Reducing School Dropout in Malawi and Lesotho

‘School in a bag’, buddy systems and catch-up clubs have paved the way for improved learning and reduced dropout in schools in Malawi and Lesotho. These pioneering techniques have been used by researchers from University College London’s Ins tute of Educa on and their Southern African partners to help ensure that disadvantaged children, particularly those affected by HIV/ AIDS, stay in school. Between April 2007 and July 2010, the team developed and piloted these distance- and flexible- learning techniques in 20 primary schools in Malawi and 16 secondary schools in Lesotho, all of which were located in areas where HIV/AIDS was highly prevalent and where school dropout rates were high. In both countries, the schools saw reduced dropout rates (up to 45 percent in Malawi), particularly for older children

Keeping African Girls in School with Better Sanitary Care

For young girls in developing countries, not knowing how to manage their periods can hinder access to education. Research from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London demonstrates that in rural Uganda, providing free sanitary products and lessons about puberty to girls may increase their attendance at school.ESRC-DFI

Mother Tongue Education Improves Literacy in Uganda

Children whose first language is not the language of instruction in school are more likely to drop out or fail in early grades. Research from the Universities of Illinois and their Ugandan partners Mango Tree Educational Enterprises and the Ichuli Institute, Kampala, demonstrates that the provision of teacher support and educational resources produced in local languages can lead to large learning gains in rural, under-resourced and overcrowded classrooms.ESRC-DFI

Improving Early Childhood Education in Rural Bangladesh

Only 40 per cent of children in Bangladesh are enrolled in pre-primary education, with this figure estimated to be much lower in rural areas. Research led by Monash University, Australia, and supported by local partner the Global Development and Research Initiative (GDRI) Foundation, has evaluated whether introducing preschooling in remote rural communities in Bangladesh can help prepare children for primary school. By developing a set of policy interventions designed to improve children’s educational outcomes, the research demonstrates how early childhood programmes could be effectively adapted for implementation at scale, using locally available resources and infrastructure.ESRC-DFI

The Role of Teachers in Peace-Building in Rwanda and South Africa

In 1994, both Rwanda and South Africa emerged from a long and protracted history of colonisation, conflict, genocide, and apartheid which left lasting scars on their education systems. Both countries have undertaken educational reforms to try to strengthen social cohesion. Research led by the University of Sussex in collaboration with the University of Rwanda and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town examined how education policy interventions have helped teachers to become active agents of peace-building. It found that more professional development, policy direction, and support are needed.ESRC-DFI