Case Study Report Children in Crisis Afghanistan

Case Study Report Children in Crisis AfghanistanBy Ritesh Shah, Lead Researcher AEWG Principles Field Testing

Acronyms

ACTED Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development

AE Accelerated Education

AEP Accelerated Education Programme

AEWG Accelerated Education Working Group

CBE Community Based Education

CBEC Community Based Education Centres

CiC Children in Crisis

ECCN EducationinCrisisandConflictNetwork

IDPs Internally Displaced Persons

IRC International Rescue Committee

NESP NationalEducationStrategicPlan

NGO Non-governmentOrganisation

NRC NorwegianRefugeeCouncil

ODA OverseasDevelopmentAssistance

OoSC Outofschoolchildren

UNHCR UNHighCommissionerforRefugees

UNICEF UNChildren’sFund

USAID USAgencyofInternationalDevelopment

Purpose of the study

TheAEWGisaworkinggroupmadeupofeducationpartnersworkinginAcceleratedEducation(AE).The

AEWGiscurrentlyledbyUNHCRwithrepresentationfromUNICEF,UNESCO,USAID,NRC,Plan,IRC,Save

theChildren,ECCNandWarChildHolland.

Basedontheaimforamorestandardisedapproachtoacceleratededucationprovisionglobally,theAEWGhas

beguntodevelopguidancematerialsbasedoninternationalstandardsandsoundpracticeforAE.In2016,the

AEWGdevelopedasetof10Principlesforeffectivepractice(i.e.“thePrinciples”or“AEPrinciples”),andalso

accompanyingguidancetotheseprinciples(knownastheGuide to the AE Principles).

Thepurposeofthiscasestudywastomorefullyunderstandtherelevance,usefulnessandapplicationofthe

AEprinciplesandguidancewithinthecontextofChildreninCrisis’(CiC)acceleratededucationprogramming

(AEP)inAfghanistan.Thiscasestudysitsalongthreeothers–twofromKenyaandoneSierraLeone–all

implementedbydifferentactorsandworkingwithdifferentpopulationsoflearners.Theresearchwasinitially

guidedbythreekeyquestionsspecifiedbelow:

2/26 Case Study Report Children in Crisis Afghanistan

1 TowhatdegreeisCiC’sAEPinAfghanistancurrentlyalignedwiththeprinciples?Whatarethereasonsfor

this?

2 HowmighttheAEprinciplesandaccompanyingguidancebeusedbyCiCandotherAEprovidersand

partnersinAfghanistantodevelop,refine,orassessprogrammequality?Whatarethechallengesand

limitationstodoingso,andwhatcouldbedonetoaddressthisbytheAEWGorothers?

3 Based on the evidence collected by CiC to date on key AE outcomes of improving access to education for

outofschoollearners,ensuringtheirsuccessfulcompletionandofearninganequivalentqualification,to

whatdegreearetheseoutcomesareflectionoftheprogramme’scurrentstrengths/weaknessesofallor

someofthe10AEprinciples?

It should be made clear that the intent of this research is not to evaluate or compare different AE programmes

againsteachother,noristospecifyrecommendationsorareasofimprovementforCiC’sactivities.Rather,this

case study helps to illustrate the possibilities and challenges of using the principles and accompanying guidance

inthedevelopment,refinement,andassessmentofAEprogrammesinAfghanistan,andwithpopulationsand

contextslikethatwhichCiCcurrentlyworkswithinthecountry.Additionally,giventhattheprinciplesand

accompanyingguidancehaveonlybeenrecentlyintroduced,itisacknowledgedthatakeylimitationforthis

researchwasanassessmentofcurrentutilityofthesetools.Thatstated,sufficientdiscussionwasheldwhile

inAfghanistantounderstandhowtheymightbeusedmovingforward,aswellassomekeylimitationsofthese

PrinciplesandGuideinitspresentformforCiCandotherAEPsinAfghanistan.

Programme background and context

Description of the programme

Since2011CiC,aUK-basedINGOwithafocusspecificallyontheprovisionofeducationinconflict-affected

contexts,hasdevelopedamodelforcommunitybasededucation(CBE)thatincludesacceleratededucation

programming(AEP)withinit.ThroughthisCBEmodel,CiCoffers:(1)athree-yearprogrammeofaccelerated

educationwhichleadstooutofschoollearnerscompletingGradeSixandideallytransitioningintotheformal

system;(2)remedialtutorialclassesfordisadvantagedchildrenenrolledinformalschoolsbutatriskoffailure/

drop out;1(3)literacyandtailoringclassesformothersoftheselearnersandotherwomeninthecommunity;

(4)provisionofcommunityawarenesssessionsonchildrightsandhealthissues;and(5)self-helpgroupsavings

schemestoprovidewomenwiththeopportunitytosavemoneyandtakeloansforincome-generatingactivities.

Todate,allCBECentres(CBECs),havebeenlocatedinvulnerableinformalsettlementswithinKabul,orremote

communitiesontheoutskirtsofthecity.Thesecommunitiesareoftenonescomprisedprimarilyofinternally

displacedpopulations(IDPs)whohavemigratedtoKabulduetoongoingconflictoreconomichardship.The

communitiesthemselvesareusuallyinformalsettlements,oftenmadeupoftemporaryorsemi-permanent

housingandlackaccesstoelectricityandwater.Asinformalsettlements,theyareusuallynotcoveredbystate

providedservices,particularlyeducation.Inthesecommunities,theeffectsofinternaldisplacement,coupled

withthelimitedaccesstoschooling,hasledtoasituationwherelargenumbersofchildrenhavenotentered

schoolorhavebeenforcedtodropoutin(describedinmoredetailinnextsection).

CBECsareestablishedbyCiCinthesecommunitieswithathree-yearcommitment,afterwhichtimeCiCmakes

clearthatitwillexitthecentre.Ineachcentrethathasbeenestablished,specificbeneficiarygroupsandtarget

numbersarespecified(seeTable1).

1 Theprogrammecallsthemcoachingratherthanremedialclasses.


Table 1: TargetedbeneficiariesineachCBEC

Category Per CBEC

Outofschoolchildren(servedthroughAEP) 60

In-school,atriskchildren(servedthroughcoachingclasses) 250

Women(servedthroughliteracy,tailoring,andself-helpgroups) 170

Communitymembers(attendinghealthandchildrightsawarenesssessions) 500

TOTAL 982

ThroughitsAEPactivitiesinCBECsthusfar,CiChasserved739studentssince2011.

AsaproportionofthetotalnumberofbeneficiariesineachCBEC,theAEPgroupisrelativelysmall,butisthe

mostresourceintensiveaspectofthebudgetforrunningeachCiC(estimatedatapproximately50-60,000

USDperyear).A2015EvaluationnotedthecostofprovidingeducationtoeachAEPlearnerat£124per

year(approx.155USDperyear),comparedtotheotheractivitieswhicharelessthanhalfthisamountper

beneficiaryserved.TheAEPspecificallyemploysthreequalifiedandexperiencedteacherspercentre,whoare

responsibleforteachingthenationalcurriculumand/orsupportingEnglish,Artsorsubjectstaughtonlyinthe

highergrades.Inadditiontothis,theAEPdrawsextensivelyonthesupportofaCBECTeamLeader,whoholds

keyresponsibilityforengagingwiththecommunityandtheparentsofthelearnersabouttheimportanceof

sendingandcontinuingtosupporttheirchildrentocompletethefullprimarycyclethroughtheAEP.Funding

fortheCBEC’stodatehascomelargelyfromprivatefundingsources(foundations,charities,andothersmall

privatedonors),ratherthanamultilateralorbilateraldonor.TheCBECsareoverseenbyalocally-based

EducationProgrammeManager,internationalProgrammeManager(whosplitstimebetweenKabulandthe

UK),andtheCountryDirectorforCiC.

Figure 1: LocationofCBEC’sinKabul


Atpresentaspartofitscurrentprogrammecycle(2015-2018),CiCisoperatingthreeCBECsinKabul,inthe

communitiesofRishkor,BalaKo-e-Afshar,andWazirAbad(seefigurebelow).

CiC’sAEPisexplicitlydesignedforoutofschoolchildrenandyouthwhohavepassedtheageofentryinGrade

1orfurthergradesinprimaryeducationduetoeconomicconditions(i.e.needtoworkinthehouseorinthe

community),displacement,andculturalpractices(specificallygirlswhereparentsmaynotallowthemtogoto

stateschoolsbecauseofdistanceorotherissues).Italsosupportslearnerswhoareprecludedfromentering

schoolingduetothelackofofficialstatus/nationalidentification.

AsofJuly2016,atotalof220studentswerebeingservedinthecurrent2015-8cycleofAEPprovisionacross

thethreecentres.Thisincluded44boys(20%)and176girls(80%).Accordingtoaninitialneedsassessment

undertaken,morethanhalfoftheselearnershadneverbeentoschoolpriortostartingtheAEP.25%had

droppedoutofschoolasaresultofdisplacement/movementand22%becauseoffamilyrestrictionson

continuingtoattendschool.Thosewhohadbeentoschool,hadonaveragecompletedlessthantwoyears

offormalschooling,andhadbeenawayfromschoolfor2-3years.Only1%ofthestudentswereclassifiedas

havingadisability.

TheAEPwithineachcentreisadministeredintwofour-hourshifts(morningandafternoon),withteachers

rotatingresponsibilitiesbetweentheAEPandtutoringclasses.Classesmeetfor12monthsoftheyear,sixdays

aweek(Saturday-Thursday),withtheaimofstudentscompletingtwogradesperyear.2

CiCpositionsitsCBECandAEPsasademand-drivenapproachtostrengtheningeducationprovision.Thebelief

isthatwhileIDPsmaysufferfromalackofintegrationintohostcontextsandbeexcludedfromaccesstolocal

services,thebiggerfactorwhichprecludesthechildreninthesecommunitiesfromenteringintoorcompleting

schoolsisalackofdemand.Issueslikeeconomichardship,the‘hidden’costsorrequirementsforenrollingand

continuingtoattendstateschooling,culturalpractices(suchasearlymarriageorbeliefsthatgirlsshouldnot

gotoschool),andthedemandsforthechildrenofthesecommunitiestotakeonresponsibilitiesinthehouseor

labourmarket,precludeorexcludethemfromschooling.Theopportunitycostsinvolvedinsendingchildrento

schoolsareoftengreat,particularlywhenwhatisonofferisperceivedtobeoflowqualityorrelevance.3

CiC’stheoryofchangeforitsprogrammeisthatifCiCcombinesbasicdeliverymethodsofCBEand

AcceleratedLearning(AL),witharangeofcomplimentaryfamilyandcommunity-levelactivities,thenit

willdevelopdemandforeducationwhereitpreviouslydidnotexist,andcreatethenecessarysupport

structuresforchildrentoattendschool,remainthereforlonger,andachievemore.

