GPE

GPE Program

About Global Partnership for Education

The Global Partnership for Education (GPE), formerly known as Education for All Fast Track Initiative (EFA-FTI) was established in 2002. The Global Partnership – made up of 60 developing countries, prominent multilateral partners (UNESCO, UNICEF, and the World Bank), civil society organizations, local education groups, and the private sector provides funding to support the development and implementation of high-quality education sector plans in the world’s poorest countries. http://cms.afghanistan.af/Page/Edit/10118The Global Partnership for Education is the only multilateral partnership devoted to getting all children into school for quality education in the world’s poorest countries.

Global Partnership for Education supports partners address barriers faced by out-of-school children, helping them to build safe and accessible schools where they can learn and reach their potential. GPE’s innovative approach aims to empower developing countries so they can assess their education priorities and better invest in the future of their children. To support the development of innovative solutions and improve education results GPE develop best communication practices and share knowledge among all partners.

Global Partnership for Education (GPE) Strategy

GPE Mission

To galvanize and coordinate a global effort to deliver good quality education to all girls and boys, prioritizing the poorest and most vulnerable.

GPE Vision

Good quality education for all children, everywhere, so they fulfill their potential and contribute to their societies.

GPE Objectives

Support fragile and conflict-affected states to develop and implement their education plans.
Promoting girls high education in GPE-endorsed countries.
Increasing basic numeracy and literacy skills in primary school.
Improving teacher effectiveness by training, recruiting and retaining and supporting them to provide good quality education.
Expanding funding and support to education in GPE countries.

Sources:

Please refer to the corporate website of the Global Partnership for information to confirm the content of this web page.

Click here [https://www.globalpartnership.org/strategy]

History of the Global Partnership for Education

The Global Partnership for Education (GPE), formerly known as Education for All Fast Track Initiative (EFA-FTI) was established in 2002. The Global Partnership – made up of 59 developing countries, prominent multilateral partners (UNESCO, UNICEF, and the World Bank), civil society organizations, local education groups, and the private sector provides funding to support the development and implementation of high-quality education sector plans in the world’s poorest countries. The Global Partnership for Education is the only multilateral partnership devoted to getting all children into school for quality education in the world’s poorest countries.

Global Partnership for Education (GPE) Strategy

GPE Mission

To galvanize and coordinate a global effort to deliver good quality education to all girls and boys, prioritizing the poorest and most vulnerable.

GPE Vision

Good quality education for all children, everywhere, so they fulfill their potential and contribute to their societies.

GPE Objectives

Support fragile and conflict-affected states to develop and implement their education plans.
Promoting girls high education in GPE-endorsed countries.
Increasing basic numeracy and literacy skills in primary school.
Improving teacher effectiveness by training, recruiting and retaining and supporting them to provide good quality education.
Expanding funding and support to education in GPE countries.

Sources:

Please refer to the corporate website of the Global Partnership for information to confirm the content of this web page.

Click here: [https://www.globalpartnership.org/strategy]

Global Achievements

1- Primary school Enrolment

Since 2003 GPE partners have helped to get nearly 22 million more children in school, including 10 million girls.

2- Literacy
The literacy rates for youth between 15 and 24 years old in GPE-endorsed countries increased from 77% in 2000-03 to 81% in 2007-10. This rate has grown more rapidly in conflict-affected GPE countries, from 56 to 69%.

3- Girls’ Education
In 2011, 72% of girls in GPE countries finished primary school compared to 55% in 2002.

4- Teachers

Since 2004 GPE has contributed to training about 300,000 teachers.

5- Classrooms
Since 2004, GPE has contributed to build, rehabilitate and equip close to 53,000 classrooms.

6- Textbooks
Since 2004, the GPE Fund has been used to purchase and distribute about 50 million textbooks.

7- Primary School Completion

The primary school completion rate in GPE partner developing countries has increased from 61% in 2002 to 75% in 2011.

8- External Financing

GPE has allocated US$3.7 billion in grants to education between 2003 and 2013.

