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11. Heterogeneous impacts of school fee elimination in Tanzania: gender and colonial infrastructure

Author:
Roxana Elena Manea and Pedro Naso
Publication Date:
11-2021
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Centre for International Environmental Studies, The Graduate Institute (IHEID)
Abstract:
In this study, we investigate the impacts of the 2002 elimination of primary school fees in Mainland Tanzania. We explore how the magnitude of these effects depends on gender and the size of early investments in the educational infrastructure of Tanganyika. We use the 2002 and 2012 census waves as well as historical information on the location of schools in the late 1940s, and conduct a difference-in-differences analysis. We find that exposure to an average of 1.7 years of free primary education has reduced the proportion of people who have never attended primary education by 6.8 percentage points. The benefits of fee removal have been significantly larger for females compared to males, and females from districts where the size of investments in education was relatively larger during colonial rule have been the greatest beneficiaries.
Topic:
Education, Infrastructure, Colonialism, Gender, and Schools
Political Geography:
Africa and Tanzania

12. Assessing Budget Credibility: Paraguay Food Program for School (PAEP)

Author:
Fernando Ovando and Verónica Serafini
Publication Date:
04-2019
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Centro de Análisis y Difusión de la Economía Paraguaya (CADEP)
Abstract:
Budget credibility refers to the capacity of governments to fully execute resources allocated through the national budget, in terms of expenditures and revenues. When this execution is not accomplished, there should be valid arguments for explaining this limitation. A budget credibility exercise examines the nature and degrees of diversion of resources allocated by national budgets as well as the causes and consequences of this diversion. The case of budget credibility in Paraguay presented here refers to a public program that helps children performance at schools. The Paraguay Food Program for School (PAEP) was created by law in 2014, replacing another program of Nutritional Supplement for School, in force since 1995. The purpose of PAEP is to meet nutritional needs of students in order to create good nutrition habits, healthy lifestyle and to improve school attendance and school performance. Two modalities are adopted in order to provide food to schools: i) food prepared at schools; ii) food provided by local and national suppliers. PAEP is directed to public schools, both primary and secondary. It aims to provide food baskets to students on regular basis for the whole academic year. Priorities are given to schools located in zones of extreme poverty, indigenous settlements, peasant colonies, schools located at hazardous districts and those with double schooling (shifts) The Central Government implements this program for the Capital (Asuncion), through the Ministry of Education. While local governments (governorships) are in charge of implementing the program for different regions (departments) and districts (municipalities) of the rest of the country.
Topic:
Education, Budget, Public Spending, and Schools
Political Geography:
South America and Paraguay

13. BRAC’s Cost Recovery Model in Education: A Quick Exploration of Process and Perception

Author:
Rasel Babu, Utpal Mallick, Iftikhar Ul Karim, Durdana Nahid, Ahrafuzzaman Khan, Mrinmoy Samadder, Tahsina Naz Khan, and Samir Ranjan Nath
Publication Date:
12-2018
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), Brac University
Abstract:
Stakeholders’ perceptions were explored regarding the cost recovery model of BRAC Primary School (BPS) during the first two weeks of June 2016. Field work was done in 13 branches of BRAC Education Programme (BEP) where 37 field staff, 27 teachers and 36 parents were interviewed, and eight FGDs were conducted with parents and staff. The respondents perceived the new model from their own perspectives which varied from one area to another and from one group of respondents to another. Introduction of monthly tuition fee was broadly accepted by the majority of the parents and a good portion of staff also accommodated them with the new concept. However, both of them made some suggestions for keeping BPS competitive with the other primary education provisions in the market. Finally, eight-point suggestions were made for further development of the model.
Topic:
Education, Cost Recovery, and Schools
Political Geography:
Bangladesh and South Asia

