Street Child UK

To see all children safe, in school and learning - especially in low resource environments and emergencies. 

Julie Polzerova is a part of the Senior Leadership Team of Street Child UK. She is also the Executive Director of the Africa Educational Trust, an organisation which was acquired by and is formally a part of Street Child. Julie has over 20 years of experience in programme management and monitoring, including extensive experience in the East and Horn of Africa. She has excellent relationships with national and regional stakeholders, as well as particular expertise in inclusive education. Julie will serve as Team Lead for the 2024 LEAP Challenge, liaise with the Fellows, and advise on strategy and stakeholder engagement.  

The LEAP Project is an important initiative for Street Child – the core team and larger organization is fully committed to collaborating with the LEAP Fellows to achieve research goals while balancing other organizational obligations. By participating in this project, the team hopes to gain new insights and build capacity to scale up the program.

As Team Lead, Julie Polzerova is a knowledgeable, energetic leader who has over two decades worth of extensive experience in education in the East and Horn of Africa.

The highly motivated core team, comprising of Julie and the Somalia-Somaliland team, is ready to devote 3-4 hours weekly to actively engage with the LEAP Fellows for the entire duration of the sprint. The other team members supporting this project are: Ahmed Abdillahi Mohamed is the Country Manager for Somalia and is responsible for the overall supervision and coordination of projects, administration of staff and financial sustainability in Somalia and Somaliland. He has 20+ years of experience in education in emergencies (EiE) program implementation. Mohamed Idle is the Projects Coordinator and Technical Advisor for Somalia with 10+ years’ experience in building, designing, and implementing donor funded EiE programs. Thato Letsomo is a Teaching & Learning Advisor who is rsponsible for providing strategic support to educational initiatives across Street Child program countries in Africa, encompassing program design, content development and training. The core team will

·      Set clear yet adaptable priorities for scope of the project and outline assignments with realistic deadlines.

·      Communicate regularly with LEAP Fellows through online meetings and update emails to align on project status. The core team will coordinate with facilitate meetings with other stakeholders.

·      Share necessary information to support LEAP Fellows’ research towards project goals.

Additionally, the core team can leverage the support of the larger organization to engage with LEAP Fellows on a need basis including Megan Lees-McCowan (Africa Programmes Director), Ramya Madhavan (Head of Advisory) and Samyukta Lakshman (Research Manager). 

Comparing modalities to scaling up Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) in Somalia and Somaliland through institutional capacity building. 

Somalia has experienced severe conflict since the early Nineties which has been exacerbated by severe drought and periodic flooding. According to the Education Cluster, there are a total of 4.84 million out-of-school children aged between five and 17 in Somalia. The main drivers for school dropout in Somalia are the direct and indirect costs of education.[1] Severe food shortages and the inability to cover daily expenses lead families to adopt negative coping mechanisms, including cutting essential education related expenditure and withdrawing children from school.[2]

Internal displacement sites lack the capacity and infrastructure to provide education services for existing and new IDP children. This is due to insufficient government support and limited funding of emergency programmes that support access to education for school aged IDP children. The increasing influx of IDPs places additional pressure on existing schools; overcrowding in available spaces is increasing as more children join settlements. Additionally, the distance to learning facilities remains a constraint with most schools or education facilitates beyond the reach of children who have to walk great distances to get to school thus resulting in safety issues for children, especially girls. Children who drop out of education are exposed to several protection risks, including child labour and recruitment to armed groups. Girls who drop out of school are especially vulnerable and at risk of various forms of harmful practices including female genital mutilation and cutting, forced and early marriage, domestic violence, and gender discrimination in accessing basic needs, such as education and access to justice.

  In Somaliland, foundational education is comparatively better but still poor compared to global literacy and numeracy rates. The education sector has been hit hard by drought, famine, and economic hardship which has led some children to drop out of school. Whilst the Ministry of Education & Science is committed to improving education, the supporting national budget allocation has declined. More teachers in Somaliland than in Somalia have teaching qualifications (57% of primary teachers are trained) but 43% of teachers are still not qualified.

[1] Joint Multi-Sector Needs Assessment (JMSNA) 2021

[2] Education cluster rapid needs assessment in IDP camp/settlement sites. July 2022

To respond to the crisis in education in Somalia and Somaliland, Street Child via the Africa Educational Trust (AET) is currently implementing a UNICEF-funded foundational literacy program in Somalia and Somaliland. The programme utilizes the Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) approach, developed by the Indian NGO Pratham, but with adaptations to address the specific needs and contexts of each region.

In Somalia, AET’s focus is on reaching 16,000 children through alternative basic education (ABE) programs. We collaborate with ten local non-governmental organizations that operate community-based schools. Within this context, TaRL serves as a bridging course to address the literacy and numeracy challenges identified during the BAR ama Baro (Teach or Learn) literacy program. The goal is to support learners in making a successful transition.

In Somaliland, AET has adopted an integrated formal school model for implementation. Specifically, we have selected 65 schools where grade three students, totaling 6,700 children, receive TaRL sessions during regular school hours for the improvement of their literacy and numeracy skills. To ensure effective implementation, we have provided training to teachers on the teaching methodologies and development of teaching and learning materials using locally available resources. Additionally, we have trained school-based mentors and master trainers to provide ongoing support. AET is currently exploring opportunities to scale up the programme, including discussions on integrating TaRL methodology into the primary teacher education curriculum.

This program highlights AET's commitment to improving foundational literacy and numeracy skills in Somalia and Somaliland. By tailoring the TaRL approach to each region's context and needs, we aim to create and scale up a sustainable and impactful program for out-of-school children and those struggling within the formal education system by integrating TaRL methodology into the primary teacher education curriculum.

