Waza Alliance for Quality Education

c/o Richard Hollowell, CPA

1061 E. Israel St.

Greensburg, IN 47240-2405

Achieving Universal Primary
Education (MDG # 2):
The WAZA Alliance Approach
Presented to the Social Justice Group at North United
Methodist Church, Indianapolis, IN, USA
© January 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009                                                                                                                                     1
Our focus is on the Millennium Development Goal # 2, Achieving Universal Primary Education and sharing WAZA Alliance’s strategy and contribution to MDG # 2.
Disclaimer
• This powerpoint is a result of research and
a collection of different facts from different
sources as they relate to the D R Congo
education system. The facts have been used
with the intent to illustrate the WAZA
Alliance for Quality Education mission.You
will find a References page at the end of
the powerpoint.
Monday, January 19, 2009                                                2
Summary of the Millennium
Development Goals
• The Millennium Developmental Goal # 2
• Universal Primary Education
Monday, January 19, 2009                                                                                                                                                    3
Seven years ago, in 2000, 164 governments met to set what is now know as the Millennium Development Goals. These countries, together with partner organizations from around
the world, decided and committed that education should be expanded to children, youth and adult alike. It should be accessible to all by 2015.
This comprehensive vision of education was grounded in human rights, in the affirmation of the importance of learning at all ages
and in the emphasize for the need for special measures to reach out to the poorest, most vulnerable and most disadvantaged groups in society.
UPE Background
• Follow up on two of the World Education
Forum Goals held in Dakar (April 26-28,
2000)
•        Access to primary education of good quality for
all by 2015.
•        Quality education for all.
Monday, January 19, 2009                                                                                                                                                                      4
The World Education Forum highlights two key goals that define the Universal Primary Education :
- Access to primary education of good quality for all by 2015.
- Quality education for all.
Why setting the goal of achieving primary education? Why not setting secondary education as a goal?
George Psacharopoulos (1993) argues that “ primary education continues to exhibit the highest social profitability in the world regions” (p.7) It could be as high as 24-45 %, while the ROR at
secondary can reach 17-26%
Universal Primary Education, Are
we Going to Make It? YES and NO
• Since Dakar 2000
• Primary School enrollment up 36% in SSA and 22%
in South and West Asia
•          Increase in universal enrollment.
•          Cost remains a major obstacle.
•          Gender parity has been missed.
•          Governments and donor favor primary schooling.
•          Illiteracy receives minimal political attention.
•          Aid to low-income countries more than doubled.
Monday, January 19, 2009                                                                                                                                                                                                       5
Primary school enrollment rose from 647 million to 688 million worldwide between 1999 and 2005, increasing by 36% in sub-Saharan Africa and 22% in South and West Asia. As a result, the number of out-of-school children
declined, with the pace of this decrease particularly marked after 2002.
Rapid progress towards universal enrollment and gender parity at the primary level, for example in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, India, Mozambique, the United Republic of Tanzania, Yemen and Zambia, shows that national political
will combined with international support can make a difference.
The cost of schooling remains a major obstacle to education for millions of children and youth despite the abolition of primary school tuition fees in fourteen countries since 2000.
The gender parity goal has been missed: only about one-third of countries reported parity in both primary and secondary education in 2005, with only three reaching it since 1999 (though 17 achieved it in primary and 19 in
secondary during the period). An increasing number of international, regional and national assessments report low and unequal learning outcomes, reflecting the extent to which poor education quality is undermining the
achievement of EFA.
National governments and donors have favored formal primary schooling over early childhood, literacy and skills programs for youth and adults despite the direct impact of these on achieving universal primary education and
gender parity.
Illiteracy is receiving minimal political attention and remains a global disgrace, keeping one in five adults (one in four women) on the margins of society.
Aid to basic education in low-income countries more than doubled between 2000 and 2004 but decreased significantly in 2005.