14. BRAC’s Intervention in Secondary Schools: A Comparative Study

Author:
Samir Ranjan Nath, Rasel Babu, and Durdana Nahid
Publication Date:
05-2018
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), Brac University
Abstract:
Post-primary Basic and Continuing Education interference of BRAC Education Programme popularly known as PACE desired to enhance the quality of secondary education of Bangladesh. This comparative ethnographic study intended to understand if any cultural changes took place in the schools due to PACE. For this, data on school daily life, teaching-learning process, use of the library, school management, leadership, values and gender issues were collected from three intervened and three non-intervened schools located in three upazilas (sub-districts) of Tangail, Jessore and Rajshahi districts of Bangladesh. Six research assistants following the guidance of the research team conducted a four months long observation on the selected schools starting from March 2016 and collected data on the above-mentioned areas from the learners, teachers, parents, SMC members, PO, UEO and communities, and from the available documents interview, FGD, survey, field note taking and document analysis. Major findings revealed that PACE activities were rarely practised in the intervened schools. Though teachers received training and perceived it useful could not apply in classrooms because of time constraint and pressure of completing syllabus. Teachers from both types of schools heavily depended on the lecture method. Classes using CAL materials were barely held, and teachers in both sorts of schools hardly used any teaching materials. Teachers’ training and mentoring programmes lost their popularity after adopting a cost recovery approach. Gonokendros were not truly functional in the schools because of irregularity and unavailability of the librarians. In case of school management, political influence was observed in both types of schools. Girls and female teachers experienced teasing and harassment. Mixed perceptions among teachers, parents and learners were observed regarding student cabinet election. The study concluded that desired cultural changes did not take place in the intervened schools because of several challenges. Hence, recommended for close monitoring of the PACE activities, accelerating initiatives for enhancing moral values among the teachers and learners, treating student leadership issues seriously and building a gender friendly environment through forming a committee in each school.
Topic:
Education, Ethnography, and Schools
Political Geography:
Bangladesh and South Asia

15. Leveraging Urban Inclusion through Education: Study on BRAC Slum School Project

Author:
Nowreen Yasmin, Samir Ranjan Nath, and Mohammad Anwar Hossain
Publication Date:
05-2018
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), Brac University
Abstract:
Slum becomes one of the major concerns particularly for developing countries like Bangladesh in order to sustain the initiatives taken for urban development. The challenges faced by the slum habitants is badly intertwined, and education has always got the least priority for this community. Moreover, inadequate school facilities, higher expense of schooling, difficulties in getting enrolled, distance of the school, and child labour deteriorate the situation and accentuates the problem of lower educational attainment of this population. This research was commissioned to examine the outcome and challenges of the Urban Slum School Project of BRAC Education Program which was initiated in 2013. In response to the research objective, a quantitative approach had dominantly been employed in this study. The baseline survey was carried out with a randomly selected sample of 50 slum schools and 1000 households of the students in 2013. That initiative was followed by an endline research at the end of 2016. Household survey, school survey, and learning achievement test for the students of grade V have been utilised. For the endline study, in total 82 schools: 50 slum schools of baseline study and 32 other BRAC schools as a comparison group; had been selected as sample for the survey and competences achievement test in 2016. There were two comparison groups: 18 rural BRAC primary schools and 14 urban (non-slum) BRAC primary schools.
Topic:
Education, Urban, Inclusion, and Schools
Political Geography:
Bangladesh and South Asia

16. Working to Empower Girls in Nigeria: Highlights of the Educating Nigerian Girls in New Enterprises (ENGINE) Program

Author:
Jeni Klugman, Jennifer Parsons, and Tatiana Melnikova
Publication Date:
05-2018
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security (GIWPS)
Abstract:
The Coca-Cola Company, together with the UK Department for International Development and local partners, undertook a multifaceted effort to educate and economically empower marginalized Nigerian girls, who face significant social and cultural barriers to realizing their potentials. The program offered training, mentoring, and support to girls aged 16-19 in four Nigerian states who were out of school or at risk of dropping out of school or facing an early marriage. An important component involved efforts to shift traditional norms among community leaders and others, to help open up opportunities for girls. This report from Georgetown’s Institute for Women, Peace and Security – which reviewed evaluations of the program – concluded that the results were encouraging on a number of fronts. More than 10,000 out-of-school participants (out of 13,024) were linked to employment as a result of the program, with more than half joining the Coca-Cola value chain. Program participants were more likely to run their own business or manage a business, hold a savings account, and report higher levels of self confidence and better knowledge of the skills required to run a small business compared to non-participants. “The results highlight the potential to empower girls, even in very challenging circumstances, with the support of partners that deliberately address overlapping constraints,” said Dr. Jeni Klugman, managing director of the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security. “We also welcome the focus on rigorous evaluation of the program, to better understand what works, as well as persistent constraints.” The Educating Nigerian Girls in New Enterprises (ENGINE) program is part of The Coca-Cola Company’s 5by20 program, designed to leverage the company’s resources and reach to empower five million female entrepreneurs along its value chain by 2020. “Women and girls are a central pillar in global development,” said Ambassador Melanne Verveer, executive director of the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security. “Many companies, including The Coca-Cola Company, have been playing leadership roles to improve the status of women, to accelerate economic opportunities, and to enhance sustainable development.” The ENGINE program ran from 2014-2016 and involved multiple partners: The Coca-Cola Company, Nigerian Bottling Company, Mastercard Foundation, Nike Foundation, and the UK Department for International Development’s Girls’ Education Challenge. Mercy Corps led the implementation of ENGINE, with support from Girl Effect Nigeria, d.light solar social enterprise, Action Health Incorporated, Community Action for Popular Participation, and Society for Women and Development and the Empowerment of Nigeria. Reports and data were collected by Preston Health Care Consulting Ltd.
Topic:
Development, Education, Women, Girls, Empowerment, and Schools
Political Geography:
Africa and Nigeria

