Enabling Learning Environment

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Enabling Learning Environment

• Betty Ezati

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Introduction

• Enabling learning environment entails creating
  conditions which facilitate attainment of quality
  education for both boys and girls
• Twenty years after Beijing, Uganda has made great
  strides in education and training of girls and
  women
• More girls are at school (all levels). Gender
  parity achieved in primary, gender gap at
  secondary greatly reduced.

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Interventions

• Appointment of the EPRC in 1987 and declaration
  and implementation of the UPE in 1996 marked the
  beginning of the drive to redress the problems of
  inaccessibility, inequity, low quality and
  inefficiency within the education system
• Guided by Education Sector Investment Plan (ESIP,
  1998-2003) and the successor Education Sector
  Strategic Plan (ESSP, 2004-2015) many
  interventions are in place.

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Legislations

• 1995 Constitution of the Republic of Uganda
  recognizes girls education as a constitutional
  right Article 30 (Right to Education), 32
  (Affirmative Action), 33 (protection -Laws,
  customes traditions against the diginity, welfate
  or interest of women are prohhibited
• Gender Policy,
• Gender in Education Policy
• By laws e.g. defilement, early marriages, banning
  children from going to markets on school days

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Regulations and Guidelines

• National Strategy for Girls Education in Uganda
  (NSGE) launched in 2005, revised in 2014
• Gender in Education Teacher Handbook
• Achieving Gender Parity in Education in Uganda A
  Strategy Paper and Framework for Action, June
  2005.
• Provides guide for the implementation of UNGEI
  activities from national to community levels
• Entrenches young peoples participation in girls
  education initiatives at the national, district
  and school levels.

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Programmes and Projects

• The Equity in the Classroom (EIC) program aimed
  at promoting equal participation of girls and
  boys in the classroom
• Growing Up and Management of Sexual Maturation
  (GUSM) program - meant to promote incinerators
  for safe disposal of sanitary materials
• The Childhood Development, Child Friendly Basic
  Education and Learning Program (2001-2005)

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Programmes and Projects

• The Sara Communication Initiative (SCI)
• Provision of bursary by some districts for girls
• Advocacy for re-entry of child mothers and
  pregnant girls
• School Facilities Grants (SFG) includes funds for
  compulsory provision of separate latrines for
  girls and boys.

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• - Go to School, Back to School, Stay in School
  campaign
• Construction of separate latrines for boys and
  girls.
• Activities of GEM and UNGEI

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Global influence

• Uganda is signatory to the several international
  conventions and declarations that safeguard the
  rights and educational interests and concerns of
  the girl-child and women.

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Interventions
Pre-primary and primary secondary Tertiary and universities
Access UPE (by 2005 gender parity achieved) USE 1.5
GEM UNGEI lower entry requirements lower entry requirements
Loan scheme
Female scholarship scheme
completion Promotion of Girls Education (PGE) - facilitate the retention and performance construction of low cost incinerators ????
EIC aimed at promoting equal participation of girls and boys in the classroom
GEM
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Gaps

• Drop out remains high
• Gender disparity at secondary and tertiary levels
  continue to be high especially in BTVET
• Limited knowledge and understanding of gender by
  the actors in education
• Biases at family, school and community
• Child abuse (defilement, sexual abuse and child
  labour)

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Teachers role in creating an enabling environment

• Teachers should be able to reflect and make
  consious choices on
• Central parts of the course/syllabus
• Examples that will be used
• Literature / textbooks
• Guest teachers/lecturers
• Interactio n with pupils and students
• Attitude in class
• Amount of talk

The class should be a
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A gender sensitive teacher

• Reflects and makes consious choices on
• Central parts of the course/syllabus
• Examples that will be used
• Literature
• Guest teachers/lecturers
• Interactio n with pupils and students
• Attitude in class
• Amount of talk

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Final thoughts

• Are our teachers, parents etc able to
• analyze the world and all that is taken for
  granted with critical eyes.
• Question present norms and values in relation to
  gender.
• What are the impediments to creation of an
  enabling learning environment?
• What actions and policies are required to address
  these impediments

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Final thoughts
Where do you want our students(girls and boys to
be? Can we focus on the individual instead of
levels of education as we create an enabling
environment?
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• Thank you for listening