Where the World Stands
EFA goals
• Out of 129 countries,
• 51 have or are close to achieving UPE
• 56 are in intermediate position
• 25 are far from achieving EFA as a whole
( D.R. Congo)
Monday, January 19, 2009                                                                                                                                                                         6
Where the world stands on the six EFA goals
Out of 129 countries, 51 have achieved or are close to achieving the four most quantifiable EFA goals
(universal primary education, adult literacy, gender and quality of education), 53 are in an intermediate position and 25 are far from achieving EFA as a whole, the EFA Development Index
shows. The lowest category would be larger still if data were available for a number of fragile states, including conflict or post-conflict countries with very low levels of education development.
Universal Primary
Education
•        23 countries without legal provision for compulsory
education in 2000 have since established them.
•        Global net enrollment rose from 83% to 87%. SSA
increased by 23% and Asia by 11% (D R Congo 70%)
•        # of out of school children dropped by 24 million to
72 million.
•        Disparities within a nation continue to persist
between regions, urban and rural.
•        58 out of 86 countries will NOT achieve universal
primary enrollment by 2015.
Monday, January 19, 2009                                                                                                                                                                       7
Twenty-three countries that lacked legal provisions for compulsory education in 2000 have since established them. Compulsory education laws now exist in 95% of 203 countries and
territories.
The D R Congo has provision in the current constitution, that guarantees Universal Primary Education. It stipulates that primary education should be universal and free. It also calls for the
abolition of school fees. However the current public law called Loi Cadre de l’enseignement has not been updated to align with the new constitution. The law was written under the One party
dictatorship and requires that parents pay for the school fee tax (minerval) and other indirect cost.
The global net enrollment ratio rose from 83% to 87% between 1999 and 2005, faster than from 1991 to 1999. Participation levels increased most rapidly in sub- Saharan Africa (23%), and
South and West Asia (11%).
The number of out-of-school children dropped by 24 million to 72 million between 1999 and 2005. Thirty-five fragile states account for 37% of all out-of-school children.
Despite overall enrollment increases, sub-national disparities in school participation persist between regions, provinces or states and between urban and rural areas. Children from poor,
indigenous and disabled populations are also at a systematic disadvantage, as are those living in slums.
On current trends, fifty-eight out of eighty-six countries that have not yet reached universal primary enrolment will not achieve it by 2015.
Quality of Education
• Survival rate to sixth grade improved
between 1999 and 2004. Data remains low
(63%) in Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Low achievement in language and math.
• Overcrowded classrooms with insignificant
resources.
Monday, January 19, 2009                                                                                                                                                                  8
Survival rates to the last grade of primary school improved between 1999 and 2004 in most countries with data but remained low in sub-Saharan Africa (median rate of 63%) and in South
and West Asia (79%). Unesco statistic page does not have any record for the D R Congo. However, the 2002 UNESCO report states that the gross enrollment rate at elementary is about
61% (2002). By grade 5, more than 45 % drop out and 38% complete the elementary cycle. Of the 38% who finish elementary school, only 22% enroll in secondary school.
Relatively low and unequal learning achievement in language and mathematics characterize many countries worldwide.
Crowded and dilapidated classrooms, too few textbooks and insufficient instructional time are widespread in many developing countries and fragile states.
Pupil/teacher ratios have increased in sub-Saharan Africa and in South and West Asia since 1999. Eighteen million new primary school teachers are needed worldwide to reach universal
primary education by 2015.
Many governments are hiring contract teachers to save costs and rapidly increase the teaching force, but where such teachers lack adequate training and service conditions, this practice
could have a negative impact on quality in the future.
Quality of Education
• Pupil/ teacher ratios have increased since
1999.
• 18 millions teachers are needed world wide
by 2015.
• Government hiring contract teachers who
could be less qualified.
Monday, January 19, 2009                                                                                                                                                                     9
18 million new teachers across the world. Sub-Saharan Africa faces the greatest challenge where the total number of teachers will have to increase by 68%, requiring an inflow of 3.8 million
teachers (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2006:45)
Is Education for All Free
Education? Financing EFA
• National Spending
• Education expenditure
• Public Expenditure
Monday, January 19, 2009                                                                                                                                                              10
National spending
Outside North America and Western Europe, education expenditure as a share of GNP increased in fifty countries and decreased in thirty-four between 1999 and 2005.
Public expenditure on education increased by over 5% annually in sub-Saharan Africa and in South and West Asia, the two regions farthest from achieving the EFA goals.
