Implementing institution: Strømme Foundation West Africa
Country: Mali
Source: IPA
Execution period: 2007 - in progress
Plataforma de Prácticas Efectivas:
Reintegrate dropouts into the formal education system.
Intensive reinforcement sessions in small groups for dropout students.
Between 2007 and 2009, 74.6% of program participants entered the formal elementary system.
The “Speed School for out-of-school children” program is an intensive learning curriculum that provides children between the ages of 8 and 12, who are outside the formal education system, with the ability to pass public elementary school entrance exams. Implemented by the Strømme Foundation, Speed School relies on state bodies to reach its target groups. It is funded by the Legatum Foundation in the framework of the launch of the West Africa Children’s Education Strategic Initiative.
Speed School’s curriculum condenses into 9 months the work of 3 years of traditional elementary education, focusing on reading in the children’s mother tongue and French, as well as mathematical thinking. Sessions are given by a teacher in rooms that the communities facilitate to the project. They include between 20 and 25 students of different levels and ages. The teacher takes on the role of moderator rather than director, organizing small discussion groups, encouraging mutual help, which encourages students to participate actively. For this, the teacher receives an initial training that familiarizes him/her with the methodology. Teachers are given a monthly salary to encourage their commitment and participation.
From the beginning, the Speed School program has parallel Committees “Speed Schools Management Committees”, which are responsible for promoting the importance of formal education in communities. They also manage a program to support mothers of Speed School students in the area of micro-businesses. Since the Committees are composed of parents and community authorities, these bodies are often seen as a key instrument of the local educational network. Between 2007 and 2010, 1,200 Speed Schools were opened in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, comprising 32,288 children and 565 trained teachers.
Sub-Saharan countries are characterized by a young population and dynamic growth compared to the rest of the world. In Mali, population growth reaches 3% and children under 14 years of age represent about 48% of the total population. The same is true in Niger and Burkina Faso, where children account for 50 per cent and 46 per cent respectively of the total. Such proportions generate high degrees of dependency, which in turn make it difficult to finance public policies.
In the countries mentioned, the proportion of social spending on education fluctuates between 3 and 5.5% of national GDP, which, although representing relatively high percentages, is not sufficient to address educational problems. In 2007, almost 883,000 children in Mali were outside the formal education system; in Niger, 1.4 million, and in Burkina Faso, more than one million. It is worth mentioning that the number of child dropouts in Mali and Niger has increased to this day. The great challenge for these countries is to generate the capacities to reintegrate this population into the formal education system, so that they can break out of the vicious circle of poverty.
Between 2012 and 2014, Innovation for Poverty Action (IPA) conducted an experimental evaluation test of the Speed School program with the aim of highlighting its impact on the skills of participating children, their family life and the follow-up of their studies in the formal system. 77 communities distributed in the regions of Koulikoro and Sikasso were randomly selected, where only 46 have received the intervention. Data collection was done through in-depth interviews with students and family members.
The results have shown that 74.6% of the participating students have passed the entrance exam to formal elementary schools. All participants increased their reading ability in French by 42% compared to the control group. In mathematics, the average achievement reached 25%, despite a significant disadvantage for girls. One of the outstanding factors was the very effective local team in creating links with social organizations and grassroots communities. With an average total cost of US$ 172 per student, the program is very effective and represents a very promising tool for other countries.
Link: http://www.legatum.org/initiative/West-Africa-Speed-Schools
Report: Ver informe
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