9- Gender Parity

In 2011, 20 GPE partner developing countries have achieved gender parity in enrollments, or have more girls than boys in school.

10- Domestic Financing

On average, domestic financing for education as a share of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in partner developing countries increased by 10 percent after they joined the partnership.

Afghanistan: Supporting Education in a Post-conflict Country (Success Story)

Sources:

“Please refer to the corporate website of Global Partnership for information to confirm the content of the web page”

Click here [https://www.globalpartnership.org/10-key-data-results]

GPE Program Afghanistan

The GPE Program proposal has been developed through an intensive consultative process led by the Ministry of Education (MoE) and involving a large number of stakeholders from the MoE, Ministry of Finance (MoF), development partners and civil society organizations. The Human Resource Development Board (HRDB), the equivalent of the Local Education Group (LEG) in Afghanistan, played a major role in the management and coordination of the process. The proposal was submitted to the GPE Board of Directors in September 2011, and after thorough analysis, it was approved to be funded on 15 December 2011. The program consists of an integrated package of four GPE Priorities that are mutually reinforcing, have their strategic origins in the Education Interim Plan (EIP) and offer opportunities to build on previous successful experiences.

Overall Objective:

The overall objective is to increase and sustain equitable access to education in the target districts that face the most critical challenges such as (i) the low access rates in primary education, (ii) the need to overcome traditional obstacles to enrollment through alternative approaches, (iii) the need to take action in favor of girls’ education and (iv) the need to continue to build the capacity of the MoE to deliver quality education service.

The GPE Program will adopt a convergence approach, meaning that all four of the program priorities will be implemented in the same districts for maximum impact. Strategies such as community and social mobilization; relations and links between social mobilizers and NGOs, a common policy framework to strengthen MoE capacity, will all be mutually reinforcing. The program was extended till 2017 by the GPE secretariat.

Approved Grant: USD 55.7 Million for the period of 2012- 2015, which was extended till 2017.

Programs:

The program consists of an integrated package of four GPE Priorities that are mutually reinforcing, have their strategic origins in the EIP and offer opportunities to build on previous successful experiences. These Include:

Strengthening community and social mobilization and governance systems at the local level;
Expanding and reinforce multiple pathways to education;
Increasing the number of qualified female teachers in areas with high gender disparities; and
Streamlining policy and administrative systems in the MoE.

Program Priority 1: Strengthening Community and Social Mobilization Governance Systems at the Local Level

Two Synergistic strategies will be adopted under the first GPE program priority:

1. Enhance Community and Social Mobilization

2. Strengthen School Governance to Promote Quality Education

Strategy 1: Enhance Community and Social Mobilization

The first strategy focuses on communities and leaders/elders and their attitudes to schooling and education. The objective is to strengthen community and social mobilization with a view of addressing socio-cultural and political barriers to education; developing a greater understanding of and support specifically for girls' education; increasing student enrolment and performance, particularly for girls; and ensuring social support and a protective environment in and around the schools. The intent is to empower the communities to resume ownership of schools and come to the forefront of protecting and defending their own children's schools.

This will be achieved via three key activities:

Activity 1: Broaden and strengthen the engagement of communities around schools, specifically for girls' education, via the development of training materials and guidelines for social mobilizers;

Activity 2: Engage political, traditional and religious leaders and elders to promote education, particularly girls' education, in Afghanistan;

Activity 3: Develop and implement a country-wide communication strategy, including for girls' education.

Strategy 2: Strengthen School Governance for Quality School

The second strategy addresses community involvement in school governance through the development and implementation of School Improvement Plans (SIP).

The objective is to mainstream and implement a concept of quality education at the school level that involves the physical school environment as well as effective learning, safety and protection, health, water, and sanitation, participation, quality, and management.

This will be achieved via two key activities:

Activity 1: Strengthen and train School Management Shuras (SMSs) on their roles and responsibilities and on the development of School Improvement Plans (SIP);

Activity 2: Localized engagement of small- work projects to facilitate infrastructures improvements. The costing of School Improvement Plans will also include community contributions where possible.