Countries with primary net enrollment ratios below 80% in 2005 but making significant progress towards universal primary education increased their education expenditure as a share of
GNP from 3.4% in 1999 to 4.2% in 2005, on average. In countries where progress has been slower, the average share decreased.
D. R. Congo Public Expenditures
Supporting Education (in millions of
constant 2002 USD)
Education                 1980 1981 1982                              1983 1984 1985 1986 2000 2001 2002
Operating Expenses
512         483            558              170              69           71            71             42           14            18
Elem. & Secondary
227         170            173               88              25           29            30              7             3            7
Upper
0.53
Scientific
4           0.6
Administration
Capital Expenditure
10           11            19                8               3             1          0.9
Elem. & Secondary
Upper                     2          0.2             0               0.4              0           0.3          0.3              0           0.6           2.4
25%          26%            33%             17%              9%            6%           5%              0%          12%            9%
Operating Expenses
7%           4%             3%               8%             9%            6%           5%              0%          12%            9%
Capital Expenditure
Total                   24%          24%            26%             17%              9%            7%           7%              8%           5%            6%
Monday, January 19, 2009                                                                                                                                                               11
According to RESEN, public expenditures per student have continually declined since 1980. At the elementary and secondary level, the real expenditure per student in 2002 represents
3.7% of the level reached in 1980.
Source: Data taken from the 2004 RESEN
“ According to RESEN, public expenditures per student have continually declined since 1980. At the elementary and secondary level, the real expenditure per student in 2002 represents
3.7% of the level reached in 1980.” (PAGE, page 14)
Real Expenditures per Elementary and
Secondary Student (in million of
constant 2002 USD)
Education                                 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 2000 2001 2002
Operating Expenditures
(elementary and                                     109 101              113            33            13           13           13          10              3              4
Secondary)
Capital Expenditures
(elementary and                                       3          3          5            2             1            0            0
secondary)
Monday, January 19, 2009                                                                                                                                                                         12
A few reasons may explain the decrease in funding the K-12 educational system:
1. Accumulation of external debts and debt repayment in the 1980s: The World Bank imposed Structural Adjustment policies that required that countries reduced their spending and
increased the minimum payment of their external debts, in order to get more funding. In doing so, countries such as the D R Congo had to cut spending in such vital areas as health,
education and development. By 1985, transportation for college students and college teachers, room and board and scholarships for higher education have been completely cut. Few
resources have been allocated to K-12.
2. By 1997, most money went to the 1996-1997 war effort. The D R Congo has been at war ever since 1996 until now.
3. The few millions of dollars allocated to schools barely reached them.
4. The return to educational investment takes longer than a political term. Not many politicians would want to invest in an area where it takes longer than their term in office, if they want to
be re-elected.
What Governments
Should Do
•        Promote Inclusion by:
•      abolishing school fees
•      Provide financial support
•      Alleviate child labor and allow flexible schooling.
•      Allow school to accommodate disabled students
•      Close the gender gap by hiring, training more female
teachers.
•      Prioritize staff training and funding literacy programmes.
•      Establish media and publishing policies to promote
reading.
Monday, January 19, 2009                                                                                                                                                                     13
National governments
Measures to promote inclusion
Assure provision of early childhood care and education programs with health, nutrition and education
components, especially for the most disadvantaged children;
Abolish school fees and provide enough places and teachers in schools to cope with new entrants; This one element has been a focus in terms of research in order to determine how to
implement the abolition of school fees in D R Congo, and what direct effect it has on the upsurge of enrollment and the quality of education.
Provide financial support such as scholarships, cash or in-kind transfers to children from poorer households;
Take measures to alleviate the need for child labour and allow for flexible schooling and non-formal equivalency courses for working children and youth;
Promote inclusive policies that open schools to disabled children, indigenous children and those from other disadvantaged groups;
Address gender disparities by increasing the numbers of female teachers in countries with low enrollment of girls and by building schools close to home and with proper sanitation;
Place top priority on boldly expanding adequately staffed and funded literacy and skills-training programs for youth and adults, harnessing all forms of media; establish media and publishing
policies that promote reading.
