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.

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.