The budget for this component is USD 14.8 million (27% of the GPE program grant).

Priority Program 2: Expanding and Reinforcing Multiple Pathways to Education

Where a formal system of education has failed, alternative approaches to education provide the flexibility necessary to tailor solutions to local realities. Therefore, the objective of this program priority is to increase access to basic education by expanding and reinforcing multiple and alternative basic education programs. The following three approaches have already been identified:

1. Community- Based Education (CBE) and accelerated learning program (ALP)

2. Mosque Based Education

3. Reopening Closed Schools

Strategy 1: Expand Access to CBE and ALP

CBE is the only education modality in Afghanistan that has successfully provided educational services to more girls than boys; it has a proven track of being able to narrow the country's educational gender gap.CBE models also appear to have transcended the security challenges that exist in many parts of the country. The following activities will be utilized to implement this strategy;

Activity1: The use of school mapping tools to identify under-served areas where CBE and ALP classes are required and map out learning spaces where the classes can be connected;

Activity 2: Systematic links will be established with the work of social mobilizers to mobilize communities, identify students and facilitate their enrollment;

Activity3: Nominated community teachers will be provided with standardized teacher training at the district and province levels and will be paid salaries in line with MoE policy.

Strategy 2: Strengthen Mosque-based Education

At the basis of these activities is the development of much-needed engagement strategy for the utilization of mosques in support of education at the local level. For many parents, it is the only form of education known to them. The idea is to clarify and systematize the channels of work with mosques, strengthen mosques in delivering basic education and create linkages and bridges to the formal education system. Mullahs will be trained in pedagogy and subject-specific skills.

The longer-term objective is to devise and implement a strategy whereby students participating in mosque-based education are able to pass grade three competency tests to transition to the formal system and continue their schooling.

Strategy 3: Reopen Closed Schools

The aim is to reopen 300 of around 450 closed schools in Afghanistan, adding to the approximately 600 closed schools the Government has already successfully reopened in the past 5 years. In addition to ensuring that out of school children receive education; reopening of closed schools also has major symbolic importance for communities and demonstrating their determination to educate their children. This is expected to be a high impact activity because every school that reopens in insecure province becomes a benchmark for the whole country by demonstrating the ability of communities to expand access to education.

Activity1: Mobilizing political, religious and traditional leaders/elders and other influential groups via advocacy and social mobilization to reopen closed schools;

Activity 2: An “emergency” fund will be created to allow these “new” schools to operate until they become fully incorporated into the national system.

The budget for the component is USD 17.2 million (31% of the GPE program grant).

Priority Program 3: Increasing the Number of Qualified Female Teachers in Areas with High Gender Disparities

Given the strong correlation between the number of female teachers and the number of girls attending schools, and given the female teachers are scarce in the target provinces, the third GPE program priority focuses on increasing the number of female teachers in insecure, rural and remote districts. The objective of this program priority is to increase girls' enrollment in the targeted districts through an expansion in the number and quality of female teachers, with a focus on creating a pool of qualified local teachers.

The following three strategies will contribute to the overall objective:

Strategy 1: Develop Social Support Systems for Female Teachers at the Local Level

Activity 1: Development and implementation of social support strategy – based on the constitution with girls and women – to ensure that the new teachers, from both the urban centers and local communities, have a solid base for care, assistance, and encouragement;

Strategy 2: Recruit, Train and Deploy Female Teachers from Urban Centers to the Local Level

Activity 1: Experienced female teachers (grade 12 and above) from urban centers will be recruited trained and deployed to rural areas with their spouses;

Activity 2: An incentive system will be developed and institutionalized. Teachers receiving the deployment and salary bonus will sign a three-year contract with the MoE.

Strategy 3: Develop a System for Recruitment, Training, and Employment of Female Teachers at the Local Level

Activity 1: Adolescent girls and other female members of the communities will be trained and employed to teach in primary grades. Grade 12 and lower female graduates and future graduates, as well as adolescent girls having received equivalent non-formal education and CBE female teachers, will be identified through accelerated learning programs;

Activity 2: A system and scheme of technical support and incentives for locally hired female teachers will be deployed. This will take the form of continuous professional development, accreditation of coursework and integration into the MoE structure.