17. BRAC-UBS Shishu Niketan School Project: A Baseline Study

Author:
Samir Ranjan Nath, Nowreen Yasmin, and Anwar Hossain
Publication Date:
12-2017
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), Brac University
Abstract:
BRAC Education Programme (BEP) in collaboration with BRAC-UK has established 15 low-cost, fee-paying schools called Shishu Niketan in 15 district towns of Bangladesh. The objective of this initiative is to provide quality primary education to the children of low-income families. The UBS Optimus Foundation is the development partner of this project. BEP is the implementing agency in collaboration with the BRAC Institute of Educational Development (BIED). The duration of this collaboration is 41 months starting from August 2016. According to the project proposal three grades viz., pre-primary, grade I, and grade II are supposed to be opened in each school in January 2017. After one year, the students will be promoted to the next grades and a new batch of pre-primary students will be admitted. The number of students in each grade was proposed to be 32. The number of teachers would be four in each school, one of whom is a headteacher. One new teacher would be recruited each year. During the implementation of this project, a total of 105 teachers will be recruited, and 2,970 students will be admitted to these schools. The research and Evaluation Division (RED) of BRAC is the research partner of this project. As part of an evaluation of this project, RED will collect various information throughout the implementation period. This report presents the findings of baseline research on this Shishu- Niketan School project. Fieldwork for this was carried out in June 2017.
Topic:
Development, Education, and Schools
Political Geography:
Bangladesh and South Asia

18. The Effects of Skill Training on Livelihoods: Evidence from BRAC’s Intervention on School Dropout Adolescents

Author:
Rehnuma Rahman, Atiya Rahman, Zion Rabbi Samadder, and Abdul Bayes
Publication Date:
01-2017
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), Brac University
Abstract:
The school dropout rate in Bangladesh is estimated to be about 40 per cent at the secondary level. The majority of the dropouts is most likely to remain unemployed or, if employed, engaged in low paying and hazardous work in the informal sector. With the aim of producing a well-trained and empowered youths, BRAC initiated ‘Skills Training for Advancing Resources (STAR)’ program in 2012. The program provides on the-job and classroom training in various informal trades to disadvantaged school dropout adolescents aged between 14-18 years. This study estimates the effects of the program on employment, earning levels, financial assets, empowerment and household-level welfare. The results show that the intervention succeeded in increasing labour market participation and earnings of the adolescents. The magnitude of the effect on earning is about six times the baseline mean level of earnings. Increased earnings of the adolescents translated into household welfare– as proxied by food expenditures and durable asset holdings. Evidence also shows the positive effects of the program on enhancing empowerment, improving self-confidence, and preventing substance abuse. Further, the intervention appears to have improved workplace environment and job satisfaction among school dropouts. The cost-benefit ratio of the intervention is found to be about 1:3.
Topic:
Employment, Labor Market, Skills, and Schools
Political Geography:
Bangladesh and South Asia

19. Literacy Status of BRAC Primary School Completers

Author:
Samir Ranjan Nath and Mohammad Anwar Hossain
Publication Date:
03-2017
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), Brac University
Abstract:
Literacy status of a sample of primary education completers from BRAC non-formal schools in 2016 and enrolled in grade six in various formal schools in the following year were assessed. Their performance in literacy was compared with a similar group of students taken from national literacy assessment under Education Watch 2016. A test-based literacy assessment tool developed for Education Watch 2002 was used. The findings reveal that although the BRAC school students bear a lower socioeconomic status than those in the national sample they achieved a significantly higher literacy rate than the comparison group of students. A similar result was observed in each of the four components of literacy viz., reading, writing, numeracy and application of the 3Rs. No gender difference was observed in the national sample but girls outperformed boys in the BRAC sample.
Topic:
Education, Literacy, and Schools
Political Geography:
Bangladesh and South Asia

20. Consequences Of School Resources For Educational Achievement

Author:
Joseph Ishaku
Publication Date:
06-2017
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (CSEA)
Abstract:
This paper examines the determinants of educational achievement in a developing country context, Burkina Faso. We deviate from the extant literature by constructing an aggregate index of school quality from the observable school resources. Also, we account for school choice constraints, faced by children especially in rural areas, as it relates to the geographical inequalities in the distribution of quality schools. These treatments provide an unbiased estimates of the relevance of school resources for academic performance. The empirical approach is based on a two-stage procedure that accounts for supply constraints in school choice.
Topic:
Development, Economics, Education, and Schools
Political Geography:
Africa and Burkina Faso