Innovative Finance
August 1, 2024
Context and Problem
In Mali, there is rapid population growth, economic challenges including poverty and instability, and education disparities, particularly affecting girls and rural populations, and the majority of students lack essential competencies upon completing their education. Moreover, students lack essential competencies upon completing their education, which further disincentivizes students from attending school. Efforts to improve this situation are necessary, and this is where the Mali Education Quality for Improved Learning Project came in.
Solution
The intervention was multifaceted. First, curriculum reform and instructional improvement were carried out, which involved enhancing curriculums and teaching materials to increase the quality of student learning outcomes. Second, teacher training and support involved extensive professional development for teachers to improve pedagogical levels. Third, infrastructure enhancement was done by upgrading and building new facilities to provide conducive learning environments. Fourth, technological integrations by utilizing technology to improve teaching effectiveness and student learning tracking. Lastly, community and parental engagement enhance educational governance and make education more inclusive.
Impact
An increase in lower secondary education enrollment was observed, particularly among girls. Second, there was an improvement in reading and math scores for Grade 2 students. Lastly, the project enhanced the capacity of the education system to adapt and respond to challenges.