Description of the context

Since2001Afghanistanhasexperiencedthefastestgrowthinaccesstoeducationofanycountryintheworld.ThissuccessisillustrativeoftheprioritisationofeducationbytheGovernmentandinternationaldonors.Yetit

isestimatedthatasmuchashalfoftheschoolagepopulationof10millionstilldonothaveaccesstoanyform

ofeducation,and50%ofthosewhoattenddonotcompletetheprimarylevel.4

2 NotethatthisstructureisstipulatedbytheCBEPolicywhichCiC’sAEPfallsunder.3 Asevidenceforthis,theattritionrateinthefirstsixyearsofbasiceducationisestimatedatapproximately50%,with2.5

millionchildrennotedtohavedroppedoutofschooling,accordingtotheNational Education Strategic Plan 2016-2020.4 AccuratedataonthenumberofoutofschoolchildreninAfghanistanvaries.RecentMinistryofEducation

documentationhasspecifiednumbersaslowassixmillion,andotherdocumentsstatethisnumberastenmillion.


In terms of equityAfghanistanhasthehighestgenderdisparityintheworld.LessthanhalfofgirlsenrolandtheGovernmentreportsthatonly20%completeprimaryschool.5 Gender inequities are compounded by

geographiclocation,ethnicbackground,andpoverty.Thequalityofstateeducationislow.Aquarterofallteachersdidnotgraduatefromsecondaryschool.Thelackofeducatedwomenperpetuatesachronicshortage

offemaleteachers,oneofthemainreasonswhygirlsdonotattendschool.Morethanhalfofschoolsoperate

fromtentsoropenareas.6

AfghanistanisthesecondlargestrecipientofOverseasDevelopmentAid(ODA),thoughthevastmajority

issecurityrelated.Onlyanaverageof4%ofODAisearmarkedforeducationwiththemajoritydirectedto

the World Bank managed EQUIPProgramme.7However,theGovernmentisrecurrentlyunabletoexecutethedevelopmentbudgetduetopooradministrativesystems.Corruptionaside,only30%ofeducationODA

hasbeenspentinrecentyears.TheMinistryofEducation(MoE)isunabletomanagelargefundsortransfer

tothelocallevel,andhasfailedtoprovidethereportingrequiredtoreleasefundsfromtheAfghanistan

ReconstructionTrustFund(ARTF).8ThereisbroadrecognitionthatgreaterlevelsoffundingtotheMoEwould

notsubstantiallyimpactaccesstoqualityeducation.

Theeducationsystemsuffersfromconsiderablechallengesbothofsupplyanddemand.Inareasofsupply,

increasinginsecurity,limitedlocalresourcestobuildschools,andalackoftrainedteachersunderminethe

state’sabilitytodelivereducation.Onthedemandside,economicfactors(i.e.40%ofthecountryinabsolute

poverty,approximately25%of6-17yearoldsinchildlabour),culturalpractices(childmarriage,oppositionto

femaleeducation),violenceinschools,andthelowstandardsofeducationonoffer,havelimitedtheenrolment,

retention,andachievementofchildren,especiallygirls.

TheMoErecentlyreiteratedthat“Although many strengthening measures have been adopted, supply side constraints are likely to substantially limit effective demand over the medium term. Therefore, there is great pressure on the Government to consider alternative ways of delivering education.”ArecentreportintoeducationfinancinginAfghanistanhighlightedtheneedforNGOstodelivereducationaswellastheneedfornewfinancingoptions,

includingprivateandbeneficiarysupportedprogramming.

Sincetheearly2000’s,CommunityBasedEducation(CBE)hasbeenthemainmethodforexpandingaccess

toschooling,asdetailedinsuccessiveNationalEducationSectorPlans(NESP).Currentpolicystatesthat“the continuing insurgency and associated security threats, community attitudes and beliefs about girls’ education, and the inability of the government to reach remote areas make CBE the most feasible option.”In2012asetofpolicyguidelinesforCBEwasadoptedbytheMinistryofEducation.AEPs,orAcceleratedLearningCentres(ALCs)

astheyarespecifiedwithintheguidelines,comeundertheCBEumbrellaandareidentifiedasopportunities

for,“the great number of Afghan children (boys and girls) who are older than the formal guidelines for MoE schools”or“deprived of a formal education due to various problems”(p.5).

Currentlarge-scaleCBEprogrammesfocusontheout-of-school-children(OoSC)ofschoolagewhohaveno

supply.CBEisseen,accordingtotheMinistryofEducationNESP(p.20)as“a general MoE strategy for increasing equitable access, retention and learning achievement in remote villages.”CBEhasbeenshowntohaveconsiderablesuccessatincreasingenrolmentineducation,specificallyforgirls.Thisisparticularlytrueformoreremote

areas.LargescaleCBEprogrammeshavebeenimplementedinrecentyears(PACE-AfundedbyUSAID,and

STAGESfundedbyDfID).Bothprogrammeshavehadsuccessatincreasingsupplyand,incomparisonto

5 GovernmentofAfghanistan(2016).National Education Strategic Plan 2017-2021.MinistryofEducation.6 SeeforexampleJackson,A.(2011)High Stakes: Girls Education in Afghanistan: Briefing Paper.7 ThisisaWorldBankimplementedbudgetsupportprogramme(EducationQualityImprovementProject),nowin

Phase2.ItisfundedthroughtheAfghanistanReconstructionFund(ARTF),thebi/multilateralfundingmechanism:http://goo.gl/TCwMkt

8 SeeIslamicRepublicofAfghanistan(2011).Afghanistan National Development Strategy 2008-2013.


stateschools,canimproveachievementlevels.However,bothprogrammesweredesignedtosupportthe

establishmentofnewschoolsthatwouldsubsequentlybeadopted,andfunded,bytheGovernment.9 In both

casesthisdidnothappenforthereasonsoffinancingandthelimitedgovernmentcapacitynotedabove.

Thus,asamechanismofincreasingbasicsupply,CBEhasproveneffective.However,integrationintothe

statesystemremainsunviableandthereforewideroptionsformeetingbasicneedsandforfinancingneedto

beinvestigated.Stateprovisionofferslittleforthelargenumberofover-ageOoSCwhoarenotineducation

duetodemandsidefactorsofpoverty,child-labour,culturalpractices,andlowquality.Theselong-standing

concernspresentafarmoreperniciouschallengetocreatingsustainableandpublically-demandededucation

provision.

ThisisparticularlytrueforIDPorreturneepopulationswhohavefloodedintoKabulinrecentyears.While

accesstostateschoolingisnominallypresent,anumberofissueseffectivelyprecludethesepopulations

from(re)enrollingtheirchildrenintheseschools.Typicallyendingupininformalsettlements,itisestimated

thattheycomprisearound55,000(ofKabul’sburgeoningpopulation).Mostwithinthesesettlementslivein

slum-likeconditions.Theirsheltersdonotprovidesufficientprotectionagainsttheharshcoldandwetwinter

months,areover-crowdedanddonotprovidesufficientprivacyorsecurity.Inmanylocations,familiesshare

smallnumbersofhandpumpsandhaveirregularaccesstocleanwater.Thepopulationlivesundertheconstant

threatofevictionasover80%havenoformalagreementsfortheirresidency;asaresult,accesstobasic

services,suchashealthcareandeducation,andpublicinfrastructureisverylimited.

Importantly,schoolenrolmentandretentionremainlowamongstthispopulationduetoacombinationof

factors.Economicpovertyisasignificantfactor,with97%ofthefamiliesinthesesettlementslivingunder

thenationalpovertylineof1,710AFA/month.Thesefamiliesareextremelypooranddependentonchild

labourtobringnecessaryincome,especiallywhenfathershaveirregularsourcesofincome.Additionally,

thehighancillarycostsofschooling,fortexts,stationeryanduniforms,presentasignificanteconomic

burdentothesehouseholds,andcontributetopushinglearnersoutofschool,particularlyastheygetolder.

Finally,discriminationisanissuewhichmanyIDPsandurbanpoorfaceinattendingstateschoolsinKabul.A

recentneedsassessmentundertakenbyCiCidentifiedthatIDP/Returneechildrenareconsideredtobeless

disciplinedthanlocalurbanchildrenbylocalteachers,andthechildrenthemselvesalsoreportedthattheir

teacherstreatedthemdifferently.Childrenalsoreportedtheywerebulliedfor‘smellingbad,’‘nothavingclean

clothes,’andspeakingadifferentdialectbyotherstudentsintheschool.10

Thegovernmenthasbeguntorecognisethatexclusionfromschoolingtakesmanyforms,andhasdevelopedan

inclusiveeducationpolicythattargets12categoriesofexclusion,includingchildrenthataredisplaced,refugees

andreturnees.InFebruary2014,aNationalPolicyonIDPswaslaunchedundertheauspicesoftheMinistry

ofRefugeesandRepatriationandsetoutaframeworkofresponsibilitiesfornationalauthoritiestoaddress

internaldisplacementinAfghanistan.Evenwithclearlegislation,educationalprovisiontochildreninKabul’s

informalsettlementshasnotbeenadequatelydelivered.IDP/returneechildrenfallinmultiplecategoriesof

exclusionidentifiedbythegovernment,includingbeingchildrenfrompooreconomicbackgrounds,street

workingchildren,childrenaffectedbydrugs,childrenwithdisabilitiesandchildrenfrompooreconomic

backgrounds.Giventhelimitedresources,theMinistryofEducationadmitsaddressingexclusionwillrely

heavily on international donor support as the state is not able to respond adequately to deliver all forms of

inclusiveeducation.

9 ThisinformationistakenfromaCiCconceptnoteoncommunity-basededucationdevelopedin2016byPeteSimms.10 TheinformationinthissectioncomesfromaCiCECHOapplicationwhichincorporatesaneedsassessmentundertaken

intheinformalsettlmentsinJanuary2017,alongwithstudiesconductedbyotherINGOsandmultilateralorganisations.


Methodology and approach to fieldwork

Completionofthiscasestudyinvolvedacombinationofremote-baseddocument/datareviewandafieldvisit

toCiC’sprogrammeinAfghanistan.Amappingofdatacollectionactivitiesagainstthethreekeyresearch

questionsisnotedinTable2below.

