopia, out of 100 children enrolled in the first grade, 50 drop out by the time they reach fifth grade, and 30 more fail to complete eighth grade. The drop-out rate is much higher among girls than boys. The aim was to overcome obstacles to girls’ education in two rural and semi-rural districts of North Shewa Zone of the Ethiopian Regional State of Amhara. Activities engaged some 2,000 girls from primary and secondary schools directly and another 10,000 people indirectly (parents, siblings, teachers and other community stakeholders). The overall goal is to ensure that girls in the target areas attend and complete primary and secondary education. The specific objectives are to enhance the retention rate of girls at school by promoting a positive, safe and stimulating school environment, life skills education and psychosocial support; create awareness and support for Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) and girls education amongst parents and community members; enhance educators‘ capacity to provide quality education for girls; establish and strengthen networking and linkages among all community actors.

Lead Implementing Organization(s)

Location(s)

Sub-Saharan Africa

Ethiopia

Activity URL

https://icdi.nl/projects/education-matters-more

Government Affiliation

Non-governmental program

Years

2019 - 2020

Partner(s)

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD); HIwot

Ministry Affiliation

Unknown

Funder(s)

Dioraphte and other donors

COVID-19 Response

Unknown

Geographic Scope

National

Meets gender-transformative education criteria from the TES  

Unknown

Areas of Work Back to Top

Education areas

Attainment

  • Primary completion
  • Secondary completion

Other skills

  • Life skills/sexuality education
  • Rights/empowerment education

Quality

  • Curricula/lesson plans
  • School quality
  • Teacher training

Cross-cutting areas

  • Early/child marriage
  • Masculinities/boys
  • Menstrual hygiene management
  • Mentorship
  • Other
  • Social and gender norms and beliefs
  • WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene)

Program participants

Target Audience(s)

Boys (both in school and out of school), Girls (both in school and out of school), Youth

Age

Not applicable or unknown

School Enrolment Status

Some in school

School Level

  • Lower primary
  • Upper primary
  • Lower secondary
  • Upper secondary

Other populations reached

  • Brothers
  • Fathers
  • Mothers
  • Other community members - female
  • Other community members - male
  • School administrators
  • Sisters
  • Teachers - female
  • Teachers - male

Participants include

Not applicable or unknown

Program Approaches Back to Top

Community engagement/advocacy/sensitization

  • Community mobilization
  • General awareness-raising/community engagement

Curriculum/learning

  • Gender-sensitive curricula
  • Increased availability of learning materials

Facilities construction/improvement

  • Construction/improvement of libraries
  • Construction/improvement of schools

Life skills education

  • Gender, rights and power
  • Sexual and reproductive health (including puberty education)
  • Social and emotional learning (SEL) skills building

Menstrual hygiene management

  • Educating girls about menstruation
  • Raising awareness about menstruation (beyond just girls)

Mentoring/psychosocial support

  • Peer mentors
  • Teachers as mentors

Social/gender norms change

  • Engaging parents/caregivers of students or school-age children/adolescents
  • Group activities with students or school-age children/adolescents
  • Work with community leaders

Teaching

  • In-service teacher training – gender-responsive pedagogy
  • In-service teacher training – pedagogy general

Program Goals Back to Top

Education goals

  • Improved social and emotional learning/skills and mindsets
  • Increased primary school completion
  • Increased re-enrolment in school among out-of-school children
  • Increased secondary school completion
  • Reduced absenteeism

Cross-cutting goals

  • Changed social norms
  • Improved critical consciousness
  • Increased agency and empowerment
  • Increased knowledge of HIV, puberty, and sexual and reproductive health
  • Increased knowledge of rights
  • Reduced child marriage