In terms of foundational research, Street Child has not only studied the research papers on TaRL randomized control studies by Pratham and J-PAL in India, but also other foundational literacy and numeracy initiatives on suitability of models, educational outcomes, and teacher professional development. This literature review has helped us understand best practices, pedagogical factors, and evidence. To align with contextual factors and priorities, we have undertaken desk research of Education Cluster operational frameworks, response plans and need analyses.

At the field level, Street Child and NGO partners has conducted assessments to measure children’s learning improvement from baseline to midline. Quantitative assessment data was collected by the classroom teachers and compiled by the master trainers and, the programme team utilizing the online platform Kobo Toolbox. Data examined learning improvement, attendance records of learners and teachers and dropout rates. Qualitative observational feedback from master trainers and mentors on teacher and student performance allowed for cross verification. At a programmatic level, this data has supported the monitoring of programme fidelity, evaluation of delivery mechanisms, and identified areas for course correction. 

Some of the challenges documented during assessments include

• Large class size: Classes in most of the internally displaced schools are over-crowded which posed challenge to the teachers to conduct one on one assessment.
• Irregular school arrival time: Most of the schools don’t have regular arrival time which resulted in assessments taking more days than expected.
• Teacher attrition after TaRL training
• Inadequate resources: Some IDP schools lack basic and essential infrastructures such as desks and chairs and washrooms which may contribute learner’s absenteeism and low retention.
• Teachers in schools that have both the non-formal and formal are not 100 percent committed to the TaRL classes as they are required as well to teach other formal classes.

Achievement

• The successful completion of learners assessment:-the assessment of learners for literacy and numeracy for all the schools were completed.
• The continuous support of the master trainers and programme team to teachers:-Teachers were continuously supported and guided in conducting the baseline assessment and data recording by both MTs and the programme team.
• Compilation and analysis of the assessment data:-The assessment data from the field was shared with Street Child for compilation
• Monitoring and mentoring of teachers during assessment:-Teachers were provided pre-sessions when they were conducting the assessment and were provided coaching and mentoring.

There is a need to strengthen the evidence base of TaRL particularly in an active conflict zone. The intervention in Somalia-Somaliland is the first time that the programme is being rolled out in IDP camps using teachers that have been trained on the spot, teachers that are themselves only moderately trained and educated. Street Child wants to understand how the programme has had to be adapted in a unique way to work in such a volatile area, but how it’s hugely important to give the children in the camp a shred of hope to be able to change their own futures.

While our programme activities have demonstrated improvements in learning outcomes, strong evidence through rigorous qualitative and quantitative evaluations is vital to validate the effectiveness of the intervention particularly in a conflict setting. By collaborating with the LEAP Fellows, Street Child can demonstrate credible impact of the programme not only on students’ learning but also improvements of teacher professional development and capacity building of local NGOs. This impact will go a long way towards informing programmatic decision making, securing funding, collaborating with academics, generating discourse, engaging stakeholders, and bringing systems-level changes.  

1. How effective is TaRL as a bridging course and as an integrated curriculum in improving foundational skills among children in emergency contexts?

2. How does each modality (i) impact retention of at-risk children within the formal education system; and (ii) encourage enrollment among out-of-school children?

3. What are the challenges encountered and lessons learned during the implementation of TaRL in both modalities? How can they be addressed when scaling the intervention?

Formative research outputs   

User Interviews with MTs, teachers, NGO partners, students (if possible) and other stakeholders to understand their experiences, challenges, and feedback insights related to each TaRL modality in Somalia and Somaliland.

Usability studies to identify areas for improvement in programme activities such as trainings, mentoring and coaching, teaching-learning in both Somalia and Somaliland.

Feasibility Studies to study the viability of both modalities of TaRL  in both contexts including availability of resources, stakeholder support informing the practicality of scaling up interventions.

Street Child hopes that the formative research outputs can recommend which modality is more viable for a conflict setting as well as implement corrective action in the existing intervention methodology, activities, monitoring and evaluation tools. Based on the LEAP Fellows findings, we will scale up the most viable modality in Somalia-Somaliland and other programmatic contexts which are affected by conflict. The research outputs will support Street Child advocacy at a local and global level to shape education in emergencies policymaking and share best practices. Research outputs will also be disseminated by the organization in policy and academic fora to share knowledge and generate discourse.

The desired long-term outcomes of the LEAP Project sprint are

Organizationally, the LEAP Project will build capacity in undertaking research, designing robust interventions with evidence-based solutions. Dissemination of this research in the academic, practitioner and donor network strengthens Street Child’s credibility to attract funding and foster collaboration.  

For the solution,

●      Improved knowledge and skills: Access to education will provide children with the opportunity to learn and develop new skills, including basic literacy and numeracy, critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making. This will help prepare them for the future and increase their opportunities for personal and professional growth.

●      Well-being and health: Education can also have a positive impact on children's health and well-being. Education can provide children with the knowledge and skills to make informed decisions about their health, hygiene, and nutrition. Education can also have a positive impact on mental health by providing children with a sense of purpose and a feeling of hope for the future.

●      Protection: Education can serve as a protective factor for children in situations of displacement. Children who are in school are less likely to be exposed to risks such as child labor, child marriage, and recruitment into armed groups. Education can also provide children with the skills and knowledge to protect themselves from exploitation and abuse.

Overall, investing in educational opportunities for out of school children in Somalia and at-risk learners in Somaliland is expected to lead to significant improvements in their knowledge and skills, well-being and health, and protection. These outcomes will help ensure that these children have a brighter future and are better prepared to contribute to their families and communities' social and economic development