How Distance Learning Centres can support expanding access to quality secondary school education

Practice Brief

How Distance Learning Centres can support expanding access to quality secondary school education

Successful Transition and Advancement of Rights for Girls (STAR-G)

MOZAMBIQUE

2017 – 2021

This Practice Brief summarises a rapid, non-traditional approach that can be taken to alleviate the bottleneck between primary school graduation and limited secondary school places. It focuses on how a lack of secondary school infrastructure can be addressed through provision of Distance learning Centres (DLCs) which can expand access to secondary education, make it more widely available to marginalised groups and meet unmet demand. The brief highlights the learning from the Successful Transition and Advancement of Rights for Girls (STAR-G) project in Mozambique. Between April 2017 and June 2021, they piloted a Secondary Distance Learning Programme, implemented by Save the Children. The model implemented by STAR-G to alleviate the bottleneck was to establish 75 DLCs across three provinces of Mozambique which had low primary to secondary transition rates and high illiteracy rates.

This Practice Brief is useful for anyone interested in expanding secondary education opportunities though non-traditional routes in a rapid and timely manner, including NGOs, donors and planning/policy makers in Ministries of Education.

• Mozambique

Background and the STAR-G project

Transition to formal secondary education for girls in the most remote rural communities in Mozambique is low. This is due to the high direct and indirect costs of schooling, opportunity costs borne by families and the burden of historically low transition rates carrying few girls in secondary education. This is further exacerbated by prevailing negative perceptions of the value of girls’ education compounded by a fundamentally patriarchal society and other socio-cultural attitudes and practices that determine the social roles of the boys and girls.

STAR-G focused activities in three provinces with the lowest transition rates to formal secondary (18% of girls in Tete, 14% in Gaza and 18% in Manica), as well as high illiteracy rates (55% in Tete, 34% in Manica and 32% in Gaza). These low transition rates combined with parents prioritising boys’ education over girls’ and a high prevalence of girl child marriages – one in three girls is subject to early marriage before the age of 18 – render girls highly unlikely to advance beyond primary levels. A shortage of secondary schools and a quota system capping the total number of students selected to transition limits spaces available, making it harder for rural marginalised girls to enrol in Grade 8.

In response, the government rolled out the Secondary Distance Learning Programme (Programa de Ensino Secundário à Distância, PESD) which includes two types of DLCs: type-I and type-II. Although these centres are functioning, type-I and type-II DLCs are located at district or provincial city centres, requiring long commutes, up to 5km, for girls. As a result, the transition rates have remained

low in some areas such as Tete, Gaza and Manica. Where children have accessed DLCs, outcomes have been positive. In type-I and type-II DLCs, Ministry of Education and Human Development (MINEDH) reported low drop-out rates, high retention and completion rates, and high pass rates for girls and boys taking Grade 10 exams. For example, in 2016, 1,700 learners (785 female and 915 male) passed Grade 8 or were approved to transition to Grade 9 in Tete, Manica and Gaza (for more on DLC types see Annex 1).

STAR-G QUICK FACTS

• Save the Children and partners implemented the STAR-G project in the Gaza, Manica and Tete provinces of Mozambique between 2018 and 2021 reaching over 15,000 girls.

• STAR-G builds on activities and results of the 2013-2017 Programme for Advancement of Girls Education in Mozambique (PAGEM), which focussed on lower primary (Grades 1-3)

• STAR-G focussed on upper primary girls (Grades 4-7) and their transition into lower secondary school (Grades 8-10)

• STAR-G supported girls via three pathways: Secondary (including DLCs; community-based education; and Upper Primary.

“ Where children have accessed DLCs, outcomes have been positive.”