Table 2: Data collection sources against key research questions

Key research question

Mo

nit

ori

ng

dat

a o

r in

tern

al r

epo

rtin

g

Inte

rnal

or

exte

rnal

ev

alu

atio

n(s

)

Pro

ject

pro

po

sals

Inte

rvie

ws

or

FG

Ds

wit

h p

rogr

amm

e m

anag

emen

t

Inte

rvie

ws

or

FG

Ds

wit

h o

n-s

ite

pro

gram

me

staf

f

Inte

rvie

ws

or

FG

Ds

wit

h b

enefi

ciar

ies

Inte

rvie

ws

or

FG

Ds

wit

h c

om

mu

nit

y an

d/

or

par

ents

AE

pri

nci

ple

s ch

eckl

ist

TowhatdegreeisCiC’sAEPinAfghanistancurrentlyalignedwiththeprinciples?Whatarethereasonsforthis?

X X X X X X X X

HowmighttheAEprinciplesandaccompanying guidance be used by CiC and other AE providers and partners in Afghanistantodevelop,refine,orassessprogrammequality?Whatarethechallengesandlimitationstodoingso,andwhatcouldbedonetoaddressthisbytheAEWGorothers?

X X

Based on the evidence collected by CiC to date on key AE outcomes of improving access toeducationforoutofschoollearners,ensuring their successful completion and of earninganequivalentqualification,towhatdegreearetheseoutcomesareflectionoftheprogramme’scurrentstrengths/weaknessesofallorsomeofthe10AEprinciples?

X X X X

Asthetablesuggests,arangeofdatasourceswereavailabletoassessthequestionofalignmentofCiC’s

programmetotheprinciples.Datasourcesweremorelimitedintermsofunderstandingtheusefulnessofthe

principlesandaccompanyingguidance,giventhattheyhaveonlyrecentlybeenintroducedandnotutilised

toanygreatextentwithintheprogrammetodate.Asaresult,discussionsheldonthisquestionweremore

speculativeinnature.Additionally,itbecameclearthatthesediscussionsweremosteffectivewiththose

engagedinprogrammedesignormonitoringwork,ratherthanimplementation.CiCalsohasstrongsystems

inplacetotrackkeyAEoutcomes,andhasnowcompletedonefullphaseofitsAEP(endingin2015).Forthat

reason,itwaspossibletoexploretheseoutcomestosomeextentandhypothesisehowitmaylinktoalignment

tocertainprinciples.

Documentsreviewed,specifictoCiC’sprogramme,includedconceptnotes,projectsummarysheets,funding

proposals,needsassessmentreports,interimprojectreportingtodonors,andaninternalmidtermevaluation

reportcompletedbytheDirectorofProgrammesandProgrammeSupportOfficerofCiCUKin2014.

Additionally,theMinistryofEducation’sCBEpolicy,thecurrentNationalEducationStrategicPlan(NESPIII)for

2016-9,andarangeofdonorandacademicliteratureontheeducationlandscapeofAfghanistanwereprovided

byCiCandalsoreviewed.ProjectmonitoringdataprovidedbyCiCaheadoftimewasparticularlyusefulin

understandingprogrammeoutcomestodate.CiChadalsocompletedthepilotchecklistfortheAEPrinciples

foritsAEPinAfghanistan,andtheresponsesandfeedbackprovidedwasalsoreviewed,andincorporatedinto

thisstudy.


FieldworkwascarriedoutinKabuloveroneweekinlateJanuary/earlyFebruary2017.Duringthistime,a

numberofactivitieswerecarriedout.Attheoutset,aninitialworkshopwasheldwiththemanagementteam11

ofCiC’sAEP,andtheteamleadersofthe3CBEcentres,alongwitheducationtechnicaladvisorsfromthe

NorwegianRefugeeCouncil(NRC)andACTED.Thepurposeofthisinitialhalf-daymeetingwasto(re)introduce

the10AEPprinciplesandaccompanyingguidanceandunderstandhowtheymightbeofutilityandrelevanceto

AEprogramming,andadaptedtotheparticularcontextofeducationprovisionforoutofschoolchildren/youth

inthecountry.

Thiswassubsequentlyfollowedbyaseriesoffocusgroupmeetingwithbeneficiariesandstakeholdersengaged

inCiC’sAEPwithinthethreeCBECstodeterminethedegreetowhichtheprogramme,atpresent,isaligned

withvariousprinciples,andbetterunderstandsomeoftheconstraintsthatprecludegreateralignment(see

tablebelow).

Table 3: Summaryofbeneficiariesspokento

Stakeholder/beneficiary group from AEP Number of individuals spoken to

Teachers 11(10female,1male)

CBECTeamLeaders 3(allfemale)

FormerAEstudentsfromCBEC 20femaleformerbeneficiariesages14-18;11maleformerbeneficiariesages12-17

Current AE students from one CBEC 9(5female,4male)

Communitymembers(localShura) 17males(includescommunityleaders/elders,fathersofstudents)

Focusgroupandindividualinterviewsgenerallyfollowedtheprotocolsdevelopedforuseacrosstheresearch

teamandfieldstudysites.Therewere,however,someadaptationsthathadtobemadeduetoincreasedsizes

ofsomegroups(formerbeneficiaries),language/translationissues,oradvicereceivedonbestwaystoengage

particulargroupsofindividualsinaculturallysensitiveandrespectfulmanner.12

AfollowupmeetingwasalsoheldwiththeEducationTechnicalAdvisorfromACTEDandtheDirectorof

Programmes for CiC to discuss the Guide to the Principlesinmoredepth,andwaysinwhichthisguidancecouldbeusedandalsoimprovedtosuittheneedsofprogrammedesignersandmanagers.Onthelastday,afeedback

workshopwasheldwiththeCiCManagementteamtodiscusstheresearcher’sassessmentoftheirprogramme

againstthe10principles,andbetterunderstandsomekeytensionswhichexistbetweentheprinciplesinthe

contextofAfghanistan.

Inaddition,allthreeoftheCBECcentreswerevisited,toobservethefacilitiesavailabletolearners,the

pedagogyoccurringintheclassroomsthemselves,resourcesavailableforteachingandlearning,andtoreview

on-sitestudentandteacherrecordkeepingandmonitoringdata.

Analysisofdatacollectedagainsttheprincipleswasdonethematicallythroughadeductivecodingapproach.

Usingeachprinciple,responsesfrominterviewnotes,transcripts,field/observationnotesweremappedagainst

oneormoreprincipleontheissuesofalignment.Forquestionsrelatedtothepotentialrelevanceorutilityofthe

principlesandguidance,somekeythematiccategories(suchasdesign,monitoring,review/assessment,areasfor

improvement)wereusedtocategoriseresponsesprovidedbythoseinterviewed.Throughaprocessofmerging

thesecodesthematicideasandissueswereformedinrelationtoalignmentagainstthePrinciples(seebelow).

11 ThisincludedCiC’sDirectorofProgrammes(UKbased),CountryDirector,andtheEducationProgrammeManagerforAfghanistan.

12 Forexample,withtheformerbeneficiaries,whileatimelineactivitywasconducted(mappingexperiencesbefore,duringandaftertheirparticipationintheAEP),itwasdecidedtohavestudentsdrawtheirtimelinesindividuallyratherthaningroupstoavoidsharingofembarrassing/shamefuleventsiftheysochose.WiththeShura,thefocusgroupactivitieswereabandonedinfavourofamoregeneralseriesofquestionsandanswers,asitwasdeemedthataskingseniorclergymembersandrespectedeldersofthecommunitytoworkinsmallgroupsmaynotbewellreceived.


Current programme alignment to the AE Principles

Thissectionsummariseskeystrengthsandchallenges/considerationsrelatedtooneormoreoftheAE

Principles.Indoingso,itdrawsontherangeofdatasourcesspecifiedinaprevioustable.

TheAEPrincipleswerethematicallycategorisedintofiveareas,specifictolearners,programmemanagement,

communityengagement,alignment,andteachers,astheywereseentobroadlyreflectthedifferentdomains

whichtheprinciplesandaccompanyingguidancefocuson.Undereachcategory,theassociatedprinciplesare

listed,tomakeclearhowthiswasdone.

Learners

Principle 1:

AEP is flexible and for older learners.

Principle 4:

Curriculum, materials, and pedagogy are genuinely accelerated, AE-suitable, and use relevant language of instruction.

Principle 8:

AE learning environment is inclusive, safe, and learning-ready.

Asdiscussedinprevioussections,thefocusofCiC’sAEPisonoutofschool,overagedlearners.Morethan50%

ofthoseenrolledintheAEPacrossthethreeCBECcentreshaveneverbeentoschool,andforthosethathave

beentoschool,alldroppedoutbeforecompletingthefullcycleofprimaryeducation,manyafterjustoneor

twoyears.Mostlearnersenrolledinitsprogrammearepasttheagewhichtheycouldreintegrateorenrolin

theformaleducationsystem.Fortheroughly5%oflearnersthatcouldpotentiallyenterintotheformalsystem

duetobeingyounger(9or10),theyhavebeenenrolledinCiC’sprogrammeonlybecausetheylackappropriate

identificationpaperstoactuallydoso.BelowisanageprofileofCiCcurrentAEPstudentpopulation.

Figure 2: AgeprofileofAElearnersacrossCiC’sCBECs

9

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

10 11 12 13 14 15 Unspecified

Age of learner

Numberofstudents


AkeyactivitywhichisundertakenwhenCiCisassessingwhetherornottoestablishaCBECinaparticular

locationistoundertakeahouseholdsurvey.TheTeamLeaderandteachersgodoortodoorwithinacommunity

andidentifythenumberofchildrenwithineachhousewhohaveneverbeentoschool,orhavedroppedout,

andareoverage.Thiscensushelpstoinformmanagementdecisionaboutwhetherthereisa“criticalmass”of

learnerstoopenacentreinthecommunity.Onceadecisionismadetoopenacentre,alocationischosenwhich

iswithincloseproximitytothetargetpopulation,toensurethatdistanceisnotabarriertoattractinglearners

tothecentre.

