Supporting adolescent girls’ learning in the era of COVID-19: Findings from three education systems in Tanzania

• In Event: Highlighted Session: How far did COVID-19 set back the girls’ education agenda and where do we go from here?

Proposal

While COVID-19 still rages in many countries keeping schools closed to many students, Tanzania was one of the first countries to re-open to all primary and secondary students after less than four months of closure in 2020. Recent studies have noted that girls are less likely to learn with distance learning methods and return to school upon reopening, and more likely to experience sexual and gender-based violence and suffer pandemic-related mental health issues (Boost, Jones, & Kwauk, 2020; Schmidt, 2020). Yet, in Tanzania, reports show that over 97% of school-age girls returned to school (forthcoming, 2022) and that student performance on national examinations in 2020 was higher than in previous years (NECTA, 2020), showing that many girls were able to “catch up” and succeed despite the closures. Thus, Tanzania offers a particularly valuable context in which to identify the practices that supported adolescent girls to continue their secondary education as well as the challenges girls faced during closure and upon school re-opening.

With support from the Echidna Giving Foundation, partnering with two key Civil Society Organizations (Karibu Tanzania Organization and Tanzania Association of Private Investors in Education), and with the cooperation of the Ministry of Education, Miske Witt & Associates International conducted a mixed-methods study to document experiences and interventions that schools implemented to support education for adolescent girls during school closure and upon reopening. The study included three education pathways open for adolescent girls: government secondary schools, private secondary schools, and Folk Development Colleges (specifically the Elimu haina Mwisho program, an alternative secondary education pathway). Surveys and interviews were conducted with teachers, head teachers, and students at 12 schools and FDCs in Arusha, Manyara and Morogoro regions to explore strategies, experiences, and challenges during school closure and upon school reopening.

Our data revealed that these schools were often successful at tailoring supports during or after school closures, which helped to enable a return rate of 96% or higher for students at 11 out of the 12 schools. In addition, 80% of students across all 12 schools agreed that they felt very prepared for the Form 2 examination in November 2020, despite school closures, with girls agreeing more strongly than boys. While access to technology differed, girls reported numerous means through which they engaged with studies while at home. Schools and teachers reported using a variety of strategies ranging from smart phone apps to packages sent via public transport. Girls reported facing non-academic challenges at home, though family and peer support helped them persevere. Upon re-opening, schools reported several adaptations to promote student health, safety, and accelerated learning. As the COVID-19 pandemic lingers and additional school closures may be needed, this presentation will describe girl students’ and teachers’ perceptions of the most and least effective practices, and will offer recommendations for schools, teachers, policy makers, and parent and community education.

Authors

• Kristeen Chachage, Independent Consultant

• Nancy Pellowski Wiger, Miske Witt

• Acacia Nikoi, Concordia University, St. Paul

• Shirley J Miske, Miske Witt