Addressing the geographical gap: Introducing the Type-III DLC Model1

Save the Children commissioned a study2 to better understand any limitations of the current DLC model and to develop a business case for type-III DLCs that addressed the gaps in the current model. The study assessed barriers to girls’ transition, attendance, learning and completion of secondary school education and other technical/ vocational training in Mozambique, even where type-1 and type-II centres were established. Once the gaps in the existing DLC structure were collaboratively assessed with MINEDH, Save the Children addressed the logistics side of the equation – assessing demand, availability of space, determining how far girls would have to commute to reach the centres, and availability of staffing. Here, Save the Children and MINEDH developed a map of existing DLCs and primary schools. STAR-G hosted DLC-IIIs in primary schools in order to address demand and supply side barriers to girls’ education highlighted in the study, aiming to increase transition rates by reducing distances to secondary schools and the cost of schooling, ensuring flexibility in learning and safeguarding girls.

As a result of the study, Save the Children and MINEDH determined that additional DLCs, located as annexes to existing primary schools, would expand access to secondary education to children in Tete, Gaza and Manica. Primary schools were selected because they addressed the geographical gap in the existing distance learning (DL) model. Primary schools are often located within each community and within walking distance. Furthermore, the study identified an additional gap to attending type-I and type-II DLCs: cost.

Addressing the financial gap: Type-III DLCs offer free access to secondary education

The type-III DLCs addressed the geographical barrier to secondary education and also needed to address the financial gap identified in the study. Enrolment at type-I and type-II DLCs incurred costs – attendees paid GBP 56 for 45 modules. Representing a cheaper alternative, type-III DLCs offered free enrolment and free access to all learning materials as a result of partnering and sharing of costs between Save the Children and MINEDH. MINEDH signed an MoU with STAR-G committing to maintain tutors and managers who staffed the type-III DLCs in the

government payroll. MINEDH extended their support of type-III DLCs by agreeing to deploy secondary school tutors who would support primary teachers working at the type-III DLC. For its part, STAR-G established the type-III centres by supplying them with modules and supplementary teaching and learning materials being used at the other DLCs. Furthermore, STAR-G led training for primary teachers who would staff the type-III DLCs since the DLCs were co-located in the primary schools where the teachers already taught. See Annex 2 for additional information on STAR-G’s training of DLC tutors and managers and Annex 3 for training of DLC study group facilitators.

Type-III Distance Learning Centres support STAR-G girls and provide a pathway to secondary education to all children in Tete, Manica and Gaza

Under STAR-G, Save the Children, in collaboration with MINEDH, rolled out the type-III DLC model and established centres in 75 primary schools (EPC – Escola Primaria Completa) across the three provinces, providing free access to secondary education to communities that previously faced geographical and financial barriers to the governments existing DLC Programme. The type-III model functioned as an Annex DLC while type-I and type-II DLCs functioned as Hubs. At the Annex DLCs, girls attending these primary schools could smoothly transition to lower secondary education at either Grade 8, 9 and 10. The model particularly served the girls STAR-G aimed to work with, as girls from phase 1 (PAGEM) and phase 2 (STAR-G) were typically girls who were not able to access type-I or type-II DLCs.

To ensure the new DLCs were utilised, STAR-G partnered with communities to establish Community Action Committees to raise awareness about the newly established centres and mobilise girls and boys in those communities to enrol. The Committees continued support to the DLC-IIIs by doing developing and implementing community action plans to support to girl’s education. To further the support at the DLCs, the project established girls study groups. In these study groups, girls attending the Annex DLCs also received peer to peer support. Ultimately, the typeIII DLCs not only represented an opportunity for STAR-G girls to receive targeted support at a location convenient to them, the Annex DLCs also filled a gap in the existing Distance Learning Programme in Mozambique.

“To ensure the new DLCs were utilised, STAR-G partnered with communities to establish Community Action Committees to raise awareness about the newly established centres and mobilise girls and boys in those communities to enrol.”

1 See annex 1 for an explanation of Type-I, Type II and Type-III DLC models.

2 The study included a focussed review of the government’s DLC reports and evaluations; consultations with relevant government departments, UK Open University and local partners; and joint site visits to existing DLCs (type I and II) to connect theory to practice. The findings were presented to MINEDH, the Institute of Open and Distance Learning (IEDA) and the PESD programme staff.

What did the STAR-G Distance Learning Centres achieve?