Thefirstprioritywhenestablishinganewcentre,andgroupofAElearners,istoprioritisethosewhohave

neverenteredintoschool,orwhoareassessedashavingattendedschoolbutnothavingadequateGrade1

skills(donebyadministeringaspecialexamtothesestudents).ThesmallsizeofCiC’sprogramme,andthefact

thatwhenanewAEPisestablisheditstartswithGrade1,meansthattheaimistostartwithtwofullcohorts

ofGrade1equivalentlearners(oneinthemorning,oneintheafternoon).Thisprocessoftentakessignificant

time(severalmonths),asatfirstbothstudentsandtheirfamiliesaresuspiciousofthemotivesofCiC,and

maybereluctanttoenterintothecentre.Forstudentswhohadbeentoschoolanddroppedout,therewere

significantfearsandanxietiesrelatedtotheirpastnegativeexperiencesofschooling.Parentsandcommunity

leadersalsoviewedthepresenceofanoutsideINGOwithsuspicionatfirstaswell,feelingasoneShura13

memberdescribed,“that they might be coming in with an outside agenda, such as converting our children to another religion.”TheroleoftheteachersandTeamLeaderiscrucialinthisregard,andmanychildrenandtheirfamiliesdescribedhowtheyhadseveralvisitsfromthestaffoftheCBECbeforetheyfeltcomfortabletoattend.Thisis

discussedinmoredetailinasubsequentsection.

WhenstartinganewGrade1cohort,nopreparatoryprogramme/schoolreadinessactivitiesarecurrently

offeredtotheselearners,despiteoneteacheracknowledgingthatitis,“…difficult to start with Grade 1 content and cover it in 6 months only, particularly for students who may lack any readiness for school.”

Otherover-agedandoutofschoollearnersareabletojointheprogrammeatintermediarypoints(middleand

endofyearwhencohorttransitionstonextgrade),asspacesbecomeavailablefromstudentsdroppingout

fromtheoriginalcohort,orascentremanagersandteachersdeemappropriate.CiCaimstohave180students

completetheprogrammetoGrade6inthiscurrentphase,andcurrentlyhas190-195studentsenrolled.This

oversubscriptionisintentional,accordingtotheprogrammemanagementteam,keepinginmindthatdropout

doesoccur,particularlyamongstgirlsastheynearpubertyandbecomemorepronetoculturalrestrictionsor

expectationsofmarriage.FromthestartofthecurrentphaseoftheprogrammeuntilJuly2016,approximately

10%ofthelearnershadlefttheAEPatanintermediarystage.14

Whatthismeansatpresent,isthatclasssizesrangefrom30-35learners/group.ForthefacilitiesthatCiC

currentlyhasavailableinitsCBECfortheclasses,40studentsisaboutthemaximumcapacitythatcouldbe

taughtinanyoneroom.Theroomsjustfitthisnumberofstudentsasthephotobelowillustrates.

Asdiscussedpreviously,CiCrunstwodifferentAEPcohorts(operatingatsamegradelevel)atanyonetime

ineachofitsCBECs–oneinthemorning,oneintheafternoon.Studentsandtheirfamiliesaregivensome

flexibilityoverwhichofthesecohortstheywouldliketoenterinto,basedontheotherdemandsontheirtime.

MoststudentsinCiC’sprogrammereportthattheyarerequiredtowork,eitherinthehomeoroutsidein

activitiessuchassellingscrapmetal,workinginalocalshop,orsellingwaresonthestreet.Havingtheabilityto

13 TheShuraisanalreadyestablishedcommunitycouncilcomprisedoftheneighborhood’selectedleader(ormayor),religiousleaders,andothergovernmentofficialslivingwithinthecommunity.CiChasexpandedthisShuratoalsoincludesomeoftheparentsofchildrenateachCBECaswell.

14 Accordingtothe2014midtermevaluation,inthelastroundofCiC’sAEP,theprogrammestruggledtomeetitstargetof60learnersfromeachCBECcompletingthecycle.AcrossthefivecentreswhichCiCoperated,ithad283studentswhoweredeemedtobeontracktocompletingGrade6,slightlylessthanthetargeted300studentsduetodropoutsfromtheprogramme.Inresponse,withinthiscurrentcycle,CiChasmadeadecisiontoenrolmorestudentsthanrequired.


continuetodothis,andattendtheprogrammeatatimethatwasconvenienttothem,wasseenasastrengthof

theAEP.Addedtothis,studentsandtheirfamiliesappreciatedthefactthattheopportunitycostsforattending

theAEPwererelativelylow.StudentswereprovidedwithsomebasicstationerysuppliesbyCiCatthe

beginningofeachterm,notexpectedtowearuniforms,andwerealsogiven(onloan)therequiredtextbooksfor

instruction.Whiletheeducationprogrammemanagerfelttherewasaneed“for some small parent contribution to their child’s education in the form of purchasing some spare notebooks or pencils,”itwasalsoacknowledgedthatcost“would never become a barrier for a child to remain in the programme.”

Inmanyotherways,however,theprogramme’sabilitytobeinclusiveandflexibletomeetlearners’needs

ishamperedbytheneedforCiCtobeinalignmentwiththegovernment’sCBEpolicy.Thepolicyisquite

prescriptiveonmattersoftimetabling,curriculumareastobecovered,andrateofacceleration.Asalready

discussed,CiC’sAEParerequiredtorunforall12monthsoftheyear,withaminimumoffourhoursinstruction

forsixoutofsevendays.ThisprecludesCiCfromadaptingitsprogrammetomeetseasonallabourdemandsor

pressures,orchangeableweatherconditions,whichmightpreventchildrenfromattendingtheirprogramme

forperiodsoftime.WhilenotassignificantanissueinKabul,thispolicycanbeprohibitiveinotherpartsofthe

country.Additionally,CiCisrequiredtocoverallaspectsofthecurriculumspecified–generally10-11distinct

subjects15acrossthegrades–andthroughusingprescribedgrade-leveltexts.Thisleadstoaquitecompressed

andfragmentedformofcurriculumdelivery,andlimitsopportunitiesforAEpedagogicalapproacheswhich

aremoreage-relevant,contextualised,anddeeperinlevelofengagement.Asoneteacherexpressed,“I would rather prepare some materials myself rather than use Ministry materials because I understand my students and their needs better. I can develop resources based on their level.”Shewas,however,constrainedbythefactthatguidelinesstipulatedfollowingacommoncurriculumandsetoftexts.Teacherspreparetheirdailylessonplansbasedon

theprescribedtexts,whicharenotcompetencyoroutcomesfocussed,makingitdifficultforthemtoconsider

alternativeapproachestowhatisspecifiedinthetext.Atpresent,CiCdoesnotprovidesupplementary

instructionalresourcesorteachersguidestoaccompanythetexts.

15 Theseinclude:LifeSkills(Grades1-3),HolyQuran,IslamicStudies,Dari,Pashto,English,Mathematics,Calligraphy,SocialSciences(Grades4-6),Science,Ethics,andDrawing/Art.

Figure 3: Photo from inside an AE classroom


Whileteachersdiddescribeusingtechniquessuchasrole-play,Q+A,visuals/posters,orgroupworktoenliven

instruction,therewasnotmuchevidenceofthisinlessonsobserved.Instead,muchofwhatwasobservedwas

focussedonrote-learningandheavyuseofthetexts.Communityexpectationsandlocalnorms/practicesof

teachingmeantthattherewasoftenabalancingactbetween‘bestpractice’inAEpedagogy,andlocallydriven

conditions.

DespitethelackofAEpedagogybeingpresentintheclassroom,childrenwerequicktonotethatoneofthe

keystrengthsofCiC’sprogrammeweretheteachers.Thestudentsdescribedhowtheteacherswerecaring,

treatedallstudentswithrespect,workedhardtoensureallstudentssucceed,andhowtheymadelearning

morefun.Itwasamplyevidentinobservationsintheclassroomthatteachersshowedconcernforstudents,and

reliedonpositivedisciplinetechniquestomotivatestudents.Thisisapointalsoobservedintheprogramme’s

2014evaluation(p.18)describedtheCBECteachersasdifferentbecause:“teachersattheCBECaretrying

toteach,atschooltheydon’ttry”;“teachers at CBECs tell us if we have problems, they are here to solve it”;“here the teachers do not punish but advise us”;“classes have good materials and posters, and classes are always ready for lessons”.

Onekeyfindingfromtheresearchisthattheprogramme’sabilitytomeetmanyaspectsofPrinciple1and4

onflexibilityandadaptationofcurriculumtotheneedsofAElearners,isconstraintedbyacommitmentto

aligningtoMinistryguidelinesandrulesonAEprovision.INGOsarerequiredtoworkwithintheexistingpolicy

frameworksetoutforAEPsintheCommunityBasedEducationPolicyiftheyaretoobtainanMoUfromthe

MinistryofEducation.Thispolicyhasahighlevelofspecificitywhenitcomestothetimetabling,scheduling,

andcurriculumcoverage.Itsignificantlyreducesprogrammes’abilitytobeflexibletotheneedsoflearners

(Principles1and4),buthavingthisMoUtypicallyallowslearnerstobeaccreditedandenterintotheformal

educationsystemoncompletion(Principle2).TheresultisthatAEPsinAfghanistanareoftenalignedwith

Ministrypolicy,butthatalignmentleadstotheprogrammesbeingcondensedformalschooling,withlittleroom

forflexibilityortheinclusionofAEspecificpedagogy.

OneareaofPrinciple4whichCiChasbeenabletoadvancewithinitsprogramming,however,ishealthand

lifeskillstraining,aswellastrainingonchildrightsforthelearnersthemselves.AlmostalloftheAElearners

participateintheseadditionalsessionswhichfalloutsidetheofficialprogrammeofinstruction,andmany

formerbeneficiariesreminiscedthattheyenjoyedandcouldrememberkeymessagesfromtheseworkshops.

Asoneoftheseindividualsdescribed,these“classes taught us how to live in our families and our society”.

Figure 4: PhotofromoutsideofCBEWazirAbad


WhileCiChadbeenabletomaintainthesizeofeachofitsAEPclassesto40studentsorlesstomaximise

learningopportunitiesforitslearnersandensurethatnofeesarechargeforattendance,otheraspectsof

itsprogrammearelessalignedwithPrinciple8atpresent,largelyinrelationthenatureofitsfacilities.At

allthreeofitsCBEfacilities,genderseparatedfacilitiesarenotavailable,andallstudentsuseonecommon

latrine.Thiswasaconcernforafewofthefemalestudentsspokento,whonotedthattheywouldpreferhaving

separatetoiletsforgirls.Additionally,becausetheaimistolocatetheCBECsincloseproximitytowhere

thereisacriticalmassofpotentialAElearners,facilitiesareoftenlargehousesthatareconvertedtosuitthe

programme’sneeds.Thisconstrainswhatisthenavailabletolearnersandtheteachingprogramme,particularly

intermsofsizeofteachingspaces(withsufficientroomforstudentmovement),orrecreationalspaces.Many

studentslamentedthelackofplayspaceintheCBECfacilities,andwishedformoreareatorunaroundandplay

gamesduringbreaks(seephotobelowfortheonlyCBECwherethisispossible).

