Session Submission Summary
Share...

Direct link:

Towards equitable quality education for children living in urban informal settlements: experiences from East Africa

Tue, February 21, 9:30 to 11:00am EST (9:30 to 11:00am EST), Grand Hyatt Washington, Floor: Independence Level (5B), Independence E

Group Submission Type: Formal Panel Session

Proposal

Education is a right protected globally by countries ratifying different international agreements and treaties. At the national level this right is protected by several legal and regulatory frameworks such as the Constitutions and the Basic Education Acts. Existing evidence points to growing disparities in education access in urbanizing Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). In SSA, countries such as Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ghana, Malawi, Nigeria and many more have implemented the Universal Free Primary and Secondary Education policies (Nishimura and Byamugisha, 2011). However, these policies have not fully benefited children from marginalized communities, such as those living in urban informal areas. A growing urban population that continues living in poor, deplorable conditions is one other challenge that may hinder the achievement of SDG 4 and 11 in SSA. Evidence shows that poverty which was thought to be a problem in the rural areas is now a huge problem in the urban areas. Moreover, the people living in urban areas have worse quality of life which is measured by different indicators such as health, education, wealth, and employment among others indicators. The disparities between the urban poor and rich continue to widen. Within the region, there are concerns about the quality of education received by children living in the urban poor spaces. This is because of the varied players and limited investments by governments in these settings. Moreover, there is limited evidence to inform policy and discussions on education provision for the urban poor in the region.
Children from urban poor areas are faced with a myriad of challenges in accessing quality education. Challenges such as the lack of adequate public schools to cater for the population of school going children, perceptions of poor quality in the available public schools, mushrooming of Low Cost Private Schools (LCPS) to fill the gap in the demand for public education and in some instances compromising the quality of education offered. Research evidence in Kenya shows urban poor populations utilize low cost private schools (LCPS) for the poor compared to middle-income households despite the existence of universal primary education policies. In Nairobi alone, in 2012 the proportion of children utilizing LCPS was 63% (Ngware et al.2012).
These low cost private schools serving the urban poor are characterized by high teacher turnover, poor infrastructure and lack of quality assurance support systems. These have led to compromises in the quality of education offered by these schools. Further, in Uganda the existence of the LCPS is also faced by similar challenges as those in Kenya with differences observed in their operation.
The existence of non-state education providers, such as private entrepreneurs, religious organizations, the community and NGO/CBOs, is not a new phenomenon in education and more so in SSA. The GEM Report 2022, delved deeper into the role that is played by the non-state education providers. One of the key roles is in filling the supply gap in the provision of primary education in the urban settings. Despite the gaps they fill, there are also concerns on the regulation frameworks that exist.
Access to quality education for children living in urban informal settlements is one of the ways for them to access better opportunities to improve their wellbeing as well as that of their families. Denying them the opportunity to access quality education, therefore has a detrimental impact not only to the children but to the nations as well as the world. To ensure that children in urban poor areas have access to quality education, countries need to focus on strategies that have worked to improve access in informal settlements. A multi-sectoral approach is also important when dealing with education and more specifically because schools exist within a community that has other diverse aspects. Financing of public education and accountability of the funds is also another important aspect to consider in ensuring that access to education in urban informal settlements is achieved.
The panel brings together non-governmental organizations that have worked in the urban informal settlements in generating evidence as well as in the implementation of interventions. In this panel, the panelists will focus on their experiences working in the informal settlements in Kenya and Uganda. In particular the presentations will share insights and lessons on i) adaptive school systems for improved learning and teaching in urban informal settlements in changing times ii) differences and similarities in accessing education for children living in Kenya’s and Uganda’s urban informal settlements; iii) the future of the low cost private schools and lessons from ‘harambee’ schools commonly known as community schools in Kenya and iv) assessing the quality of education in public schools serving urban informal settlements, highlighting ways to strengthen the education system for these marginalized learners.

Sub Unit

Chair

Individual Presentations

Discussant