Number of module packs provided

1,100

75 DLCs established with trained managers

184 study group facilitators trained

1,584 learners taking part in study groups

173 learners that completed all DL modules

311 Number of DL tutors trained

Number of learners enrolled in DLCs

2,318

129 learners that sat for the 2020 Grade 10 exams

92 of the 129 learners passed, representing 71% pass rate

Number of study groups established

160

What can be learnt from STAR-G’s Distance Learning Centre Model?

• Distance Learning Centres (DLCs) are a valid option and a promising pathway to increasing transition rates from primary to secondary and secondary completion rates.

• Improving access to secondary education may mean thinking differently about closer-to-home primary school buildings. Adapting existing government and related department’s structures, such as primary school buildings and curriculum, is likely to be cheaper and allows for a quicker response to expanding access to secondary education (than the resource intensive building of new schools).

• Cohorts of boys and girls who had previously failed to transition to secondary level over the years due to demand and supply-side barriers were enrolled in higher numbers in the DLCs offered by STAR-G (type-III) than those previously offered by the ministry (type-I and type-II) or the original STAR-G cohort of girls.

• Unmet demand from potential learners and under-provision of secondary education means that there is likely to be large number of older learners in DLCs.

• DLCs have the potential to expand secondary education for harder to reach marginalised girls in rural and remote locations. Furthermore, DLCs are a valid secondary option for learners who previously had dropped out including pregnant teenagers, teenage mothers, working girls and girls from poor households.

• Creating buy-in from local communities and structures is critical to the success of alternative ways of expanding secondary education opportunities.

• Offering easy-to-access yet flexible secondary learning opportunities may appeal to target beneficiaries and others. Hybrid learning at DLCs may allow learners of all backgrounds – including those with parenting responsibilities or chore burdens – to transition successfully into secondary education and stay there. Hybrid models also allow for flexibility to meet future demands.

STRATEGIES USED BY STAR-G

1. Collaborated closely with government stakeholders (MINEDH in Mozambique) at all levels and at all steps in the process

2. Utilised existing education workforce present in the location of the DLC and built their capacity

3. Utilised project funds to review, extend access and distribute existing government high-quality teaching and learning resources

4. Provided focussed interventions at DLCs to meet the needs of the most marginalised girls including e.g. study groups, peer learning support and training for adults in mental health and psycho-social support (MHPSS) and child protection

Why was STAR-G’s approach to establishing DLCs successful?

The experience of establishing DLCs in three under-served communities in Mozambique provides useful lessons for the broader education and development community. From this experience, we draw out four strategies that contributed to STAR-G’s success with DLCs. Below, each of the strategies are described in further detail, including plans for the activities implemented by STAR-G to be sustained.

Strategy 1: Collaborating with MINEDH at all levels and at all steps in the process

In collaboration with IEDA, provincial and district government, and EPC managers, STAR-G conducted an extensive mapping and validation exercise for the establishment of the type-III DLCs. Since findings from the mapping exercise would inform the establishment of the type-III DLCs, STAR-G ensured local buy-in by doing extensive consultations with headteachers, girls and their communities. Once established, STAR-G worked jointly with provincial and district centre managers and tutors to monitor and supervise the DLCs. Thereafter and on an ongoing basis, STAR-G organised action and improvement planning workshops to address challenges and successes, enabling centre managers to take actions to continuously improve DLCs based on findings from their school visits. For example, during COVID-19 lockdowns, adaptations were made to include a roving tutor strategy and for parents to collect DLC modules for their girls.

Strategy 2: Building capacity among those who are available may be easier than focussing on recruitment

Type-III DLCs were located at primary schools and as agreed with the government, would be staffed by teachers in those primary schools with support from secondary tutors. A key focus of the STAR-G interventions, therefore, was to strengthen primary teachers’ skills –the majority of whom are graduates – so that they could support the secondary-level modules in the Annex DLCs. In doing so, STAR-G indirectly reduced pressure on existing secondary schools – which were already short-staffed – and on type-I and type-II DLCs – which had insufficient numbers of qualified secondary teachers.

