Development of Malawi National Girls’ Education Strategy

Duration: 30 working days

Reporting to: Ministry of Education, Science and Technology - planning department

Background

Malawi ratified the United Nations Charter on the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the global Education for All (EFA) commitment and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). EFA goals 2 and 5 demand that by 2015 countries should have their children, particularly girls and those belonging to ethnic minorities, access and complete free and compulsory primary education of good quality with no gender disparities at both primary and secondary levels. The MDGs 2 and 3 also echo the same issues of Universal Primary Education (UPE) and elimination of gender disparity in education. Malawi’s macro and micro socio-economic policy plans like the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS), Policy and Investment Framework (PIF), National Education Sector Plan (NESP), Education Sector Implementation Plan (ESIP) and District Education Implementation Plans recognise the vital role of equitable provision of basic education to development.

Since independence in 1964, Malawi has used various strategies to promote gender parity in primary education which culminated in the introduction of the Free Primary Education (FPE) policy in 1994. Within the framework of the FPE policy, Government, Development Partners (DPs), Non-Governmental Organisation (NGOs), the private sector and community members have used various innovations to promote equitable access to and achievement in basic education including national campaigns like the Girls’ Attainment in Basic and Literacy Education (GABLE), Girls Scholarships, Mother Group/Bright Future Committees’ (BFC) support, and Child Friendly Schools (CFS) concepts. Irrespective of the efforts made, statistics show that though there has been steady progress on improving gender parity in enrolment at primary and secondary school levels, the pace at which gains are being made is slower than expected and the situation is still not encouraging in senior primary and on transition to secondary school.

Over half of Malawi’s 13 million population are children under the age of 18. Malawi’s population is largely rural based with only 15.2 precent residing in the urban areas. Malawi is categorized as one of the developing countries in the world. The national poverty rate is 50.7 per cent indicating that almost half of the population is poor It is further noted that about 49 per cent of the people in male-headed households are poor compared to 57 per cent of people in female-headed households are poor (Integrated Household Survey 2011-2012). Within the context of such a youthful, predominantly rural and poor population, realising Universal Primary Education (UPE) by 2018 will require primary school places for 4.8 million children (Population Census, 2008; Malawi Country Status Report, 2010).

In 2011 EMIS data shows a primary school Net Enrolment Rate (NER) of 97 percent for males and 101 percent for females . However, the Welfare Monitoring Survey (2009) showed that the net primary school enrolment rate for Malawi was 83 percent, and was slightly higher for females than males 84 percent and 82 percent respectively. In 2010 a gender parity of 1.04 was reported in lower classes. However, gender disparities continue to persist in upper primary school with a 2011 Survival Rate to Standard 8 of 53.8 percent for males and 47.2 for females. Less than 25% of girls’ transit to post primary education (Education Management Information Service-EMIS: 2011). The 2011 Welfare Monitoring survey showed that 20 per cent of Malawians aged 15 years and above had never attended school. More females than males never attended school, 23 per cent and 16 per cent respectively. Results further show that the proportion of those who never attended school increased with age, and was higher among females than males in all age groups .

In primary school, gender disparities are often noted from standard six and this is the age most girls reach adolescence. Various issues affect girls at this stage, ranging from inadequate and inappropriate sanitary facilities at the school for menstrual hygiene management to cultural and traditional practices which force girls into early marriage. In 2011, a total of 179 265pupils dropped out of primary school, of these 93, 493 were girls (Education Statistics, 2011) The high female dropout rate has contributed to lower numbers of girls completing the eight-year primary education cycle and transiting to secondary school.

Various research done in Malawi indicates that there are several factors precipitating high levels of girls’ dropout from the basic education system, one of which is lower academic performance compared to that of boys. Studies like the Southern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Education Quality (SACMEQ:1996-2007), Monitoring Learning Achievement (MLA:2000), Early Grade Reading Assessment and Early Grade Mathematics Assessment (EGRA and EGMA-2011) and Literacy Boost annual assessments (2009-2012) show persistently low academic achievement by the learners in key basic skills in literacy and numeracy with girls being worse off than boys. For instance, 2007 SACMEQ results show that only 22% of girls in Malawi managed to reach reading competency levels, as compared to 31.3% boys. This in itself is a discouragement to girls as they tend to feel that they are not as competent as boys.