Yetthereappearedtobesomeawarenessonthepartofteachersontheimportanceofinclusivitywhenitcame

togender,andspokeofactionssuchasmakingeyecontactwithallstudents,seatingboysandgirlsnexttoeach

other(orapartfromeachother),andasoneteacherargued,“boys and girls have the same need…we treat the same.”

Figure5summarisesthekeystrengthsandchallengesforCiC’sprogrammeinregardstoPrinciples1,4,and8.

Strengths

• Programmeidentifies,targetsandworkswith

over-agedoutofschoollearners

• Offerssomeflexibilityintermsoftwoshifts/day

(AMorPM)

• Teachers recognise need to adapt to needs

oflearnersandhavesomeknowledgeofAE

approaches

• Additionaltopicssuchaslifeskills,child

protection,healthincludedincurriculum

• Classes are truly free to students

• CBEenvironmentiswelcomingandsupportive

ofstudents’learning

Challenges/considerations

• Noadaptedtextsorcurriculumforoveraged

learners

• Lackofplayareas/spaceforchildren

• Lackofseparatetoiletfacilitiesorhygiene

provisions for females

• Teachingpractices(asobserved)arefairly

didacticanddonotallowforalotofpeertopeer

or interactive learning opportunities

• Genderaware/sensitiveratherthangender

responsive teaching approaches and practices in

the classrooms

• Lackofteachersguides/CiCsupported

resources to supplement curriculum

Key findings: Learners

Figure 5: Summaryoffindingsforlearnerdomain


Teachers

Principle 5:

Teachers participate in continuous professional development.

Principle 6:

Teachers are recruited, remunerated and supervised.

AlloftheteacherswithinCiC’sAEPareexperienced,qualifiedteachers.Ofthepresent11teachersworking

acrossthethreeCBECs,allofthemhadcompletedtheirteachertrainingcertificateandalsograduatedfrom

university.Allhadsomelevelofexperienceofteachingineitherstateorprivateeducationandworkingwith

children,withafewteacherswithupwardsof20years’experience.Threeoftheseteachershadalsoworkedin

thepastwithotherINGOswithintheireducationprogrammes,andonehadalsoworkedinanotherAEPrunby

oneoftheseINGOs.ManyofthecurrentteachersinCiC’sprogrammescontinuedonfromtheprevious3-year

phaseandagreedtomovetoanewCBEC.

Recruitmentprocessesforteachers,whennecessary,aredoneinafair,transparentandrigorousway.New

positionsareadvertisedonline,andcandidatessendintheirapplicationstotheEducationProgramme

Manager.Theseapplicationsarevettedandshortlistedcandidatesareinvitedtotakeawrittenexam.Those

whoperformsufficientlyontheexamaretheninvitedforaninterview.Theteachersspokentofeltthat

theprocesswasrobustandquitecompetitive,andmadethemfeelasiftheywereseenasthe“exceptional candidate”forthejob,asonedescribed.

Teachersweregenerallyhappywiththeirconditionsofpayandwork,despitethefactthattheyworkmuch

morethantheirpeersineitherstateorprivateschoolsettings,whereitistypicallyexpectedthattheyteachfor

amaximumof4-5hours/day,andwithaffordancesforextendedperiodsofholiday.Oneteacherdescribedhow

“while we were told that the hours of work were going to be different, I wasn’t really sure what this meant in terms of how much additional work we were expected to do until we actually started.”Becauseoftheincreasedworkdemand,andthehigherlevelofexpertiseandskillwhichCiCbelievesitsteachersrequiretoworkwithinanAEPsetting,

theyarepaidmorethandoublewhatanormalstateschoolteacherwouldreceiveonamonthlybasis.While

thisisoutoflinewiththegovernment’sCBEpolicy,andtheAEsub-principlesalary/incentivepayments,the

programme’sjustificationisthatotherwiseitwouldstruggletomaintainthelevelofqualityitdoes.Thehigher

salary,alongwithtransportationincentivesforfemaleteachers,isalsobelievedtobepartofthereason

thattheprogrammeisabletoattractandretainqualified,experiencedfemaleteachers.Thisisaparticular

achievementinAfghanistanwheretheacuteshortageofqualifiedfemaleteachersisseenbydevelopment

partnersandtheMinistryofEducationasasignificantbarriertogirls’equalparticipationinschooling.It

suggeststheimportanceofnottakingthePrinciplesandGuideatfacevalue,butrathercontextualisingthemto

theparticularconstraintsanddemandsofthesituation,withtheaimofbestsupportinglearners.

Alongsidetheemploymentofqualified,experiencedfemaleteachers,CiCisalsoemployingandtrainingalocal

femaleteacherateachofitsCBEC’sonanannualbasis.These“peereducators”areunqualifiedandwithout

teachingexperience,butwithsomelevelofinterestinpursuingteachingorsocialworkasafutureprofession.

CiCfocussesonsupportingtheirenrolmentintoateachertrainingprogrammeattheendoftheyear,orto

ensurethattheymaybeindividualspreparedtocontinuetorunliteracy,healtheducation,andtailoringclasses

aftertheconclusionofthethree-yearprogramme.Recruitmentoftheseindividualsisdoneinconsultation

withthelocalShura,whohelptoidentifyprospectivecandidates.WorkingcloselywiththeAEPeducators,

theseteachersaregivenregularopportunitiestobecoached,teachalongside,andsupportinstructionwithAE

learners.


Overall,theprogrammeisstronginitsalignmenttoPrinciple6,anddemonstrateseveralexamplesofgood

practicethatareworthyoffurtherindepthresearchandstudy,particularlyaroundtheirabilitytosuccessfully

recruitfemalecandidatesandtrainlocalteachers.Theprogramme,however,islessstronginPrinciple5.

InitialandongoingprofessionaldevelopmentwithintheauspicesoftheAEParegenerallynotasstrong,and

occurmorewithinregularprogrammemonitoringactivities,ratherthanaspurposefullydesignedinputsor

specifiedoutcomesofCiC’swork.Attheoutsetofactivity,newteachersaretrainedforthreedaysonthe

programmestructure,positivedisciplineapproaches,andchildprotection/rightsmeasures.Attheconclusion,

they sign a child protection policy specifying their commitment to not using punitive discipline approaches

intheclassroom,andtoworkcloselywiththeTeamLeaderonanymoreseriouschildprotectionissues

whichmightrequireconsultationwiththefamilyorreferral.Followingthis,teachersdescribedtheongoing

trainingtheyreceiveasconsistingof:(1)regularmonitoringvisitsfromtheEducationProgrammeManager

intotheirclassroomsandcentrestogivefeedback;(2)monthlyCBECteammeetingsrunbytheEducation

ProgrammeManager;and(3)regularconversationstheyhavewiththeotherteachersattheircentreregarding

challengeswithstudentsortheteachingofparticularsubjects/lessons.Nospecificordedicatedtimeisbuilt

intotheprogrammeforstructuredtrainingaftertheinitialthreedays,andverylittlefocusofthetrainingis

onAEspecificpedagogicalapproachesortechniques.Asaresult,itwouldappearthatteachersdonothave

abroadenedpedagogicalpalettefromwhichtodeviatefromthestandardtext,anddonotnecessarilyfeel

empoweredorabletodoso.

Theboxbelowprovidesasummaryoftheprogrammes’strengthsandweaknessesintheareasofteacher

managementandprofessionaldevelopment.

Figure 6: AphotoofAEteachersandcurrentbeneficiariesatCBECRishikor,aswellaspastbeneficiariesfrom

CBECTani-Kot


Programme management

Principle 7:

AE centre is effectively managed.

Principle 9:

Community is engaged and accountable.

Principle 10: Goals, monitoring and funding are aligned.

ThestructureoftheCBEC’sisfocussedonensuringthatasmanystudentsaspossiblearesupportedand

enabledtocompletetheAEPandtransitionintotheformaleducationsystem.Acriticalcomponentofthisis

activehomeandcommunityengagementintheworkoftheCBEC.TheroleoftheTeamLeader,whoistypically

atrainedsocialworker,ratherthanateacher,isvitalinthisregards.

Asalreadydescribed,attheoutsetofstartinganewCBEC,theTeamLeaderleadsaneedsassessmentprocess

withthecentre’steacherstoidentify:(1)thenumberofhouseholdswherechildrenareoutofschool,orhave

notcompletedprimaryeducation;(2)wherewomenareilliterateand/orunskilled;and(3)thegeneralhealth

statusofeachmemberofthefamily.Thisisdonebygoingdoortodoorintheneighbourhoodimmediately

aroundtheintendedlocation(approximately10-20minuteswalkingradius),andisimportantinnotonly

identifyingneed,butalsobrokeringrelationshipsbetweenindividualfamiliesandthestaffoftheAEP.

AlongwiththeEducationProgrammeManager,theTeamLeaderofeachCBECalsoplaysakeyroleinengaging

withcommunityleadershipandlocalauthorities.Attheoutsetandonanongoingbasis,theseindividuals

meetwithlocalpolice,civicauthorities,WakilsandMullahs16toensurethattheyareawareofCiC’splanned

activitiesinthecommunityandtoensuretheyhavetheirsupport.Onamonthlybasis,TeamLeadersatthe

16 Wakils are community leaders and Mullahs are religious leaders

Figure 7: Summaryoffindingsforteacherdomain

Strengths

• TeachertrainingwithinCiCstressesprotection

and inclusion practices

• Teachers have opportunities for regular support

and coaching to improve their practice

• Allteachershighly-qualifiedandexperienced

• Teacherpaymentsarecommensuratewith

thedemandsofthejob,andtheparticular

constraints facing female teachers

• Teachershaveaclearcodeofconduct/setof

practicestheyfollow


• NoevidenceofstructuredtraininginAEP

methodology,ortofurtherbuildsubject

knowledge

• Lackofalignmenttonationalteaching

standards/practices(potentiallybecausethey

donotexist)

• NocertificationprocessfortheCPDwhich

teachers receive

• Training,particularlyingender-responsive

approaches,aswellasinadaptingcurriculum

demandstolearnersneedsmaybeneeded.

Key findings: Teachers


CBECswillberespondingtotheneedsofindividualchildrenandwomen,whoarebeingstoppedfromcoming,

toconvincefamilies(malerelativesespecially)tochangetheirmindandlettheirchildren/girls/womenattend.

