Policies

Reaching Educational Attainments of Children in the Hinterlands (REACH)

Context and Issue

Despite some positive strides in school enrollment over the past five years in Ethiopia, the education system faces significant dropout rates, particularly before students reach grade five. National data from the 2010-2011 academic year indicates that only half of enrolled children progress to grade five, highlighting the dropout challenge even within lower primary education. Enrolling and retaining children in school has become increasingly arduous, demanding heightened efforts, determination, and resources, particularly in remote, pastoral, and conflict-affected regions.

Solution

"Reaching Educational Attainments of Children in the Hinterlands (REACH)" is a one-year initiative building upon Pact's successful use of flexible and innovative models to extend educational opportunities to the most marginalized children in Ethiopia. Spanning 27 districts across six regions, the project targets 15,120 children, collaborating closely with local implementing partners and leveraging established relationships with stakeholders such as the Ministry of Education and community institutions. The project pursues two main objectives: expanding access to quality basic education for OOSC in project areas and enhancing retention by providing water and sanitation facilities in Alternative Basic Education Centers (ABEC).

Interventions focus on enrolling new level one children, providing learning materials, enhancing hand-washing facilities, conducting behavior change communication activities, and program monitoring. Capacity building for Center Management Committees and improved water and sanitation facilities aim to foster a conducive learning environment and boost retention and enrollment rates. Notably, the project has surpassed expectations, achieving commendable results.

Impact 

REACH successfully enrolled 43,910 OOSC, exceeding the target by a significant margin. Moreover, 41,848 OOSC completed their grade one education, surpassing the initial goal. The project also trained 908 teachers/facilitators, school principals, and supervisors, equipping them with new mother tongue reading curricula and continuous professional development. Additionally, various scholastic materials were procured and distributed, along with indoor and outdoor game materials and desks for target schools. Notably, the project achieved a remarkable retention rate of 95.3%, outperforming the average retention rate in public schools and ABECs. These outcomes underscore the effectiveness of REACH in addressing educational challenges in Ethiopia's hinterlands, demonstrating the potential of innovative approaches in promoting inclusive and quality education for marginalized children.

Analysis

It's crucial to understand interventions in the conflict-related context, as multiple challenges may restrict the efforts made by international and implementing organizations. This intervention faced such challenges in some of its target schools.