What Governments
Should Do
•         Measures to promote quality
•         Attract new recruits to teaching.
•         Assure sufficient instructional time.
•         Create a safe and healthy learning environment.
•         Promote gender equality.
•         Mother tongue in early childhood and first years of
primary school.
•         Partnership between government and non-state sector.
Monday, January 19, 2009                                                                                                               14
Measures to promote quality
Use incentives to attract new recruits to the teaching profession, provide adequate teacher training and professional development;
Assure sufficient instructional time and a textbook development and distribution policy; create safe and healthy learning environments;
Promote gender equality through teacher training, the curriculum and textbook contents;
Recognize the importance of mother tongue instruction in early childhood and the first years of primary school;
Develop constructive partnerships between government and the non-state sector to increase access to quality education.
What Governments
Should Do
•        Measure to improve capacity and financing:
•       Maintain or increase public spending
•       Increase financing for literacy, quality and teacher training.
•       Strengthen management capacity at government level
•       Coordinate early childhood and adult literacy with all
ministries and NGOs
•       Engage civil society in policy formulation, implementation
and monitoring.
•       invest in capacity to collect, analyze and use data on
education system
Monday, January 19, 2009                                                                                                                                 15
Measures to improve capacity and financing
Maintain or, where necessary, increase public spending, noting that unit costs are likely to rise for enrolling the most disadvantaged and marginalized;
Increase financing for early childhood, literacy and quality, especially teacher training and professional
development;
Strengthen management capacity at all levels of government;
Coordinate early childhood and adult literacy programs with all involved ministries and non-governmental organizations (NGOs);
Formally engage civil society in EFA policy formulation, implementation and monitoring;
Invest in capacity to collect, analyse and use data on education systems.
What Can the Civil
Society Do?
• Strengthen civil society organization to
advocate
• Engage with governments in developing,
implementing and monitoring educational
policies
• Encourage training in education policy
analysis and finance.
Monday, January 19, 2009                                                                                                                                   16
Civil society
Further strengthen civil society organizations that enable citizens to advocate for EFA and to hold government and the international community to account;
Engage with national governments in the development, implementation and monitoring of education policies;
Encourage training in education policy analysis and finance.
What Can Donors and International
Agencies Do?
• Increase aid to basic education
• Raise to at least 10 % the share of basic
education.
• Improve government capacities to manage
donated funds.
• Ensure that aid is more targeted, more
comprehensive, more focused, and aligned.
Monday, January 19, 2009                                                                                                                                                   17
Donors and international agencies
Increase aid to basic education sharply to meet the annual external financing need of US$11 billion by
2010;
Raise to at least 10% the share of basic education in bilateral sectoral aid;
Improve governments’ capacity to use larger amounts of aid effectively; ensure that aid is:
More targeted, to reach the countries most in need, especially fragile states and countries in sub- Saharan Africa;
More comprehensive, to include early childhood, youth and adult literacy and skills programs, and capacity development in policy, planning, implementation and monitoring;
More focused on EFA rather than post-secondary education;
More predictable, to support long-term national education plans;
More aligned with government programs and priorities.
What is Waza Alliance for Quality
Education Planning to Do ?
•   The WAZA Alliance for Quality Education is an
Indiana-incorporated non-profit, non-
governmental and non-sectarian organization
that thrives to provide access to quality
education to K-12 under-served children in
developing countries such as the Democratic
Republic of Congo.

http://www.waza-alliance.org

Monday, January 19, 2009                                               18
WAZA Alliance’s
Mission
•           Waza’s mission is to:
•            Improve teacher education.
•            Improve school management in public schools.
•            Ensure enrollment and completion of education
cycles, particularly elementary.
•            Help develop curricular resources.
Monday, January 19, 2009                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             19
-          Improve teacher education in Sub-Saharan Africa
Bridging the gap between current elementary teacher generation and the future teacher generation. Write the background and rationale
o
Providing the Waza Teacher Training Seminars in content curricular areas and classroom management
o
Certify teachers and help them become leaders in areas where they show mastery of knowledge and skills.
o
Encourage work ethics.
o
The by-product is that students will be provided quality learning because of quality teaching. WAZA ALLIANCE FOR QUALITY EDUCATION will contribute to the MDG by increasing the number of qualified teachers. A well- trained teacher invariable has a greater impact on
a greater number of students in overcrowded classes at one time.
