Barriers to Primary Education
- Poverty
- Gender Discrimination
- Lack of Schools & Sanitation Facilities
- Political Unrest
Interventions to Barriers
- School Renovation and Construction
- Parental Involvement & Advocacy
- Accelerated-Learning Programmes
- Teacher Training
The Nigerien Government has made education reform and the realisation of EFA a priority. To that end, it has adopted a whole-of-government approach by charging, among others, the ministries of education, population, female promotion and child protection, justice and public health with implementing the country’s 10-year education sector development plan. However, Niger’s challenges in this respect remain.
In particular, the government has identified teacher training and capacity, disparities amongst girls and boys between regions and urban/rural settings, poor management of human resources and a lack of school infrastructure as formidable access barriers to primary education. Moreover, poverty plagues the country and its education sector. Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world; school fees, supplies, books and transportation strain the finances of parents who, on average, earn US$1 per day. To date, relative to its population size, Niger has one of the highest incidents of OOSC in sub-Saharan Africa and the world.
In an attempt to break down these barriers, EAC has partnered with Plan International to implement the Primary (School) Access through Speed Schools + (PASS+) Project. Building on the success of the Speed Schools model, which had previously borne fruit in Mali, this initiative will take the model to scale in Niger. PASS+ project activities focus on community mobilisation, transition support for Speed School graduates into formal schools, capacity development of stakeholders and improved education governance.
Projects
Primary (School) Access through Speed Schools + (PASS+) Project
Through the PASS+ project, Plan International, in partnership with The Strômme Foundation, will increase the quality and supply of formal primary education and non-formal accelerated-learning programmes (Speed Schools) by focusing on community mobilisation, capacity development of stakeholders and improved education governance.
Towards a Universal Access for Vulnerable Girls and Boys to a Quality Primary Education
In developing countries, disability tends to be linked with poverty and hinders access to education. It is estimated that 90 per cent of children with disabilities (CwDs) are not schooled. According to UNICEF reporting being identified as disabled has a significant influence on the likelihood of education exclusion in West and Central Africa.
Partners
Agence Française de Développement (co-Financing Partner)
Agence Française de Développement (AFD) is the official development assistance coordinator for France’s bilateral aid. Its aim is to contribute to more sustainable and shared economic growth, improve living conditions in the poorest regions and countries of the world, help preserve the planet and stabilise fragile or post-conflict countries.
Humanity & Inclusion
In partnership with EAC, Humanity & Inclusion, formerly known as Handicap International, aims to reach more than 28,000 out of school children (OOSC) of primary age with disabilities across ten sub-Saharan African countries.
