Policies

Equity and Quality in Education (EQE)

Context and Issue

Uganda, making notable strides towards fulfilling the Millennium Development Goals, now faces the challenge of enrolling and retaining 439,143 out-of-school children (OOSC) in quality primary education. Despite progress, issues persist, with children failing to attain minimum literacy and numeracy levels, leading to grade repetition and eventual dropout, particularly pronounced among girls after grade 6. Poor instructional quality further dissuades some parents from sending their children to school, perceiving limited returns on educational investment. Development partners like Plan-Canada are assisting Uganda in addressing these challenges, focusing on marginalized children in rural and post-conflict areas.

Solution

Plan's Equity and Quality in Education project collaborates with Uganda's Ministry of Education and Sports to facilitate OOSC enrollment and retention. Targeting Kamuli and Lira districts with dire education indicators, the project prioritizes orphans, vulnerable children, especially girls, and those with disabilities in impoverished rural and conflict-affected households. Infrastructure development and material support are provided to selected schools, ensuring adequate classroom space, separate gender-sensitive latrines, safe drinking water, hand-washing facilities, furniture, and textbooks. Additionally, 30 model schools exemplifying high educational standards and community involvement are established, benefiting 12,500 OOSC at severe risk of dropping out. Teachers in these model schools undergo training to enhance instructional effectiveness, while interventions such as school clubs, psychosocial support, bursaries, and home visits are implemented to bolster enrollment and retention efforts.

Impact 

Over four years, Plan's multi-faceted interventions in 30 model schools have successfully enrolled and retained 93,838 OOSC, surpassing project objectives. Interventions including school clubs, psychosocial support, and school feeding have also been extended to 257 non-model schools, further broadening their impact. The project's success underscores the efficacy of community-focused approaches in addressing educational disparities and enhancing access to quality education. By empowering marginalized children and improving school infrastructure and instructional quality, Plan's initiative contributes significantly to Uganda's efforts to achieve universal primary education and foster long-term socio-economic development. The project's accomplishments also position it as a model for future education interventions, showcasing the effectiveness of collaborative partnerships and targeted strategies in addressing complex educational challenges.

Analysis