-          Help improve school management in public schools in SSA
Increase efficiency
o
Manage school data. The purpose is to create a culture of inclusion of the socio-economically challenged families, rather than exclusion. Schools can be repressive machines. WAZA ALLIANCE FOR QUALITY EDUCATION would like for schools to use attendance
o
data to determine how to improve the drop out rate.
-          Ensure enrollment and completion of primary education of all the children with a particular attention to first generation children.
-          Help develop curriculum resources
To engage teachers in developing alternative resources. These include more basal readers, supplemental activity books and alternative assessment tools. Assessment tools will be closely managed by WAZA ALLIANCE FOR QUALITY EDUCATION, INC.
o
Getting Ready to Go to
the Congo
Monday, January 19, 2009               20
Where on Earth is the
Congo?
Monday, January 19, 2009                   21
Partnering with AWIEF
• Able and Willing
International
Education
Foundation
•  Guesthouse
•  Food
•  Diplomatic
network
•  Granting of visa
for foreigner
Monday, January 19, 2009                                22
Able and Willing Guest House
Monday, January 19, 2009                              23
Building Credibility and
Obtaining Political Clearance
• Meeting with Provincial minister of
Education.
• Meeting with Presidential Advisor.
• Two ministers at the inaugural and closing
ceremonies.
Monday, January 19, 2009                                          24
Monday, January 19, 2009 25Monday, January 19, 2009 26                         Lots of Breakdowns
Monday, January 19, 2009                    27
The Myrt Schools
Monday, January 19, 2009                  28
The Myrt School I
Monday, January 19, 2009                   29
End of Year Proclamation
Monday, January 19, 2009                                                                                                                                                              30
Faustin is officiating a proclamation ceremony at the Myrt School. Report cards are handed out in public and the Congo still used raking system. Students who have a passing grade are
publicly applauded and those who are not are booed.
End of Year Proclamation
Monday, January 19, 2009                               31
Faustin is congratulating a couple of students.
End of Year Proclamation
Monday, January 19, 2009                                                                                                                                                                   32
For some reasons, this student was one of the sad faces around. It could be that she failed, or she did not get her report card. One of the reasons why a child may not be handed her report
card is if her family still owes some money to the school. In this child’s case, I don’t know as I did not have time to ask.
The Myrt School II
Monday, January 19, 2009                                                                                                                                                                   33
Faustin and Mbuyu (President of Able and Willing International Education Foundation) are reading the Myrt School sign posted at the entrance of the Poleni village. Able and Willing has built
another school in this area.
The Myrt School II
Monday, January 19, 2009                                                               34
The roof and pillars of the first building of the Myrt School II at the Poleni village.
The Myrt School II
Monday, January 19, 2009                                                                                                                                             35
The Myrt School building at Poleni village is complete. Sylvia Hyde, the WAZA ALLIANCE secretary is sharing a moment with the Poleni children looking at her camera.
Mapinduzi I and II
Monday, January 19, 2009                                                                                                                        36
This is a site of the Mapinduzi School in the Kenya county, one of the most popular county. Mapinduzi is a public school run by the government.
Mapinduzi I
•                              •
Co-educational               Administration: 2 ( one
principal and deputy
•                                principal)
Student population: 950
(2007-2008)
• Student/teacher ratio
•                                70/1
Student population
increase: about 50 – 100,
•
i.e. the equivalent of one   Clean water: one well
class per year
• Restrooms: 3, two for
•   Number of teachers: 13       students and one for
teachers
Monday, January 19, 2009                                                      37
Schools Profiling
•
•                                                                                      A. Household Characteristics
A. Student’s Characteristics
-   Gender                                                                      -   Father’s education
-   age
-   Mother’s education
-   Outgoing test score (OTS)
-   Number of siblings
-   Incoming Test Score (ITS)
-   Number of people in household
-   Prior Schooling
-   Language spoken in family
-   Attendance Rate (AR)
-   Personal Schooling Circumstances
(PSC) Books
- Attendance at pre-school
- Repeater
- Personal Schooling Circumstances
(PSC) includes distance to school,
number of days absent, possession of
school supplies text books, workbooks,
board and “touché”, ability to bring
snack to school.