Preparing primary school teachers to navigate secondary content was a challenging task. STAR-G’s approach was multi-pronged:

1. Primary teachers at type-III DLCs received regular mentoring and support visits from MINED/IEDA supervisors as well as secondary school teachers.

2. MINEDH provided type-III DLCs with tutors who were trained in gender-sensitive teaching methods and secondary subjects. A total of 346 (278 male and 68 female) tutors of mathematics and Portuguese subjects supported the type-III DLCs

3. Type-III DLC managers – mainly head teachers in the primary school where the Annex DLCs were located – were trained in DLC administration and management. A total of 75 DLC managers (15 female and 60 male) were trained.

By using this multi-pronged strategy, STAR-G prepared a cadre of primary teachers and head teachers to provide secondary-level education to children who previously were geographically or financially excluded from it. Although far from perfect, the strategy leveraged staff already working in the primary schools and avoided further taxing an already stretched secondary school teacher pipeline.

CHALLENGES

• Insufficient number of secondary school teachers to support all DLCIII’s (although that was the design)

• Training fully qualified primary teachers who are university graduates to become secondary specialists was feasible, however it is not fully feasible for primary teachers with lower qualifications, so some more reflection on how the model could address these mixed qualifications and seal that gap for future implementors is required.

“By using this multipronged strategy, STAR-G prepared a cadre of primary teachers and head teachers to provide secondary-level education to children who previously were geographically or financially excluded from it.”

Strategy 3: Utilise project funds to review, extend access and distribution of existing high-quality teaching and learning resources

Students who completed secondary modules at type-I and type-II DLCs had high pass rates for the Grade 10 exams. This suggested that the teaching and learning materials developed by IEDA for all 13 secondary subjects at the DLCs were effective. Furthermore, the modules were conducive to the needs of the girls supported by STAR-G. DLCs follow a self-paced module approach rather than linear grade transition per academic year. While revisions were not needed for the academic content, STAR-G worked with MINEDH to make all DLC resources more child-friendly and relevant. To do this, STAR-G organised workshops to review tutors’ and learners’ materials to help tutors adapt their approaches to a cycle system. As part of the review, sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and gender were mainstreamed as crosscutting issues with support from MINEDH: IEDA vetted and approved all resources, including manuals and modules.

With resources readily available, STAR-G focused on the costs of printing and distribution of the DLC modules. The materials printed and distributed to the Annex DLCs included manuals and guides for each tutor, as well as 10 modules for each Grade 8 student, 11 modules for each Grade 9 student, and 14 modules for each Grade 10 student.

To supplement these materials, learning assessment tools and self-study guidance were also developed by STAR-G with IEDA to enable children at the Annex DLCs to engage in self-directed and self-paced study at home and/or in groups. The packet of training materials (Accelerated Education, MHPSS, Teacher’s Wellbeing modules and Inclusive Education Guidance) distributed to Annex DLCs were also useful to the DL staff: managers, tutors and primary teachers took advantage of the materials to support their own capacity building.

Strategy 4: Provide focussed interventions at DLCs to meet the needs of the most marginalised girls

In response to various challenges that DL girls were facing (see Annex 1), the project supported the establishment of study groups across the DLC-IIIs. A total of 160 study groups were established and 184 facilitators (Dinamizadoras) (133 female and 51 male) were trained to lead the groups. DLC study groups provide the enrolled learners with peer learning support and enable them to be organised and better use their study time.

STAR-G conducted workshops to develop facilitators guides/manuals and tutors, managers and facilitators were further trained to enable them to support adolescent girls and boys in their individual and group studies. The guides/manuals were adapted to include cooperative learning strategy, COVID-19, Mental Health and Psycho-social Supports (MHPSS), teachers’ wellbeing, child protection including child abuse and reporting mechanisms, to ensure tutors and learners were adequately equipped with skills for safe and supportive learning. The “Dinamizadoras” were trained in basics concepts about gender to ensure they could support other girls in study groups and where unable to support, could refer them to a gender focal person and community core groups members to follow up.

Of the 160 DLC study groups, 90% are active at the end of STAR-G, making this an important distance learning approach and resource for the improvement of girls’ academic performance and consequent transition to new cycles.