A 2010 Girls Education Mapping study supported by UNICEF in 12 districts , established a number of factors which influence access and retention of girls in schools at various levels including the following: 1. At household and interpersonal levels, educational level of parents matters. Some parents believe that an improved livelihood is not associated with education. Other households involve girls in more household chores than boys. Poverty at household level makes the direct costs of schooling too expensive for many families. Poor families may either fail to enrol their children into schools or may enrol them late and may even withdraw them prematurely from primary schools. Poor households also often push their daughters into early marriages. 2. At community level traditional and cultural beliefs like initiation rites push girls into early marriages, thereby dropping from school. In most communities, girls education is not valued as important compared to that of boys. This is because if is often assumed that girls tend to get married and do not provide support to their families. 3. At school level – various factors affect girls’ education at school level. For instance, girls of adolescent age usually miss some school days when they are having menses due to unavailability of sanitary facilities that offer privacy. In some cases, late enrolment makes girls to feel uncomfortable to stay in the same class with younger children. In addition, shortage of female teachers especially in rural areas, deprive girls of role models to be emulated. As a result, most girls dropout of school at an early age. In other cases, girls are harassed by men (including their peers and teachers) on their way to and from school. Lack of knowledge on reporting structures for this type of abuse often means perpetrators are not brought to book. Lastly, food insecurity and malnutrition forces children to come to school hungry and malnourished and as such do not concentrate hence losing interest.

1. Policy level – there is the re-admission policy that seeks to promote re-enrolment of girls who fall pregnant while in school. Although the policy has been in operation since 1993, follow up on its implantation is a challenge particularly in primary schools.

Justification for the consultancy

The development and use of a comprehensive strategy for girls’ education is expected to enhance the pace at which Malawi may achieve MDG GOAL 2 on Universal Primary Education, whose target is to ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling; and MDG GOAL 3 on Promoting Gender Equality and women empowerment whose target is to eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education, preferably by 2005, and in all levels of education, no later than 2015.

Such a strategy will help improve participation and achievement of girls who are a majority in the population thereby ensuring the availability of skilled labour force and the equitable representation of women in various leadership positions. More educated women will create a virtuous cycle in that education of children at household level will create mothers capable of effective parenting, who are able to space their births but who are also able to provide (materially and financially) for their children. The trend will be a boost to the prospects of achieving EFA, the MDGs and sound socio-economic development.

Purpose and Objectives of the Consultancy

The purpose of the consultancy is to facilitate the process of a consultative and participatory development of a girls’ education strategy for Malawi in line with the National Education Sector Plan that will guide practice in service provision and policy formulation and development, advocacy and lobbying.

Specific Objectives

The Consultant, in consultation with the Girls’ Education Network Taskforce set by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, will be required to 1. Mobilize and review global, regional and national literature on girls education focussing on challenges in access, performance and completion 2. Compile strategies and policies that have been developed before aimed at promoting girls education 3. Identify key strategic issues in helping girls’ universal access to primary and secondary education, desirable performance and completion of the two levels of education 4. Develop a programme and budget for 3 regional consultative workshops in Malawi targeting Division Managers, District Education Managers and key NGO partners in the education sector and facilitate the workshops 5. Develop a program for a five day girls’ education strategy development workshop 6. Facilitate the five days’ workshop on girls’ education strategy development 7. Develop a draft costed five year (2013-2017) strategic plan for girls’ education in Malawi 8. Produce the Girls’ Education Strategy report and present it to Ministry of Education Science and technology ( MoEST) management for endorsement.

Scope of work

The work to be done will include the following: a. Organise a meeting at headquarters to discuss inception report which will show understanding of the TORs with the Ministry of Education (Planning department, Basic Education, Secondary education, Higher Education, Crosscutting TWG chair, Director of Teacher Education and the Girls Education Network Taskforce (a week after engagement); b. Mobilisation and review of existing documents, strategies and policies on girls education c. Organise and facilitate consultative meetings in the North, Central an d Southern region, d. Drafting of a five year strategic plan for Girls Education, which will be aligned to the NESP and ESIP priorities, e. Development of a five-day workshop program for stakeholder input and refining of the strategic plan, facilitate the workshop and write a workshop report f. Draft the final version of the Girls’ Education Strategic Plan, discuss the plan with the Ministry of Education and the taskforce and finalise it basing on the comments given.

The Lay out of the Strategic Plan should include the following:

Background narrative which should include vision, mission and values of Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) and their implication for girls’ education, purpose of the strategy, context of girls’ education (global, regional and national) focusing on the variables used by the Girls’ Education Mapping Report, policy context, intended results for the strategy (goal and objectives: primary, secondary schools, tertiary education), strategies to be used to achieve the results, priority interventions (primary, secondary schools and tertiary education), risks and assumptions, strategic enablers, current and potential donors on girls education. The narrative should be followed by a logical framework with the following columns: Overall objective, Outcomes, Outputs and activities (including inputs – financial, material and human resources). The logical framework should also include indicators, means of verification and assumptions (external factors and Risks).

