Basic education for socially disadvantaged girls

Project description

Title: Basic education for socially disadvantaged girls
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Country: Guinea
Lead executing agency: Decentralised educational administrations
Overall term: 2012 to 2014

Context

The state of the Guinean educational sector has increasingly deteriorated in recent years due to the prevailing socio-economic and political conditions. The inefficiency of the educational system negatively affects enrolment and graduation rates. For example, the gross enrolment rate in 2013 averaged 85%, falling to 80% for girls. However, only 58% of pupils, and 51% of girls, reached sixth grade. Besides the socio-cultural barriers that can prevent girls from pursuing an education and the general lack of support from their families, economic problems are increasingly leading to high dropout rates in large sections of the population, particularly among girls. A lack of confidence is a further reason why girls frequently drop out before completing their schooling.

Objective

More socially disadvantaged girls living in rural areas complete basic schooling.

Approach

The project pursues an approach to supporting socially disadvantaged girls and girls with learning difficulties known as Filles éduquées réussissent (FIERE). The approach was successfully introduced in the Labé and Mamou regions in 2002 and has been implemented in 56 schools in most regions of the country since 2012.

Extra weekly lessons on school-free days provide underperforming girls in the fifth and sixth grades with support in French, mathematics and health studies (including HIV prevention), enabling them to successfully complete basic schooling.

As well as promoting extra lessons for girls, the project provides assistance with teacher training and supports the work of school inspectors and the activities of parents’ associations.

Since 2002, 9,200 girls have received assistance in the project regions.