DLCs improved access to formal secondary education opportunities for the most marginalised girls and boys

By the end of the project, there were 2,318 learners (1,115 female and 1,203 male) enrolled in the DLCs. Of these learners at least 87 were pregnant girls, 79 mothers and 80 girls with difficulties understanding the language of instruction (Portuguese); clearly illustrating the accessibility of DLCs for marginalised subgroups of girls. Enrolment in the DLCs increases the opportunity for girls to later transition to lower secondary school (Grade 8-10) and even to go on to upper secondary and beyond. By the end of the project the first cohort of 173 learners (52 female and 121 male) had completed all the DLC modules, 129 learners (66 female and 63 male) had sat for Grade 10 exams and 92 (47 female and 45 male) passed the exams –a 71% pass rate. These achievements came despite Cyclone Idai and a global pandemic and were achieved in less than two and a half years since the DLCs were established.

“By the end of the project, there were 2,318 learners (1,115 female and 1,203 male) enrolled in the DLCs. Of these learners at least 87 were pregnant girls, 79 mothers and 80 girls with difficulties understanding the language of instruction (Portuguese); clearly illustrating the accessibility of DLCs for marginalised subgroups of girls.”

Establishment of sustainable type-III DLCs in 75 primary school communities. The project worked with and through existing government structures and staff to establish the 75 DLCs across three provinces. Each DLC has been provided with the necessary tools, materials, processes and human capacity to operate with relatively little technical or financial support going forward. It is expected that these DLC-IIIs are sustainable as they are deeply embedded in government structures and will continue to provide the space and opportunity for many more girls and boys to transition from primary to secondary and beyond.

Design of a new highly inclusive, cost-efficient, and scalable model for distance learning in Mozambique. STAR-G led the design and piloting of a model for distance learning in Mozambique at community level, that is fully aligned to the government’s own sector strategy and can reach the most excluded / marginalised girls and boys residing in the most underserved, rural, remote areas in the country. The project carried out a cost analysis of the DL model, and with project management and indirect costs included the cost-per-student, per year is still comparable to the government’s spend per secondary student, per year. On removal of one-time costs and support costs from the analysis, the cost per student per year drops to significantly below the government’s budget per student, making it an affordable and likely cost-effective model for expansion of access to secondary education in Mozambique.

Testing of a study group strategy that can help students learn together outside of structured support. The study group strategy was developed in collaboration with IEDA/MINEDH and successfully implemented to enable girls to connect and collaborate with their peers during distance learning, sharing learnings and good practices from their self-directed individual study. Of the 160 study groups established, 90% are active and are being accessed by 1,584 girls and boys (834 female and 750 male). Through study groups, students gain self-learning strategies and can access quality printed learning modules. Students reported that the study groups met on average twice a week.

A total of 311 tutors (124 female and 187 male) and 61 DL managers (20 female and 41 male) were trained to support individual learners through tutoring. The training covered gender, inclusion and child protection. These newly gained skills by tutors and managers will remain in the DLCs, the community and in Mozambique, positively impacting on learning processes and outcomes for future cohorts of girls and boys.

Spill-over benefits for teacher professional development (TPD). The DLCs established were each hosted by a primary school and most teachers from these schools were enrolled in the STAR-G TPD course. Many teachers reported that having the secondary school curriculum module packs available at the primary school annex centres provided them with the opportunity to revisit certain subjects, improve their lesson plans and knowledge of the content. Future projects might consider including subject-specific materials as part of TPD materials packages for teachers.

Constância, 16, is from the Tete province, where early pregnancies and marriages are prevalent. Most girls drop out of primary school and the majority of those that do complete primary, do not transition to secondary school. Having completed Grade 7 in 2017, Constancia was not able to attend secondary school in 2018 due to lack of resources to support her enrolment.

Constância said “I wanted to continue studying, so I asked my parents to request that the school manager allowed me to go back to school as an assistant in 2018. I felt that if I stayed at home, I would lose the momentum of going back to school and risk getting married.” Through the STAR-G project, Save the Children in partnership with IEDA, supported the set-up of the DLCs, bringing secondary education closer to the community and giving children the opportunity to learn. Constância has been attending the DLC since February 2019, accessing learning materials and tutorials to advance her secondary education. She hopes to improve her grades and complete secondary school.

