Across the globe, the COVID-19 pandemic has turned education systems on their heads. According to UNICEF monitoring, 186 countries are implementing national school closures and eight are implementing local closures to stem the spread of the virus, impacting about 98.5 per cent of the world’s student population.
For the Girls’ Education Challenge (GEC), there have been closures in all 17 countries in which it operates. Not only will this have immediate impact on the safety, wellbeing and learning outcomes of beneficiary girls/learners, but will also have far-reaching social and economic consequences for teachers, families and communities.
As a result, the GEC’s 41 projects have reacted swiftly and comprehensively to the changing circumstances in their locations in order to continue to support their beneficiaries. The first, fundamental step has been the implementation of a rapid process for all GEC project teams to adapt and change their activities. You can read more about this in a recent blog by GEC Team Lead, Freda Wolfenden. Guidance and webinars have been provided on ways to tackle some of the most pressing challenges. This guidance and other valuable resources can be found here.
GEC projects are engaging heavily with national and local government structures and are adding value to national Covid-19 responses by inputting on their area of expertise. Many have experience of working in emergency situations, including those who worked in areas affected by Ebola. GEC projects have high levels of safeguarding expertise, not least because of the rigorous and comprehensive GEC operating standards. They can also be relied upon to bring a gender and social inclusion lens to new priorities and activities and to advocate for the safety and wellbeing of the most marginalised.
A number of project organisations are active participants in Education in Emergencies working groups - many of which are spearheading alternative and distance learning programmes while schools are closed. They are coordinating and maintaining communication with province and national level Ministry of Health and Education focal points and feeding into Ministry of Education remote education strategies, again with particular consideration of marginalised children. Some projects are also supporting their beneficiary girls to access government programmes and using their existing partnerships with other NGOs and starting new ones to support cross-learning.
Common challenges
In the development of new approaches and activities, some common challenges have emerged across the portfolio of GEC projects.
Projects have prioritised staying in contact with girls and ensuring their wellbeing. They are worried about a lack of social and emotional support, as there is already evidence of increased levels of stress and anxiety from the girls. The potential for an increase in the burden of domestic chores and a rise in gender-based violence due to the restrictions on movement and the impact on economic activity – which is already an issue in many countries across the globe – is also very concerning. As are the prospects for re-engaging girls when schools reopen and mitigating against a greater degree of drop-out, exacerbated by all of these factors.
One of the most significant challenges has been ensuring that any new approaches, particularly the use of distance learning approaches, do not further marginalise certain girls. These could include girls in camps, rural and remote locations without power or connectivity and girls without access to necessary technology (e.g. laptops and phones). It can be challenging to combine self-study with heavy domestic burdens, particularly for girls who have added complications such as disabilities and those in households where education is not prioritised.
Supporting teachers during this period is also a focus for projects. Remote working is as new and challenging for teachers as it is for students. Ensuring they have the techniques and resources to carry out their jobs is a major concern. Maintaining salaries and morale is also crucial during this difficult period.
So, in response to these challenges and in an effort to mitigate against these risks, all projects have adapted and developed new activities. These will help the girls be physically and mentally healthy, to be financially supported during the crisis and to continue their connection to learning opportunities as smoothly as possible.
Health and wellbeing
Most projects are engaged in new, child-friendly messaging related to the health aspects of COVID-19. These messages are all developed in line with WHO and national policies and are intended to raise awareness with girls and their communities about how to stay safe and well. They include messages on physical distancing, respiratory etiquette, hand washing and mask making and usage.
Relief International in Somalia are supporting the government by broadcasting and sharing short videos on handwashing and staying safe during the pandemic. VSO and Mercy Corps in Nepal are using leafleting, WhatsApp and text messaging to spread information in line with government guidance. IRC in Pakistan are involved in a mass awareness-raising campaign in three provinces which involves radio campaigns, distribution of educational material and Robo Calls – auto-dialled phone calls that help get information to remote communities.
Projects are developing activities around safeguarding, identifying the most appropriate ways to raise awareness of issues such as violence, early marriage and pregnancy, stay in touch and allow for safe reporting. They are also devising safe contact activities aimed at keeping girls and teachers motivated, well and thinking about their social and emotional resilience. Some projects are distributing hygiene and sanitary kits, including soap, and a few are renovating appropriate sanitary facilities such as handwashing stations. In Northern Nigeria, older girls involved in Mercy Corps vocational training activities are making masks and soap and setting up basic handwashing facilities in public spaces within their communities.
A number of projects are helping with continued stipends to very marginalised girls and teachers and some are involved in nutrition schemes to ensure girls who would have been fed at school are still receiving meals. Projects in Afghanistan are continuing to support teachers at all project community schools. Link Community Development in Malawi and Cheshire Services in Uganda are providing regular meals to children in high-risk situations.
Education
In terms of education, most projects are engaged in distance learning of one form or another. Early activities included setting up networks to stay connected with learners and assessments to determine potential distance education options and access to modalities such as phones and radios. Projects are careful not to exacerbate education inequalities further. Because many beneficiaries do not have access to radio or mobiles, projects are also prioritising printing and distribution of self-guided learning materials. These include simple and flexible learning activities, learning packs and worksheets, and books or other reading material, many of which are free resources developed by distance learning institutions prior to the pandemic. In some contexts, ICT, TV, radio cell phone technology and learning hotlines are all being used.
Teacher development and support continues via remote methods, for example using low tech, mobile phone mentoring platforms. Projects are already thinking about ‘back to learning’ campaigns and catch up classes for the time when schools and classrooms reopen. For projects working with out-of-school girls this includes developing learning materials appropriate to the girls’ context and circumstances.
CAMFED is expanding its self-study modules for use by girls in Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Zambia while schools are closed. The IGATE project is reworking the way in which it supports girls to study. Facilitators are networked geographically to support learners and being given fresh guidance on how to help family members support continued home-based learning using locally available resources. In Ghana, Plan’s MGCubed team is currently training and supporting government teachers to adapt lesson plans to be suitable for broadcast distance learning. This includes lesson rehearsal and feedback, before the materials are finalised.
How are projects monitoring their work at this time?
Despite the restrictions on movement and gatherings, projects still need to monitor their work, track their activities and apply quality assurance filters. To do this, project teams are learning new skills and introducing new tools such as surveys, online focus groups and phone-based interviews with key community contacts and stakeholders. Others are maintaining contact with families through mentors, head teachers, teachers and learning centre facilitators. Safeguarding is a concern when working remotely and using web-based technology. To assist projects, the GEC Fund Management team has developed additional safeguarding guidance to mitigate the risks of harm during lockdown, including specific ways to reduce safeguarding risks when carrying out remote monitoring.
Next steps
With one eye on the future, projects are also considering what the ‘new normal’ might look like and anticipating waves of recurrence. Projects will need to consider where they can add the most value and expertise. It is likely that they will have to look at a staged process of change which recognises the need for flexibility. Adaption cycles may need to be shorter and informed by a rolling analysis the context, taking account of gender, education, conflict/volatility, connectivity, equity and safety.
Build back better
Finally, projects will look at the opportunities and lessons that can be drawn from this crisis and ensure that the new resources and modalities that have been developed and been successful are built into the systems that emerge when restrictions are lifted and groups of girls can gather in the community, as well as in schools when they reopen. There will be opportunities to build preparedness amongst educators, parents, communities and schools for potential future Covid-19 waves.