PAGS Profile for trait skill development

Maximising core skills such as communication, cognition, social interaction and self-regulation is necessary for effective learning and yet they are often overlooked  when teaching girls and young women who may frequently be sidelined when it comes to education. These skills will help them to develop innovative problem-solving thinking that they can then apply to improving their situation and that of their family. Ultimately the impact will positively affect their whole community as their enhanced education is turned to creating opportunity and solutions. PAGS Profile, provides a structured, developmentally guided solution to targeting these important skills through an online platform that offers research based strategies, developmentally guided targets, and an accessible platform for reporting. Through a focus on discrete traits that enhance these key areas, a balanced profile can be established that will maximise their ability to access learning opportunities. 

16% of women in Kenya lack basic literacy skills and only 22.5% of girls in the NE province are in school; yet, as Summers at the World Bank points out investing in the education of girls  can have enormous economic benefits while also reducing environmental pollution, fertility rates, female mortality and the spread of diseases such as AIDS. Entrenched cultural traditions often deny girls the opportunity to go to school, despite persistent evidence to support the benefits of educating girls. Building appropriate skills in communication and social interaction will empower the girls and inform the community thus enabling cultures to move forward with new thinking about the benefits of educating girls. While the girls can benefit from the education, the whole community will benefit from their exposure to and development of core traits such as communication, social interaction and cognition, which will ultimately  lead to economic growth and empowerment.

Through partnering with international providers such as Picaro World, and EdTech Lobby, as well local providers such as Efti Enterprise, PAGS aims to make a difference in the lives of girls and women in the East African region. Culturally, girls are often excluded from schools, yet research shows that empowering women successfully creates social change in the community. Currently PAGS has a presence in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda in this region. Through Efti Enterprise, PAGS is being trialled in different schools to confirm its flexibility and accessibility in a range of curricula and socioeconomic environments. By partnering with local providers, PAGS can build on their expertise and understanding of the local cultural and educational environment while offering a meaningful tool for them to apply. The PAGS online platform will monitor progress and collect data, enabling these schools and local providers to show evidence of progress in the education of the target population while also enable providers to make informed decisions regarding the effectiveness of their programs.  PAGS is a flexible program that can absorb different approaches to supporting the specific traits that we believe will create growth and learning in the target population of women and girls in East Africa.

Working with regional  schools  and local leaders in the community, the current situation regarding women leaders and  girls' education will be evaluated. The training of community leaders and teachers, as well as the women and girls themselves will ensure effective delivery that will benefit the whole community. The women and girls  who choose to take part, will be enrolled onto the PAGS platform. Using the PAGS PROFILE, these girls and women will develop skills in communication, social interaction, cognition and self-regulation which they can then apply to economic activities, community interaction and family health and development. By building these core traits these women and girls will be able to engage in proactive solutions initiated and communicated by themselves ensuring they are sustainable, meaningful and relevant to the community. Thus, as pointed out by the World Bank, educating girls results in rapid economic growth through the development of core skills that mean they will be better placed to take advantage of learning and economic opportunities. 

Being able to effectively access a learning opportunity requires core skills such as communication, cognition, self-regulation and social interaction. By maximising these traits, not only will the girls and women be able to take full advantage of a learning opportunity, but they will also be in a position to turn the learning into meaningful solutions that will maximise economic, personal and community growth. These traits will build leaders and ensure a sustainable approach to changing traditional cultural biases towards the benefits of educating girls. By creating women leaders, the benefits will positively impact the whole community.

The affiliate partner for PAGS in East Africa, is Efti Enterprise, a sole proprietor business registered in Kenya. Efti Enterprise focuses on meeting the needs of neurodiverse students and the adults that support their needs through assessments, training and student intervention. Scilla Allen is the sole proprietor for the business and currently delivers PAGS to individuals across the region. PAGS profile is registered in the UK under FELSER LTD.

Currently the proprietor of EFTI Enterprise, Scilla Allen M Ed. PGC APC, is the only full time staff member. An administrator works part time. 

Scilla has over 35 years experience in education with twenty years in special education and ten years in assessment and training. With an established network throughout the region and experience working with the different curriculum models Scilla is well placed to introduce the program into the target area and work with the schools in the region to train the staff and monitor the program. Initial target area would be selected schools in the  Laikipia and Nakuru counties with a target on girls only secondary schools and a limited number of special schools. 

PAGS Profile has just started working internationally with PICARO WORLD and EDTECH Lobby. We will work with them to expand our resource and strategy base, while they will benefit from the PAGS profile to assess and monitor students on their platforms. With this challenge, EFTI would engage with education providers such as the VANESSA GRANT TRUST in the locality to provide teacher training in the use of the PAGS Profile and recommended strategies.