Her father said, “I am very happy that my daughter finally managed to enrol for Grade 8 after spending a year as an assistant. Education is the basis of her future and due to the DLC in our community it is much easier for her. My struggle is to get money to pay my daughter’s tuition. I wish she can finish her secondary education and advance further.”

The DLC manager, Mr. Zacarias Ruben recognised the enthusiasm and commitment of the girls accessing education. “Constância has been my student since Grade 6. She’s always on time and hardworking. She has this great opportunity to attend secondary school closer to home.”

“The materials printed and distributed to the Annex DLCs included manuals and guides for each tutor, as well as 10 modules for each Grade 8 student, 11 modules for each Grade 9 student, and 14 modules for each Grade 10 student.”

Recommendations

Learnings from the DLCs type-III pilot can help other implementers to minimise secondary education costs whilst expanding education transition to the most marginalised communities, thus reducing inequalities. It can also inform implementers on the sustainability of the model, as provision of the DLCIII model in collaboration with MINEDH has proved to enhance ownership, scalability and resourcing beyond the life of STAR-G. This model can support donor decisions around resources to education for the most marginalised.

School infrastructure development costs can be astronomical, are time consuming to complete and can be marred by corruption and accountability. This model can therefore help donors and implementers to rationalise resource allocation and explore value for money, as new DLs use the existing infrastructure of primary schools with classrooms and outdoor space available. The government can deploy trained tutors to support these new DLs as supervisors, from the development of materials to implementation.

Based on lessons learned from COVID-19 related lockdowns, as part of hybrid learning, DLCs are a valid alternative to in-person learning, as girls and boys learn at their own pace, and can manage around barriers that limit their transition to secondary education. DLCs have been well received and promoted by communities as a formal education pathway and as part of the back-to-school campaign. DLC learners utilise paper-based modules accessible to current and future cohorts, but can also be uploaded into low tech, offline tablets prolonging their shelf life and ultimately extending the total reach.

Find out more

Website: https://www.savethechildren.org.uk/where-we-work/africa/mozambique

Twitter: @savechildrenMoz

GEC STAR-G Website: https://girlseducationchallenge.org/projects/project/ successful-transition-and-advancement-of-rights-for-girls-star-g/

Annexes

Annex 1. Type-I, Type-II and Type-III DLCs in Mozambique

The type III model is contrasted with the type-I and type-II in the table below

DLC-I and II

Target Group

How does the DL model operate

Student Learning Support Centre

DLC-III

All children but mainly urban/ peri-urban learners living in catchment areas. Remote rural communities where there are no secondary schools in close proximity. DLC-IIIs dramatically reduce distance between home and centre, allowing more of the most vulnerable girls to have access to secondary learning.

While the following excluded subgroups are targeted by all three models, DLC-IIIs are likely to be more accessible for those that face the most substantial barriers:

• Girls who were forced in early marriage and unable to continue their studies as regular students due to increased demand on their time and martial family expectations and rules

• Girls who were pregnant at a young age and unable to continue with their studies as regular students during the day.

• Girls who were experienced early marriage and have children and do not have time and authorisation from their husbands to continue their education on full time basis.

• Girls who need to complete household chores and unpaid work on their families’ farms or are engaged in paid work to sustain their families.

DLC Type-I are located in provincial capitals, provincial centres of distance education, (CPED or the Teacher Training Institutes), and include elements of online teaching. DLC Type-II are located in secondary schools and integrate use of multi-media.

The Student DL Support Centres (Centros de Apoio à Aprendizagem do Aluno – CAA) are located at secondary schools and staffed by secondary school teachers.

Significant barriers remain for many girls including the long distances to the centres and the prohibitive cost of paying for enrolment (250 meticais), transport, and textbooks and materials (110 meticais per module).

DLC is managed by someone with at least a Bachelors’ degree, assigned full-time to a centre with 200 students.