The budget for this component is USD 16.4 million (29% of the GPE program grant)

Priority Program 4: Streamlining policy and administrative systems in the MoE

The main objective of this program priority is to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the MoE in policy formulation, planning, and implementation processes and in the coordination of programs, with a special focus on capacity building at the sub-national level. This will be achieved through:

Strategy 1: Enhance Policy Review and Development

Activity 1: The Academic Council and Boards of Standards (ACBS) will be strengthened to become the MoE's responsible body for policy development and for the definition of procedures and sitting of standards. Its capacities in policy review and creation will include clear division of tasks, processes, training programs and monitoring;

Activity 2: Simultaneously, in view of strengthening the work on three first GPE program priorities, a package of policies, procedures, and standards related to them will be developed and disseminated. The activity will touch on the following: (i) community and social mobilization; (ii) school governance (iii) multiple pathways to education and transition from formal to non- formal schooling, and (iv) increasing the number of qualified teachers and enhancing girls’ secondary education.

Strategy 2: Strengthen the MoE Capacity for Improved Planning and Monitoring

Activity 1: Provision of training in educational planning and management, especially to DEOs and PEDs' staff. A training program will be developed, building on existing work with the UNESCO Institute for Educational Planning (IEP). Master trainers will be recruited and equipped to build capacities at the sub-national levels (DEOs and PEDs). Civil servants will be provided with on-the-job training;

Activity 2: Strengthening the Education Management Information System (EMIS) architecture will be undertaken; first through an assessment of the responsiveness of EMIS to the monitoring and evaluation functions of the MoE and partners at the district, provincial and central levels.

Further EMIS system and modules will be developed, and an integrated system will be devised to complement EMIS by the inclusion of all types of school and spot surveys and other third party testing and assessments undertaken by education partners.

Priority Program 4

Strategy 3: Strengthen the Management, Coordination, and Resource Mobilization Function in the MoE

This strategy will be realized through the establishment of a GPE Program Coordination Unit (GPE-PCU) under the Office of the Minister of Education.

The GPE-PCU will perform a management and coordination function both with the MoE and in relation to external grants.

The budget for this component is USD 7.4 million (13% of the GPE program grant)

Membership

Afghanistan was awarded membership into the GPE in March 2011. The membership has been a great source of national pride and seen as a critical milestone in the development of the education sector in Afghanistan. It represents a significant international endorsement of educational the plans of the Ministry of Education to achieve the goals of Education of All (EFA) and vote of confidence in its capacity to successfully execute those plans.

Afghanistan’s GPE program covers three years (2012-2015) then at the end of 2015, it was extended till 2017. It is designed to provide maximum impact on the system as a whole, creating a catalytic effect on major Education Interim Plan (EIP) programs, including other donor-supported interventions. The EIP was officially endorsed in March 2011 by the Local Donor Group (LDG) led by Canada, Denmark, USAID, and Sweden, which led to the subsequent endorsement by over 16 local donors and civil society organizations, as a result of which Afghanistan became the then 44^th member of the GPE.

Afghanistan was also awarded the membership into the GPE Board of Directors in December 2011 as an alternate member and then promoted as member in January 2013. H.E. the Minister of Education is representing Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia Constituency of the Board.

Target Locations

The aim of the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) Program is to accelerate Afghanistan's progress in meeting the Education for All goals in 40 districts in 13 provinces (Badghis, Daikundi, Farah, Ghor, Helmand, Kandahar, Khost, Nimroz, Nuristan, Paktika, Paktia, Uruzgan, and Zabul).

The majority of out of school girls and boys live in these districts, which are affected by security threats, remoteness, and economic and geographic difficulties. They also face acute shortages of qualified female teachers and learning facilities.

Meanwhile, the number of girls’ schools is lower compared to the boys’ schools signifying that gender disparity is a serious issue in the mentioned provinces.