The2014evaluationnotesthat,“Team Leaders of the CBECs spend at least half their working week at household/community level, undertaking family visits, advocating on behalf of women and children, explaining the project to family members, negotiating with the Wakils (community leaders) and Mullahs (religious leaders).”Thisis“an approach worth highlighting, as it is undoubtedly a contributing factor to success,”inrespecttobeingabletokeepgirls,inparticular,participatinginprogrammeactivities.

Attheoutset,communityengagementisoftenchallengingandtheEducationProgrammeManager

acknowledgedthatifoftentookseveralmeetingswiththesegroupstoearntheirtrust.Whatwasclear,

however,afteroneyearofengagement,isthatCiChadbuiltahighleveloftrustwithcommunityleaders,and

thoseinterviewedwereextremelypositiveabouttheCBEC’spresenceintheircommunity.Onecommunity

leaderrecalledhow,“Our community has a lot of children who have not gone to school, and a lot of women who do not have sufficient knowledge and skills to help their families survive. For years, the government has done nothing to address this, but then the CBEC started and things have changed.”

Insum,locatingtheAEPwithinabroaderframeofCBEactivitiesthatincludestailoringandliteracyclasses

formothers,awarenesssessionsforparentsonhealthandchildrights,andcoachingclassesforother

neighbourhoodchildren,providesongoingandregularopportunitiesforCiCstafftoengagewithparentsand

othercommunitymembers.ItalsoengendersasensethattheCBE(andtheAEP)arepartofthecommunity,

ratherthandistinctfromit.IntegratingadditionalactivitiesalongsidetheAEclassesalsostrengthensthe

supportnetworkswhichchildrenhaveoutsidetheCBEC,andaddressessomeofthekeyfactorswhichmay

pushchildrenoutofschool(i.e.economichardship,poorhealth,lackofparentsupport).

Asanexample,inWazirAbad,oneoftheinformalsettlements,themudpathsbecomeextremelyhardto

navigate.Thecommunityelderstriedformanyyears,withoutsuccess,tobringtheissuetotheattentionof

thelocalauthoritiesandtherelevantagencies.CiC’sEducationManagerwasabletoorganiseameetingwith

officialsofUN-HABITATandgivethecommunityachancetodiscusstheirneedforimprovementstolocal

infrastructure.UN-HABITAThasnowtakenthemattertothelocalmunicipalityinhopesthattheroadswillbe

fixedinthenearfuture.Inanothercommunity,CiChasmanagedtolinkcommunityleadershiptotheMinistry

ofHealthtoadvocateforamaternityclinicincloserproximity.AftermeetingwiththeMinistry,aseriesof

mobilematernalclinicscommencedforthecommunity.

CiC’sengagementwithcommunityreflectstheideathataccountabilityisatwo-wayflow–ofcommunity

involvementandengagementwithCiC’sactivities,includingAEP;andCBEC’sconcernandactionon

communityaffairs.Thatstated,thecommunity’sengagementintheCBECismainlyintermsofparticipation

(eitherthemselves,theirchildren,orboth)inprogrammeactivities,ratherthaninamanagementcapacity.

Whenthecommunityleaderswereaskedaboutthis,theydidnotseeitastheirresponsibilityorroletohave

oversightovertheactivitiesoftheCBEC;buttheydidseearoleininterveningandliaisingwithindividual

familiesifasked.Thiswassomethingsomeofthemhaddoneonoccasion,butonlyaftertheTeamLeaderhad

triedherself.

WhenCiCestablishesaCBECinanewlocation,itdoessowiththeintentionofexitingafterthreeyears.Some

planningisputinplacefromtheoutsettoensuresomepotentialforsustainabilityofactivitiesafteritdeparts.

Everyyear,CiCtrainsalocal“peereducator”ineachofitscentresusingastructuredtrainingprogramme.The

aimistogivethemtheskillstheyneedtobeabletoeitherenrolonateacher-trainingprogrammeattheendof

aproject,ortocontinuerunninglessons(inliteracy,tailoring,etc.)withintheircommunities.Mullahs,Wakils

andcommunitymembersareencouragedtohelpidentifyspacesinthecommunitywherelessonscouldbe

heldfortheseaftertheCBECclosesdown.Itisimportanttonotethatthesepeereducatorsarenottrainedor

expectedtocontinuetheAEP,giventherequirementsinplacefromtheAfghangovernmentonqualificationof

teachersandcertificationoflearning.


AchallengeforCiC,asasmallINGOwhichreliesalmostexclusivelyonprivatedonationsandcharitabletrust

fundingforitsCBEC’s,ispredictabilityandscaleofresourcing.17CiCiscarefultonotopenaCBECinanew

communityuntilithassufficientfunds(eithercommittedbyfundersorthroughitsownunrestrictedfunds)in

placetosupportthefullthreeyearsofoperation.Initially,CiC’sintentionwastohavesixCBEC’sinoperationin

thecurrentperiod,accordingtoaconceptnote.Todate,onlythreehaveopenedduetojustlessthanhalfofthe

expectedfundingof$1.3MillionUSDbeingavailable.

Systemsofstudentrecordkeepingarestrong,andalignedwiththerequirementsputforthbytheMoU

betweenCiCandtheMinistryofEducation.ThisMoUspecifiesthatCiCmust:(1)appropriatelydocument

aprocessfortheregistrationofstudentsintheAEPbasedonaclearassessmentprocess,justifyingtheyear

leveltheyhavebeenplacedintoand2)organisedocumentationonstudentattendanceandexamperformance,

inlinewithMinistryexpectations,andhaveitcheckedandverifiedbyrelevantMinistryofficialsonregular

occasions.GiventhatstrongrecordkeepingisperhapsthemostsignificantconcernofMinistryofficialswhen

theyvisittheCBECs,theTeamLeaderandEducationProgrammeManagerspendsignificanttimeensuring

recordsarekeptinorder,andareupdatedregularly.Almostallrecordkeepingisdonebypaperbutlater,the

M&EofficerandProgrammeManagercollatesomeofthisinelectronicformtoidentifybroadertrendsin

studentdropout,attendance,examperformanceandcompletion.Muchofthisbroadermonitoringfunctionis

donebytheinternationalprogrammeteams,ratherthantheinternalprogrammestaff,andisthehigher-level

qualityassurancewhichisnecessaryforformativelearningandimprovement.

GiventhesmallsizeofCiCasanorganisation,theon-siteprojectteamoftheAEP(comprisedoftheteam

leadersandteachers)isoverseenbyarelativelyleanmanagementstructurewheredirectoversightofthe

CBEC’sistheresponsibilityoftheEducationProgrammeManager,whoseworkisthensupported/overseen

bytheProgrammeManager(internationalstaffmemberwithapproximately50%oftimeincountry)andthe

CountryDirector.TheEducationProgrammeManagerhasthegreatestresponsibilitiesforqualityassurance,

ongoingmonitoringofAEPactivity/teachers’pedagogyandrecordkeeping,andmanagingcommunityrelations

withtheTeamLeader.TheCountryDirectorhelpstosupportthiswork,asneeded,andliaiseswiththosein

relevantMinistriesandparticulardonors,alongwiththeProgrammeManager.

17 Accordingtoonedocument,CiC’sfundingrangesfromgrantsassmallas$755andaslargeas$240,000USD.Thisfundingalsorangesintermsofwhetheritisaone-offgrant,oranongoingcommitment.

Strengths

• LocationofAEPwithinCBECleadstosignificantsynergieswhenitcomestocommunityengagement,andsupportforlearners

• Strongstudentrecordkeepingandmonitoringofprogresssystemsinplace(relatedtoattendance,performance,drop-out,andpostprogrammeoutcomes)

• Programme activities in community only commenceafterextensiveneedsanalysis

• Programme goals are clearly focussed on improving access to schooling for out of school children,andprovidingthemwithaqualification

• ClearexitandstrategyinplaceforCBEC


• ExitstrategydoesnotcontinueAEprovisionincommunities served

• While data provided to Ministry of Education byCiConitsAElearners,itiscurrentlynoteffectivelyintegratedintoEMISorplanningstructures

• Community not involved in management activitiesofCBEC,ratherserveasupportive/advisoryrole–externallyled

Key findings: Programme management

Figure 8: Summaryoffindingsforprogramme

management domain


Alignment to government education system or humanitarian architecture

Ashasalreadybeendiscussedinprevioussections,CiC’sprogrammeisstronglyalignedtocurrentgovernment

policiesandexpectationsaroundCBEandAEasspecifiedintheCBEpolicy.ThisisformalisedthroughanMoU

(orProtocol)whichspecifiestherolesandresponsibilitiesofbothCiCandtheMinistryforfacilitatingchildren’s

accesstotheAEP,recognitionoflearning,andtransitiontotheformalschoolingsystem.Inadditiontothe

responsibilitieswhichCiChastotheMinistryasspecifiedintheprevioussection(inregardstorecordkeeping),

theyalsomustensure:

1 TheyusethecurriculumandapprovedtextbooksoftheMinistryofEducationforGrades1-6;

2 CompletealignmentwithrulesandregulationsoftheMinistryofEducation;

CiCdoesadministeritsownexamattheendofGrade6,butthiscanbecheckedbytheMinistryforquality.18 In

return,theMinistryagreesthatonverificationoftheresultsofexaminationstheywillthenfacilitatetransfer

ofthesestudentsintotherelevantnextgradelevelintheformalschoolingsystem,iftheydropoutinthe

middle;orintotheneareststateschoolatGrade7,forthosewhocompletethefullcycle.TheclearMoUin

placebetweenCiCandtheMinistryensuresthatalmostallstudentswhodocompletethefullcycledoinfact

havetheabilitytoenterintotheneareststateschoolinGrade7.Italsoensuresthatstudents’learninginthe

AEPisformallyrecognisedasequivalentbytheMinistry.Itdoes,however,meanthatCiCisobligedtofollow

theAfghanistannationalcurriculumfortheformalsystem,butinacondensedform,andtousethetextbooks

foreachgradelevel.Someteachersfeltthisrequirementmeantthatthestudentswereusingmaterialsthat

werepotentiallytoojuvenileandslowinprogressionfortheactualageoftheAEPlearners.Atthesametime,

teachers and the Education Programme Manager felt they had little scope to deviate from the requirement

specifiedintheMoUanddothingsmoreappropriate,inpartbecausetheMoUstatesveryclearlythat“failure to implement the Afghanistan MoE curriculum”wasgroundsforterminationoftheagreement.