DLC Managers are generally former teachers at the secondary school to which the CAA is attached. Supervision is undertaken by national trainers from IEDA and provincial supervisors. IEDA’s brigades composed of pedagogical technicians visit at least twice a year all the provinces of the country, with the purpose of performing pedagogical supervision of the DPECs, the CAAs supporting the PESD as well as of the Pedagogical Centres of the Secondary Teacher Training Courses via Distance Learning (EAD). At district level there is no specialised staff to do supervision. So, staff supervising mainstream primary and secondary schools also cover the CAAs.

DLC Type-III are located in primary schools or in a community space. Increased transition to DL for STAR-G girls, as a result of negotiations with MINEDH to roll out the DL model in primary schools (EPC) – with STAR-G support.

Primary schools supported by STAR-G are used as Annex centres and affiliated to the relevant district DL centre in order to offer girls attending primary the opportunity to continue to access schooling at Grades 8, 9 and 10. Enrolment is free, and materials are provided free of charge for all learners.

DLC-III is managed by a DLC manager supported by DL tutors, all of which are primary school teachers – one manager and one tutor per centre.

The model is managed on a school-by-school basis according to the needs of the cohort. Schools were selected according to criteria, including whether they have adequate space and whether there are enough children potentially transitioning to form a DL class of up to 50 learners.

DLC-IIIs are resource centres where academic and non-academic support is provided to learners, where they organise and carry out group work sessions. Members of the local community can consult any type of information relating to teaching and learning process that is of their interests. Additionally, social and culturally useful events can be organised.

Annex 2. Training of DLC Tutors and Managers

The project trained 346 DL tutors (278 male, 68 female) and 75 DL managers (15 female, 60 male) in coordination with IEDA, in an online workshop (June 2020) and face-to-face (January 2021). The online training equipped tutors and managers with new skills to support and monitor student learning during school closures and was delivered using the Google Classroom platform and home visits to the communities. They were also sensitised around gender norms, safeguarding and protection for girls during the tutoring sessions. The face-to-face training in partnership with IEDA prepared tutors and managers for safe re-opening of the DLCs, raised awareness on prevention / protection measures against COVID-19, and MHPSS; introduced the new roving tutor model; supported with their understanding and practice of using virtual and radio tutoring; introduced strategies for the new study groups; explained strategies for preparing students for the delayed 2020 Grade 10 exams; provided a refresher on child protection and inclusive approaches; and helped with developing forward plans of DL activities.

Annex 3. Training 184 DLC study group facilitators

As learners were not allowed back to school in 2020, study group facilitators were trained following the reopening of classes in March 2021. This training gave tutors and managers skills and knowledge in:

- improving the quantity and quality of learning for girls who attend DLCs

- sharing good practices and challenges encountered in conducting individual studies, while helping to compensate for poor socialisation

- improving cooperation and skills of girls through use of peer and group support approaches

- organisation of girls’ daily study routines

- use of gender-sensitive approaches

- consolidation of the knowledge acquired in reinforcement of classes and individual study sessions

- sharing experiences on ways to organise studies discussing aspects related to their protection, sexual and reproductive health and gender, prevention against COVID-19, psychosocial support, cooperative learning and inclusive education.

Find out more: www.girlseducationchallenge.org

The Girls’ Education Challenge is a project funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (“FCDO”), formerly the Department for International Development (“DFID”), and is led and administered by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and Mott MacDonald (trading as Cambridge Education), working with organisations including Nathan Associates London Ltd. and Social Development Direct Ltd. This publication has been prepared for general guidance on matters of interest only and does not constitute professional advice. You should not act upon the information contained in this publication without obtaining specific professional advice. No representation or warranty (express or implied) is given as to the accuracy or completeness of the information contained in this publication, and, to the extent permitted by law, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and the other entities managing the Girls’ Education Challenge (as listed above) do not accept or assume any liability, responsibility or duty of care for any consequences of you or anyone else acting, or refraining to act, in reliance on the information contained in this publication or for any decision based on it.

Photos: © STAR-G