Educating out of poverty? Educational approaches to breaking the cycle of poverty in sub-Saharan Africa

Dr Pauline RoseCentre for International Education University of Sussex, UK

Millennium Development Goals:do they add up?

Education MDG: all children complete primary schooling by 2015

Poverty MDG: half of the world’s population will

remain poor by 2015

Intuitively, a main means of escaping poverty is education taken in its broadest sense (formal and informal schooling, skills training and knowledge acquisition).

Harper et al., 2003: 545

Conventional wisdom

increased schooling

improved productivity and health;

reduced fertility,

support for democracy

…

poverty reduction

Educating poverty research?

Considerable recent advances in poverty conceptualisation

Recognises education as playing an important role in defining and reducing povertyBut recognition is often based on narrow conceptualisation of education (human capital).

Translation into policy….

Children of mothers who receive five years of primary education are 40% more likely to live beyond the age of 5 DFID Girls’ Education Strategy, 2005

Research ‘proves’ that a farmer with at least 4-5 years of schooling is more productive than someone who remains illiterate

Ethiopia Education Sector Development Plan, 2000

Poverty of educational research?Seeks to understand dynamics within education, with particular concern for a broad set of learning outcomes

Recognises the multi-dimensional political, economic, social processes that exclude children from enrolling, attending, participating and achieving in school.

But limited concern with how children apply the knowledge, skills and understandings they gain at school in their lives after schooling

Overall limited conceptualisation of education’s role in reducing poverty

Perhaps concern that holistic multi-dimensional approach to poverty detracts from in-depth understanding of specific causes of educational exclusion?

Exceptions...

Longitudinal research in Morocco (based on ethnographic observation and statistical analysis):

girls retained more academic skills than boys, but were much less likely to be employed, a finding which calls into question certain claims about the impact of schooled knowledge and literacy on employment in developing countries.

Wagner, 1989: 307

Primary schoolentry

attendanceprogressioncompletion

livelihood opportunities

learning outcomesliteracy/numeracy skills

knowledge/attitudes/practicescreative/emotional skills

critical thinkingcertificates

School factorsschool leadership/support

school physical environmentcurriculum relevance

pedagogical approacheslanguage of instruction

class sizeteaching/learning resources

learning timeassessment/feedback

teacher recruitment and conditionsteacher characteristics (training,

motivation etc.)school fees

Invidual/household factorsage/gender

socioeconomic statushealth/nutrition

HIV/AIDSchild workfamily size

household members' education/work statusperceptions of schooling

involvement in school activities

Community factorscommunity socio-economic conditions

labour market opportunitiesservice provision

International/national factorsnational socio-economic conditions

national/international policiespublic expenditure on education

poverty reduction

Source: Rose and Dyer, 2006

Who has not completed school? - Ethiopia

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

grade

% 1

5-19

yea

r o

lds

com

ple

tin

g g

rad

e

Rich/Male Rich/Female Middle/Male Middle/Female Poor/Male Poor/Female

Source: DHS data (Filmer 2003)

Educational policy initiatives for breaking the poverty cycle

Untargeted primary school fee abolition

Conditional cash/food transfers

School feeding programmes

Non-formal education provision

Abolition of primary school fees: MalawiAccess Pro-poor

Massive increase in primary enrolment after 1994 Free Primary Education, but poorest still most likely not to be in school, and continued low survival rates, particularly for poorest and girls

Quality Anti- poorLarge numbers of untrained teachers, large class size and limited facilities particularly for lower classes, with resources concentrated at the upper level where the poorest are less likely to be enrolledIncrease in years of schooling required to achieve basic literacy and numeracy

Relevance Anti-poorQualification inflation: Mass primary education, secondary a requisiteSuitability of academic vs. vocational curriculum in schoolsWide age range in lower classesAppropriateness of language of instruction

Fit Anti-poorSchooling conflicts with child work, affecting girls and the poorest

Source: Kadzamira and Rose, 2003

Alternative basic education - Ethiopia

BRAC NFE model implemented via INGOsAddressing demand-side constraints – timing, relevance, flexibilityOpportunities for mainstreaming into formal schools? Post-schooling opportunities?Sustainability - exit strategy?

Breaking the cycle through PRSPs?

there is no innovative teaching/learning reform proposed in the PRSPs that could be regarded as having been designed to address the specific needs of the poor while at the same time seeking quality improvement, relevance and meeting the target of integrating them in the development process

Caillods and Hallak, 2004: 75.

Where do we go from here?Need for evidence-based policy and strategies to recognise dynamics of education and poverty together:

Interdisciplinary research, bringing together the expertise of currently unconnected scholars of poverty and those of education

Undertake research to shed light on how educational processes (in-school, and between school and communities/livelihoods) influence escape from poverty.

Adopt longitudinal design, combining quantitative and qualitative methods.