Major Challenges And Opportunities In Implementing Alternative Basic Education In Beneishangul Gumuz Region: The Practice of Somengos.
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Date
2006-06
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Addis Ababauniversity
Abstract
The purpose of the study were to analyze the intended efforts made by the involved partner
NO Os (OOB and WLE) and policy intentions to universal primary basic education to explore the
effectiveness and relevance of the education system to the needs of beneficiaries, to assess the
strength, weakness, and efficiency of the on-going alternative non-formal primary basic
education (NFPBE) in rural Benishangul Oumuz. To these ends, the study attempted to assess
curriculum issues, program organization and management, reasons for program initiation, major
social and economic roles of children, major factors affecting children participation in primary
education, advantages of the program, requirements for recruiting facilitators and bodies
involved, facilitators employment, roles, and mode of payment and community participation for
implementation of the program in the region.
The study was conducted in 12 OOB and 5 WLE centers. Centers participators, coordinators and
supervisors were included respondents. Data were collected from respondents using
questionnaire, interview and focus group discussion guid es. Among 68 respondents 42 OBG and
26 WLE who were selected on the basis of avai labi lity sampling, 38 (90.5%) OGB and 23
(88.4%) of WLE, a total of 61 (89.6%) respondents filled the questionnaire and turned back to
the researcher. Them the data collected were ana lyzed using percentage, frequency counts and
rank orders.
The finding of the study revealed that there were problems in relation to facilitators selection and
training, level of awareness about the impoI1ance and benefits of education and lack of
commitment among educational officials, the community and center faci litators. The study al so
di sclosed the major factors that hindered children's paI1icipation in primary schools. Moreover,
the research also indicated strategies that foster the participation and retention of children in the
program.
Hence, it is concluded that, in most cases the participation of rural Benishangul Gumez children
in primary schools was functions of primary socio-cultural and socio-economic; human resource
and community based participation development problems. Depending on the results of the
findings the study recommended that implementing alternative non-formal approaches to basic
primary education for the un-reached require awareness creation among the society, considerable
amount of budget to program, assigning program coordination at all levels, mobilizing available
human and material resources, establishing and capacitating training institutes in the region,
creating conductive environn1ent for NGOs and promoting capacity building training programs
for education personnel
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Keywords
Implementing Alternative Basic Education In