Itisimportanttonotethatchallengesaroundcoordinationwithotherdonorsaremoreaproductofsystems-

levelissues.Forexample,theEducationinEmergenciesWorkingGroupwasdormantformanyyears,and

therehasbeenalackofcoordinationamongstthehumanitariananddevelopment-focussedactorsworking

inthecountryoneducationatpresent.Partoftheissueisthatthedonorcommunityisstillunclearhowto

positionthecountry–asoneinrecoveryphase,suggestingashifttowardsgovernmentbudget-levelsupport

andalignmenttosectorpriorities,orahumanitarianone,whichwouldhavetheinternationalcommunity

fillingcriticalgapsingovernmentserviceprovision.Therealityisthattheeducationsectordoesbothatthe

moment,andAEPsinparticularremainpartofthegovernment’sapproachtoservingthosewhoseneeds

areunmetthroughitsactivitiesalone.Whileononehand,thegovernmentrecognisestheimportantrole

ofAEPasmeetingsupplysideconstraints,ithasyettoeffectivelyacknowledgehowAEPsmayneedtoa

viablealternativeandin-builtresponsetothechallengesoflowqualityeducation,culturalpractices,and

economichardshipwhichremainendemicacrossthecountry;leadingtohighdropoutrates.Atpresentthe

governmentdoesnotshowanywillingnessorcapacitytotakeoverCBECs,orAEPs,limitingdiscussionsabout

strengtheningcoordination,revisingtheAEPpolicy,orconsideringthecreationofAEPspecificresources.

Atthesametime,thelimitedpresenceofaninternationalstaffmemberwhomightserveagreaterrolein

coordinatingactivityandservinginanadvocacyrole,isapotentialimpedimenttomoreworkinthisarea.

18 InAfghanistanthereisnostandardGrade6examthatisadministeredacrossallschools.


Figure 9: Summaryoffindingsforalignmentdomain

Strengths

• Useofnationalcurriculum(andtexts)

• Studentshaveanaccreditedpathtotransition

intostatesystematendofGrade6,orat

intermediary points

• ClearprotocolandMoUbetweenCiCandMoE

for CBECs

• Alignment of programme to CBEC Policy

• Regularoversight/monitoringofprogrammeby

MoE,aroundrecordkeeping


• LackofcoordinationamongstAEproviderin

Afghanistan at present

• NomomentumforAEspecificcurriculum,texts,

examsatpresent

• Government has no current interest in taking

over AEP delivery

• DemandsideissuesjustifyingAEPpoorly

acknowledgedbyMoE

Key findings: Alignment

Utility and relevance of the principles and guidance to the programme

ThissectionexploresthecurrentfamiliarityandusebyCiCandotherAEprovidersabouttheprinciplesand

accompanyingguidance,andwaysthattheymayconsiderusingthesesupportsinfutureprogrammeefforts.

Current utilisation and relevance of the principles and guidance

Atpresent,CiChasengagedwiththeAEPrinciplestoalimitedextent.InSeptemberwhenthepilotchecklist

wasreleased,theDirectorofProgrammesagreedtocompleteanassessmentofCiC’sAEPinAfghanistan

againstthisandprovidesomefeedback.Atthattime,CiCwasalsodevelopingaproposalforanewregionally-

focussedAEPprojectwithanewdonor,andwasaimingtodetermineifusingtheprincipleswouldallowCiCto

demonstratehowitsprogrammewasreflectiveofgoodpractice.

ResultsfromCiC’scompletionofthechecklistidentifiedthattheprogrammewasstrongagainstallprinciples19

asthetablebelowsuggests.

Table 4: PerformanceofCiC’sprogrammeagainstthe10AEPrinciples

LocationPrinciple (% score achieved) Project

overall score1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

ChildreninCrisis,Afghanistan

100% 89% 83% 96% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 97%

19 ItisimportanttonotethatCiCcompletedthepilotchecklist,whichwasslightlydifferenttothechecklistthatwaslateradministeredtothebroaderrangeofAEPsglobally.Forthatreason,CiC’sdataisnotincludedinthesynthesisreport.


Onreflection,theDirectorofProgrammesfelt,however,that“the questions are quite broad they are also quite forgiving, meaning I can imagine most projects could score highly without necessarily being very good.”While

describedasa“useful process,”particularlyintermsofbenchmarkingandassessingoverallprogrammequalityagainstagreedtostandardsofpractice,itwasfeltthatalimitationofthePrinciplesisitsassumptionthat,“quite a few of the principles seem to assume a national authority or standard which I would argue is often not the case in AEP contexts.”AsexamplesofthiswithinthecurrentcontextofAfghanistan,itwasnotedthatseveralofthequestionsunderPrinciple3presumethatthereisanestablishedstateapparatusforAEPwhichprogrammes

feedinto,andforPrinciple4,thatthenationalcurriculumiscompetencybased,whereinAfghanistan,

neitheristrue.WhatbecamecleartoCiCandotherINGOswhoengagedwiththePrinciplesintheinitial

workshopandasubsequentdiscussionwhichtookplacelaterintheweek,istheideathatwhencompleting

thechecklist,“it does not tell you on its own if your programme is ‘good’ or ‘bad’…there may be clear reasons for not doing something because it works against other principles or subprinciples.”Itwasfeltthat,“…missing [from] the guidance is acknowledgement that any AE programme needs to be driven by its context and the identified needs of its beneficiaries…programme design and outcomes should always take shape from that.”Whenthiswasdiscussed

inmoredepthduringthefieldvisit,therewasasensethat“the immediate point of having these principles is an advocacy function, to gain interest/engagement from Ministry. This could then be followed by assessing AE programmes in Afghanistan against this, and then coordination to bring implementing partners into alignment with these principles.”

Significantappreciationwasvoicedfortheaccompanyingguidancethathascomeoutinsupportofthe

principles.Inparticular,thefactthisguidancegivesprominencetotheimportanceofinclusivityoflearners,

andconsideringhowallaspectsoftheprogrammeshouldbedesignedaroundthiskeyidea,wasseenas

critical,particularlytoaddressdemand-sideconstraintsfacingeducationservicedelivery.Asanexample,

theadvisorfromACTEDfeltthatconsiderationofgenderintheteacherworkforceofAEprogrammes,and

acknowledgementofthedifficultiesoffindingsufficientnumbersoffemaleteachers,aswellaspotential

solutionstothisissue,was“critically important to programmes in the Afghanistan context who struggle with this.”Anotherstrengthnotedintheguidance,istheprominenceitgivestocommunityengagementwhichagain,in

theAfghancontext,isseenasessentialifprogrammesaretoachievethekeyAEoutcomesofcompletionand

certificationofanequivalentbasiceducationqualificationformoststudents.

OnekeylimitationnotedinboththeprinciplesandtheGuide,isthatitdoesnotdifferentiatebetweenlarge

andsmallAEprogrammesandwhatscaleorscopeofinfluencetheymighthaveinthenationallandscape.This

isparticularlytrueforaprogrammelikeCiC,whichworkswithasmallgroupoflearnersonanannualbasis.The

DirectorofProgrammesfelt“For a small to medium term organisation who are targeting a specific group, some of these principles may be unrealistic/unfeasible because the ability to shape/influence larger processes is limited, yet is implied (particularly in Principles 2, 3, 6) that this should be occurring.”

Finally,therewasaconcernraisedthatthereisnodifferentiationwithintheGuide,aswritten,between

thevariousaudiencesitissupposedlyaimedat–donors,governments,implementingorganisations.Itis

specifiedonpg.8that,“This guide is for those who finance, plan, design, manage and evaluate AEPs, including NGOs, community-based organisations (CBOs), government education authorities, and other education actors. The guide should be useful to programme managers, education advisers, policy makers, and anyone seeking to improve inclusive, quality education in contexts affected by crisis and conflict.”Yet,itwasfeltthattheGuidemaynotbeabletoserveallaudiencesandpurposes,andmayneedtobedifferentiatedtotheroleandfunctionofdifferentactors

withinAEprovision.Itwasbelieved,forexample,thatlargedonorsofAEprovisionhadanimportantroleto

playinshapingandinformingthepolicycontext,andcreatingconditionsunderwhichPrinciple10(particularly

tofunding)couldbebestachieved.Programmeimplementers,ontheotherhandmaybemorefocussedon

improvingaspectsofthelearner,teacher,orcommunityengagementsideofthings.Forthatreason,itwas

believedthatseparateguidancedocuments,gearedtospecificroledivisionwithinAEprovision,mightbea

moreusefulaccompanyingtooltothePrinciples.


Potential or future utilisation of the principles and guidance

AkeychallengeforCiC,andotherAEPsinAfghanistanatpresent,isthatthepolicyenvironmentand

governmentstructuresrelatedtoAEPshinder,ratherthanenabletheirabilitytoeffectivelymeetallprinciples.

Specifically,foranyAEPtooperateinAfghanistan,anMoUmustbeinplaceandregularlyreviewedbetween

theproviderandtheMinistry.TheMoU,inturn,isshapedbythe2012CBECpolicyinwhichAEPsare

positionednarrowlyandprescriptively.Thisnarrowsproviders’scopetodesignprogrammestoconsider

maximumflexibilitytolearnerneeds,theabilitytodeviategreatlyfromthenationalcurriculumwhichis

contentheavyandnotfocussedoncompetencies,andthepotentialtoconsiderusingdifferenttypesof

educatorsinparticularrolesforinstruction.Programmesendupbeingalignedtogovernmentpolicywhich

resultsinmanyAEprogrammesbeingcondensedandtime-acceleratedversionsoftheprimaryeducation

system,butwithoutbeingabletofullyembracethekeyprinciplesrelatedtolearners(1,4,8).

Inthisway,theGuideisseenasacriticalaspectofadvocacyininforming,andpotentiallyreshapingAEpolicyin

thecountry.AswasdescribedbyoneindividualfromanotherINGO,“the guide makes it very clear that accelerated education is more than doing things faster…now we just need to get the government to engage with this idea.”

Asaresultofthisresearch,momentumandenthusiasmwasbuiltbetweenCiCandafewotherAEproviders

tobegintodiscusstheirapproachestoAEprovision,andleadaprocessofbottomupengagementwiththe

Ministry,potentiallythroughtheEducationinEmergenciesworkinggroup.Theaimwouldbetoideallybegin

toadvocateforapolicyenvironmentthatisbetteralignedwiththeprinciplesandexamplesofgoodpractice

reflectedintheguidance.Itwillbecritical,however,thattheseeffortsaresupportedfromthetopdown

throughkeydonorssuchastheWorldBankandUSAID,aswellastheAEWG,supportingeffortstogivegreater

attentiontoaligningthegovernment’scurrentAEpolicywiththeparametersoftheprinciplesandguidance.

