An Assessment of The Contributions of Alternative Basic Education to Primary Education(Grade 1-8) In Afar Region
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Date
2010-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The main purpose of this research was assessing the contributions of ABE to primary
education in terms of access, equity, efficiency, relevance and quality. The method employed to
conduct this study was descriptive survey. Regional Education Bureau and Woreda Education
Office officials and concerned experts, facilitators, the parents around the ABEs and 2 MOE
experts were used as sources of data. To this end. the main contributions of ABE in terms of
access to education, improvement in equity and internal efficiency were assessed. In addition,
relevancy of ABE curriculum to the pastoralists and the level of quality of ABEs were also
examined. The necessary data for the study was collected through questionnaires, interview,
focus group discussions, observation and dacument review. The study was conducted in six
randomly selected Woredas of Afar region. A total of 90 respondents, namely 2 MOE, 6 REB,
23 WEO, 20 facilitators and 39 community members have participated. The data analysis
method used in the study was textual analysis and statistical tools.
The findings of the study revealed that: Although ABE has a positive impact and helped to
reach more pastoralists than the formal schools, illness of students and mobility of the
pastoralists during dry season in search of water and pasture increased dropout rate,
especially girls; parents also showed preference towards Quranic teachings for their
daughters, ABE was considered as an inferior education by the parents and their reasons were
the contents of the text book and the length of time spent by children in schools; inadequate
educational inputs, facilitator's motivation and absenteeism, low qualification of facilitators
were identified as quality problems.
The major conclusions drawn from the study were: ABE played a very important role in
ensuring education to the pastoralists; although ABEs are established nearer to the
communities, mobility makes it difficultfor most parents to send their children, especially girls,
to school; the drop out is found to be very high due to drought and illness of children,
Inadequate educational inputs and low educational qualification of facilitators.
Finally, the study recommended: launching feeding programme, providing incentives for
female students, recroiting more female role model facilitators and applying flexible school
calendar to increase access, improve equity and reduce dropouts. Revisiting the curriculum
will ensure relevance and increase competitiveness of ABE students in grade 5. In order to
improve the quality of ABEs; increasing the frequency of supervision, providing the necessary
educational inputs, increasing the salary and minimum qualification and more training to the
facilitators to make teaching career attractive to the natives
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Education