Improving learning outcomes and transition to secondary school through community participation and after school support among disadvantaged girls

• In Event: Gender issues in secondary school transition, participation and learning outcomes

Abstract

Research evidence from African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) shows that in 2009/2010 the transition rate for pupils residing in the urban slums of Nairobi was 58.6%, compared to 87.5% for pupils in the non-slums. In the slum areas 24.5% of girls aged 12-19 are out of school compared to 18.8% of boys in the same age group who were not attending school in 2010.
The goal of this project is to improve learning outcomes and enhance secondary school participation of disadvantaged girls in urban informal settlements. The objectives of the project are, to increase instructional time and opportunity to learn; increase awareness about challenges of and support to girls’ education by parents and community leaders; decrease cost related barriers on girls’ transition to and continuation in secondary education; generate evidence on whether and how the proposed model works and to influence policy on marginalized girls’ education.

The project was commenced with baseline survey on which beneficiaries were recruited; mid line survey was also done in June to July 2014 and end line survey will be done at the end of the project in 2015. Designing the intervention and selecting beneficiary and control groups was done through quasi-experimental approach. The project targets a total 494 girls in Viwandani: 124 are in treatment one, 139 are in control and 231 in treatment two. All the survey are carried out by African Population and Health Research Center

This three year project that is implemented in Viwandani by U-Tena Youth Organization in Partnership with The African Population and Health Research Center has an intervention and research component. U-Tena carries the intervention while APHRC carries research and overall project leadership as well as engaging stakeholders with generated evidence from this project. Intervention commenced in early June, 2013 and run up to 2015. The project targets girls who reside in Viwandani of 12 to 19 years in standard 6, 7 and 8. These girls are offered after school support in Literacy, Numeracy and Life skills mentorship by volunteer big girls who managed to maneuver the challenges of the slum of Viwandani and scored a University entrance form four grade. Selected parents are offered parental support in order to boost their investment in girl child education. Selected girls that attain a minimum of 250 marks in their Kenya National Examination are assisted with overheads that see them transit into secondary school. This is an interventional study that will generate policy information at the end of the 3rd year.

In 2013 a total 31 literacy, 31 numeracy and 10 life skills sessions were successfully carried out. In 2014 a total of 42 literacy, 42 numeracy and 12 life skills we also carried out. We are yet to complete the same number of sessions in 2015. A total of 127% pupils attended sessions in treatment one, 98.1% pupils were tracked in control and 46 pupils received subsidy support in 2014.

Low sessions attendance, conflicting church sessions and interested pupils from out of the study area are some of the challenges faced in this project. It is recommended that more parents meetings, exposure visits for pupils and professionals talks to be included in this project for better outcomes.

Authors

• Peter Onchuru Mokaya, U-Tena Youth Organization

• Benta A Abuya, African Population and Health Research Center

• Jonathan Nzioki Nzuki, U-Tena Youth Organization