Monday, January 19, 2009                                                                                                                                                        38
Some of the characteristics that WAZA ALLIANCE would like to look at in order to understand the well-being of a school include student’s, household’s, school’s and community’s
characteristics.
Schools Profiling
•                                   •
School Characteristics              Community Characteristics
- School size                        – How much demand on child
- Resource materials received          labor?
under PURUS for example
- Average wealth of student’s
body
- school head’s management style
(such as frequency of visits with
teachers and amount of time
spent supervising and
counseling them, attitude toward
experimentation by teachers,
and belief in rating teachers
according to pupils’
performance.
Monday, January 19, 2009                                                               39
Sylvia’s Arrival
Monday, January 19, 2009                                                                           40
Sylvia is exchanging with a teacher (left). Sylvia is speaking to teachers in a classroom. (right)
The WazaTeacher
Training Seminar
•                                     •
July 21-26, 2008.                 Two provincial ministers
were present at the
•                                       opening and closing
70 teachers registered.
ceremonies.
•     13 schools were
• Topics: Best practices on
represented.
the teaching of math and
•                                       science.
9 cooks were hired.
•
•                                       Stipend: $ 3.00 a day per
5 five teacher work
teacher.
groups were made.
Monday, January 19, 2009                                                                 41
This is a snapshot of the WAZA Teacher Training Seminar 2008
Participants
Monday, January 19, 2009                                       42
These are two of the five teachers working groups.
How Can you Help?
•   To improve teacher education, WAZA Alliance
needs.
• Funds for the WAZA Teacher Training Seminars.
• Cost is $4,000 to run a one week seminar with a
minimum of 50 teachers. ( cost include
administrative, protocol, transportation, food,
teacher stipends, etc…)
• Other costs include, transportation to and from
US for volunteers and trainers, accommodation,
local transportation in D R Congo etc…
Monday, January 19, 2009                                                   43
How Can you Help?
•   To improve school management in public schools,
WAZA Alliance needs:
• Logistical support on the ground including housing,
vehicle and technology (computers, software).
• Qualified personnel on the ground. WAZA needs
funds for training personnel ( it costs time more
than money) and paying wages ( $ 2,000/ year/ per
worker may do).
• Cooperation and technical support to the
government (include equipping the minister’s office
with a couple of laptops and scanners).
Monday, January 19, 2009                                                       44
How Can you Help?
•   To ensure enrollment and completion of education
cycles, particularly elementary, WAZA Alliance
needs:
• Sponsoring of direct and indirect cost of
students. WAZA believes it takes resources
allocated to 40 US students on the average to
support 1,000 Congolese students.
• If we only target cost born by the household, it
takes about $ 25/student/month.
• Target: Students who have dropped or on the
verge of dropping, in public schools, in poor
neighborhood.
Monday, January 19, 2009                                                    45
How Can you Help?
• To help develop curricular resources, WAZA
Alliance needs:
• Printing shop and seed funding. Teachers will
be trained to publish diverse resources
including basal readers, supplemental activity
books, other teaching aids.
• WAZA Alliance philosophy is that teachers get
most of the royalties for published materials.
Monday, January 19, 2009                                                    46
References
• Education For All by 2015 – Will We Make It? (Unesco, 2008)
• World Education Forum: The Dakar Framework for Action
(Unesco, 2000)
• Bennell, Paul (1996), Rates of Return to Education: Does the
Conventional Pattern Prevail in sub-Saharan Africa? (World
Development, Vol. 24, No. 1, pp. 183-199.1996)
• The Constitution of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
• School Fee Policies and Practices in the Democratic Republic of
the Congo: Situational Analysis and Perspectives for the Future
(PAGE Project Education Policy Team)
Monday, January 19, 2009                                                                   47
Monday, January 19, 2009 48                         THANK YOU!
Monday, January 19, 2009            48