ForACTEDandNRCwhoarebothintheprocessofdesigningnewAEprogrammesinotherpartsof

Afghanistan,itwasfeltthatthePrinciplesandGuidecouldpotentiallybeusefulinshapingtheirdesigns.

Specifically,itwasbelievedthatitservedasausefulsetofconsiderations–particularlyaroundconceptsof

inclusivity,flexibility,alignment,andcommunityengagement–thatcouldthenbecontextualisedtotheir

beneficiariesandlocationoffuturework.Atthesametime,theyfeltthiswasunlikelytohappen,“unless there was a clear compulsion from either a donor or the government to do so.”Onerecommendationfromtherepresentativesfromthesetwoorganisationswasthattheguidanceshouldincludeinitaflowchartat

thestart,fordesignerstounderstandifanAEprogrammeistheright‘solution’totheirprogramme.20

Accompanyingthiscouldbeasetofquestionstoorientdesignteamsthroughtheflowchart.Itwasnoted,for

example,thatwitholderoutofschoollearnersinAfghanistan(i.e.thoseenteringintoanon-formaleducation

programmeafter14or15)afullcycleofprimaryschoolmaynotbetenableorwarrantsufficientdemand

relativetootherneedssuchaslivelihoodopportunitiesorlifeskills.

20 SuchaflowcharthasalreadybeencreatedbytheAEWGin2016(includedintheNORCreport,p77),andcouldeasilybeincorporatedintotheguidancedocuments.


Other feedback and recommendations regarding the principles and guidance

Thefollowingareasetofotherfeedbackandrecommendationsthatemergedfromthefieldwork:

• FromthosewhoreviewedthePrinciples,andtheGuidethatwentalongsideit,therewasasensethatthe

principleswereaspirationalforAEPs.Whileseenaslaudable,therewasalsoasenseofconcernthatwhen

readalongsidethesubprincipleswhichofferasignificantlevelofspecificity,andparticularlywhenused

alongsidethePrinciplesChecklist,theymaybeinterpretedasstandards.

• Theguidancedocument,itwasfelt,wasalsoshortondetailsonhowprogrammescouldshifttheir

approachestoworktowardstheseprinciplesiftheywerenotatthatpointyet.Whileofferingexamples

of“goodpractice”,whatismissingissufficientnarrationoftheprocessofchangewhichprogrammeswent

throughtoachievethesepractices.

• TherealityofAfghanistanissuchthatthelikelihoodofmanystudentscompletingthenextlevelofschooling

isquitelow.AsCiC’sowndatashows18monthsafterre-entryintotheformalschoolingsystem,less

than2/3ofthestudentsremainedinit.ItwasfeltthatmuchoftheGuidewasfocussedonthesolegoalof

gettingstudentsbackintoformaleducation,andnottotheotherstatedaimsofvocationaleducationor

employment.CasestudyboxeswhichillustratehowAEPshavebeendesignedtodirectstudentsintothese

trajectories,itwasnoted,couldbeuseful.

• Relatedtotheabove,theGuideandPrinciplesneedtomaintainthemessagethathavingbasiccompetencies

hasintrinsicandlifeskillsvaluesaswell(withreferencemadetotheDelorsReport).Itshouldnotbe

assumedtheprimaryeducationaloneisnotsufficientforsomelearners.

• ItwasfeltthatsomeoftheguidancespecifiedforparticularPrinciplesdidnotmakeitsufficientlyclearwho

wasresponsibleforensuringtheseactivitieshappened.Forexample,withintheguidanceonPrinciple3,it

discusseselementsofagoodsectorassessment.Itwasfeltthatthiswasnotsomethingthatwouldnormally

bedonebyanindividualINGOorimplementingactorofanAEP,butisaconsiderationthatwouldmost

neededtobetakenaccountatthedonorandMinisteriallevelwhendevelopingeducationsectorplansand

priorities.

Links to programme outcomes

Description of the current programme outcomes

Theprogrammeregularlycollectsstudentdata–atthetimeofstudentenrolment,attendanceonadaily

basis,studentperformanceonbothmidtermandfinalexams,drop-outrates(andreasonsforthis),andpost-

programmeoutcomes.Someofthesedataarepresentedbelow.

Analysisofthe2012-2015cohortidentifiesthatofthe477studentsthatwerepartoftheAEP,302ofthem

(63%)completedtheprogrammeandearnedaprimaryqualification.AllstudentswhomadeittoGrade6

passedtheexam,thustherewasnodifferencebetweencompletingtheprogramme,andearningaqualification.

Theremaining37%ofthestudentsdroppedoutoftheAEPforvariousreasons,themainonesamongstthem

beingrelocatingtoanotherpartofKabulorthecountry,orthatthestudentsnolongerhadsupportoftheir

familiestoattendthecentre.Oftheoriginal335studentswhostartedintheAEPinYear1,however,only40%

ofthemcompletedthefullcycleofprimaryandearnedaGrade6qualificationthroughCiC’sprogramme.As

wasnotedinthe2015midtermevaluation(p.13),“retention was one of the biggest challenges of the programme transitioning from a one year model to the current three-year model.”


Inthecurrentprogrammecycle,aftersixmonths,approximately10%oftheoriginalgroupofenrolledlearners

hadleft.Again,themainreasonsforchildrentoleavethecentrehadtodealwiththefamilymovingoutofthe

area,orculturalrestrictionswhichprecludedcontinuingenrolment.

CiChasalsoaimedtofollowuponthelearnerswhodidcompletethefullprogrammein2015andidentify

whethertheyhavecontinuedtheirstudies.SixmonthsafterenrollinginGrade7,only12%oftheformerAEP

studentshaddroppedout.After18months,thistripled,with36%ofthestudentsdroppingout.Reasonsfor

dropoutwerenotspecifiedinthedatacollection,buttheformerbeneficiariesdescribedhowthecommon

reasonswererelatedtoboysneedingtowork,andgirlsbeingmarriedornothavingthesupportoftheir

familiestocontinue.Additionally,manyfeltthatthelearningenvironmentinthestateschoolwasnotas

supportiveasithadbeenintheAEP,thoughtheydidnotethattheywerenolongertheones“picked on by teachers, because they were the good students,”asoneformerAEbeneficiarydescribed.

Onesuccessisthat99%ofthosecompletingthefullcycledoinfactearnaGrade6certificate.CiCdevelops

itsownexaminationforGrade6andallintermediatelevels,ratherthanhavingtocomplywithanationally

administeredexamthatmayservetootherwise“filter”studentsout.WithinCiC’sprogramme,student

progressiscloselymonitoredatallpoints,andseveraltimesduringthefieldvisititwasmadeclearthat“failure

isnotanoptionforthesestudents.”Inpartthisisapragmaticissue,asCiCdoesnothavetheabilitytoplacea

studentwhofailsintoanothercohortgroup(giventhereisonlyone),butitisalsoaproductofCiCembedding

itsAEPwithintheconfinesoftheCBECwhichallowsittodirectstrugglingstudentstoadditionalsupportinthe

formofthetutoringclassesorextrasupportintheotherhalfoftheday.Extrateachersupportisalsoavailable,

intheformofapeereducator,ortheotherAEPteacher,whocanworkwithgroupsofstudentsasneeded.

Links to principles

Asalreadydiscussed,theprogrammescoredhighlyagainstalltheprinciplesonthechecklist.Itishardto

assess,intheabsenceofacounterfactual,whethertheoutcomedatanotedabove,couldbeconsidereda

successorfailureinlightofthecontext.WhatisclearisthatforthepopulationwhichCiCisworkingwith,

issuesofmobilityandthetransitioningoflearnersfromchildrentoadolescentsarebigfactorsbehindthedrop-

outrateswithinandafterprogrammecompletion. Going by the results of the checklist alone suggests high

scores against the principles. When compared to the high cumulative dropout rate, this appears to counter

the hypothesis that programmes that perform well have better outcomes.

Yet,ifexploredwithabitmorenuance,itcouldbeargued,thatthesuccessofCiC’sprogramme,particularlyin

regardsto99%ofitslearnerswhomakeittotheendoftheprogrammeattainingarecognisedqualification,is

aproductofitsrelativelystrongalignmenttoPrinciple2.Andsimilarly,thefactthatCiCisabletosuccessfully

recruitandidentifystudentswithoutmeaningfulaccesstoeducation,hasclearlinkstoitsstrengthof

communityengagement(Principle9).Whatthissuggestsisthatwhiletheprinciplesinaggregatemaynot

ontheirownindicatethedegreetowhichaprogrammeachievesthekeyAEoutcomes,particularstrengths/

weaknesseswithintheprinciplesmayhavelinkstoparticularoutcomeareas.


What can be learned from this case?

Thereareseveralkeymessagesthatcanbelearnedfromthiscaseintermsoftheutility,relevanceand

applicationoftheAEPrinciples,GuideandChecklistforotherAEprogrammesglobally:

1 ThePrinciplesmaypresupposeparticularconditionswhicharenotuniversallyapplicable(functioning

stateapparatus,supportivepolicyenvironment,coordinatingbodiesinoperation).Thisneedstobebetter

acknowledgedinthePrinciplesthemselvesorintheGuidethataccompaniesit.

2 Thereisaclearchallengeofretaininglearnersforentirethree-yearcourseofanAEP,particularlyinurban

semi-peripheryenvironmentswhereIDPsarethetargetpopulation.Atpresent,theredoesnotappearto

beenoughintheGuideonhowtosupportretentioninenvironmentswherealargenumberofstudentsor

theirfamiliesmightmovebeforetheendofthefullcycle.

3 Thedepthandstrengthofcommunityengagement,whichisstronglylinkedtothepositioningoftheAEP

withinacommunity-basededucationmodel,isoneofgoodpracticeandcouldbehighlightedinsomeway

withintheGuide.

4 TherearecleartensionswithinandbetweenthePrinciples,asevidencedinAfghanistan.Thesetensions

needtobeacknowledged,anditshouldbemadeclearthatitmaynotbepossibletofocusonallPrinciples

atonce.

5 LinkingAEprogrammeoutcomestoall10Principlesincombinationmaynotbepossible,butlinkingthem

tospecificPrinciplesmoretenableandreasonabletodo.

6 ThereisacriticalneedfortheAEWGtoengagewithandsupportadvocacyeffortsonAEwith

governmentsanddonorsgloballyusingthe10Principles,Guideandbodyofevidencewhichsitsbehindit.

IndividualAEPsontheirownmayhavelittleagencytochangetheinstitutionalenvironmenttheyoperate

inandfeelquiteconstrainedbythisattimes.


Case Study Report Children in Crisis Afghanistan

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