Literature to be reviewed should include but is not limited to the following: 1) The Malawi Growth and Development Strategies (MGDs) 1 and 2 2) National Education Sector Plan (NESP) and the Education Sector Implementation Plan (ESIP) 3) The Malawi Country Status Report on Education 4) Education Annual Joint Sector Review reports for the last three years (2009-2011) 5) National Gender policy 6) National Special Needs Education Policy 7) Education for All (EFA) Assessment Report for 2011 by Civil Society Coalition 8) Situation of women and children reports by UNICEF for at least the past five years 9) UNICEF study on Girls’ Education Mapping (2010) 10) Draft Guideline document on Girls Education Network 11) Ministry of Education Communication Strategy for Girls Education 2011 12) National assessment studies including SACMEQ 1 and 2, Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA), Early Grade Mathematics Assessment (EGMA)-MoEST; Reports on Literacy Boost baseline and end line assessments: 2009-2011-Save the Children, Longitudinal study on girls’ education-Centre for Social Research 13) 2011 EMIS data 14) Any special study reports on girls education by the University of Malawi Centre for Education Research and Training (CERT) 15) Special studies reports on girls’ education by Development Partners including World Bank, DFID, USAID, UNESCO, GIZ, Canadian CIDA, Save the Children, Care International-Malawi, Action Aid etc

Methodology Methodology of the consultancy should include desk research, national regional consultation workshops, workshop facilitation and Focussed Group Discussions with the Girls’ Education Network National Taskforce.

Expected Deliverables The Consultant will be expected to produce the following: 1. Submission of design document, and proposed work plan and budget which will be presented to the Ministry of Education (Planning department, Basic Education, Secondary education, Higher Education, Crosscutting TWG chair, Director of Teacher Education and the Girls Education Network Taskforce for comments (i.e. Inception Report - Within 5 days of the signing of the contract) 2. Draft the outline of the Strategic Plan for Girls Education including programme and budget for the consultation meetings 5 days after submission of the inception report 3. Regional consultation workshops and detailed report ( 3 day meetings in the regions) 4. Zero draft of Girls’ Education Strategic Plan to be used for facilitating the national stakeholder workshop (5 days after regional meetings) 5. Detailed five day workshop program which is shared with Ministry of Education and the taskforce: 5 days before the date of commencement of workshop 6. Workshop report 3 days after workshop 7. Second Draft of the Girls’ Education Strategic Plan for 2012-2017 with a costed implementation plan which will be presented at Ministry of Education Management meeting: (1 week after workshop) 8. Final draft of the Girls Education Strategy after presentation to MoEST management

Desired background and experience

Qualifications: • The consultant should have advanced degree in related field (Education or Social Sciences and should be computer literate especially in contemporary data management packages) • At least five years of professional experience in policy development in in education and any related social sciences. • Have in depth knowledge on Education field (quality; performance indicators, education management and planning)

The following competencies are also required • Have good interpersonal and communication skills, particularly writing skills • Work well in a team • Research skills • Good analytical skills

It would be desirable but not a prerequisite if the consultant has in addition, the following: • previous experience with Girls Education • familiar with education trends in the region

CONDITIONS The consultant will work from UNICEF offices and will report to Ministry of Education (Director of Planning and Director of Basic Education) and the Girls Education Network Taskforce on a regular basis. The proposal from the consultant will include all costs including fees, Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSAs), and other costs for delivering the services and products mentioned above. The budget submitted by the consultant will be in two parts: for the 3 regional workshops and the national stakeholder workshop, which will be submitted to Ministry of Education for funding. The other part will be for other costs (consultancy fees and DSA), which UNICEF will directly pay to the consultant based on the agreed schedule. The consultant should provide his/her own computer and should budget for travel related costs. All MoEST conditions for technical assistance/ consultants apply to this position.

REMUNERATION FEES AND TERMS OF PAYMENT

Payments will be made in three instalments. 30% of the total fee after submission and approval of the consultancy design, literature review program and approach and the workshop facilitation program that is of acceptable quality to the Ministry of Education; 30% per cent after submission of the regional workshop reports, and final 40% after submission of the approved final Strategic Plan that is of acceptable quality to Ministry of Education.

How to apply:

Qualified candidates are requested to submit a cover letter, CV and Personal History Form (P-11 form) (which can be downloaded from our website at http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/index_53129.html) Please indicate your daily/monthly rate to undertake the terms of reference above. Applications should be sent on or before 10 December 2012 to the following address:hrmalawi@unicef.org

NOTE: • UNICEF is committed to gender equality in its mandate and its staff. Well qualified candidates, particularly females are strongly encouraged to apply. • Only shortlisted applicants will be acknowledged. • Applications sent through the post office or hand delivered is not accepted.

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