The Role of Education and Women in Development in Africa

Focus on South Sudan

Amartya Sen, economist.philosopher and Nobel Price Laureate (Development and Freedom, 1999)

Poverty leads to an intolerable waste of talent. Poverty is not just a lack of money; it is not having the capability to realize one’s full potential as a human being.

Goal 2: Achieve Universal Primary Education

Target 3: Ensure that by 2015, children every-where, boys and girls alike, will be able toComplete a full course of primary schooling

Goal 3: Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women

Target 4: Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education, preferably by 2005, and in all levels of education no later than 2015

Millennium Development Goals

• None of the eight MDGs can be achieved without sustained investment in education. Education gives the skills and knowledge to improve health, livelihoods and promote sound environmental practices. (UNESCO)

• Education is a fundamental human right, to be respected at all times. It is one of the most effective tools for achieving inclusive and sustainable economic growth and recovery, reducing poverty, hunger and child labour, improving health, incomes and livelihoods, for promoting peace, democracy and environmental awareness. Education empowers individuals with the knowledge, values and skills they need to make choices and shape their future.

Oslo Declaration “Acting Together” Eighth Meeting of the High-Level Group on Education for All, 16 – 18 December 2008.

• “Across Sub-Saharan Africa, there is a general awareness that the last decade has witnessed unprecedented progress in the development of education” Zulmira Rodrigues, Education Coordinator for Africa, ,UNESCO, Dakar

• Never in African history has so much been achieved in education over such a short period of time and governments are legitimately proud of their achievements. But the gap between the have and have-nots in education remains too large. Sub-Saharan Africa 2012 Education for All Report, Paris, 21 – 23 November 2012

SCHOOL ENROLLMENT; PRIMARY (% NET) IN SUB SAHARAN AFRICA (World Bank 2012)

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SCHOOL ENROLLMENT; PRIMARY; FEMALE (% GROSS) IN SUB SAHARAN AFRICA (World Bank 2012)

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Despite the great achievements, very few countries in the Sub-Saharan African region will reach the Education for AllGoals by the year 2015. (Zulmira Rodrigues)

SCHOOL ENROLLMENT; SECONDARY (% GROSS) IN SUB SAHARAN AFRICA (World Bank 2012)

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Global Action Week 2013 (April 21 - 27)

Without adequate numbers of professionally qualified teachers, including female teachers, who are deployed in the right places, well-remunerated and motivated, adequately supported and proficient in local languages, we cannot offer the world’s (Africa’s) children quality education.

Without teachers a school is just a building

Africa needs 1 million teachers in order for every child to have access to primary education

UN Human Development Report 2011

Literacyfor Women

Dryland zones - Pastoralists, NomadsAreas of Conflict or War – Displaced People

• New Country – Emerging from decades of war• 50% of population living below the poverty line• Very high maternal and under-five mortality rate• Insecurity and conflicts, 300,000 displaced people

South Sudan

Education Indicators• Second lowest net primary school enrolment rates in the

world (of 123 countries).• The last of 134 countries on secondary school enrolment • 1.3 million children of primary school-age out of school.• High drop-out rates, 436,000 pupils in grade I and just

22,000 in the final year of secondary school• High grade repetition - 16% of students repeat grade I• Starting school late (reaching adolescence in early grades)• Girls account for two in every three out-of-school children• Less than 600 girls are enrolled in the last grade of

secondary school (1/3 of the number of boys).

Learning Infrastructure• Female teachers: 13% in primary, 10% in secondary

(2012)• Student/teacher ratio - 52:1, in Jonglei 104:1• Student/qualified teacher ratio - 104:1• 1/3 of teachers have only a primary education• Only 16% of teachers have professional qualifications• Deficit of 30 – 40,000 teachers (only 1,100 graduating) to

keep the 50:1 teacher/pupil ratio• Shortage of text books and classrooms:

Permanent classrooms 3.7%; Semi-permanent 23.9%; Roof only 8.5%: Open air 34%; Other 0.8%.

Kapoeta North & Budi Counties – South Sudan

RemotenessPoor RoadsRainsInsecurity

Eastern Equatoria, South SudanEducation CHALLENGES

Pastoralism, illiterate/uneducated parents not understanding the importance of education

PovertyGirls’ Labour

Lack of school buildings. Budi County classrooms: 17 permanent, 102 semi-permanent Kapoeta North only 6 schools

Long Distance to School – Need for Dormitories for Girls

Lack of qualified teachers – low salaries• Kapoeta North - 31 male and 4 female teachers• Budi County - trained teachers: 47 male;

untrained teachers: 341 male, 24 female

Late delivery of food from WFP in 2012 - enrollment drop inKapoeta North: 2011 – 702 learners (463 boys, 239 girls

2012 – 388 learners (304 boys, 84 girls

Michale Lopuke Lotyam – Minister of Education Eastern Equatoria State

HOPE

• Education holds the key to South Sudan’s future. It is vital to poverty reduction and the development of strategies aims at building an inclusive, peaceful and resilient society. With one of the world’s youngest populations, South Sudan needs education to create jobs and strengthen livelihoods. And without expanded opportunities for schooling, there will be no progress toward gender equity.

Accelerating Progress to 2015 – South Sudan A report series to the UN Special Envoy for Global Education, April 2013 Working Paper.

Holistic education - Access, Quality, InclusivenessAdapted to local context - Access to jobs & incomeAccess to Global Market

Girls/WomenPotential

Rights, equal participation in decision-making

Health issues:Water/sanitation/HygieneDe-wormingVaccines, bed netsFood, supplements (iron, iodine, vitamins)

«Past generations have developed only some of the potential of some of our children. We can be the first generation to realize all of the potential of all of the world’s young people through education.»

Gordon Brown, UN Special Envoy for Global Education

Every year of schoolAttendance raisesWages of 4– 8 %