Joint Formative Evaluation on the Implementation of the UNICEF Supported Education Programme 2015-2018 in Sierra Leone

1. Background

The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and UNICEF Sierra Leone are in the process of commissioning a joint formative evaluation on the implementation of the Education Programme 2015 – 2018, in support of the Education Sector Plan (ESP). In Sierra Leone, the framework for education is set out in a suite of legislation, and arrangements are largely described in the Education Sector Plan (ESP) for 2014-2018.  The ESP, “learning to succeed” was developed by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MEST) in collaboration with development partners and education stakeholders and was informed by a comprehensive sector diagnosis conducted in 2012-2013 as outlined in the 2013 Sierra Leone Country Status Report on Education. The development of Education Strategic Plan 2014-2018 represented an opportunity to the Government of Sierra Leone through the Ministry of Education, to align with other national reforms priorities as stipulated in the Poverty Reduction Strategic Plan 2013-2018. 

Unfortunately the Ebola outbreak that affected the country from 2014, had a significant impact on the implementation of the ESP. Schools were closed for close to nine months and only resumed in April 2015,  in a bid to reduce the risk of transmission and learning disrupted for the 1.8 million school going children. The implementation of the Education Sector Plan (ESP) stalled as resources were re-programmed to tackle the crisis. Beyond the loss of learning time, schools faced threats as safe environments for learning as some schools were used as Ebola centres and children were deprived of the social protection of schooling, and became exposed to various forms of exploitation. In addition the crisis exposed fundamental weaknesses in the education sector that undermined its resilience to disasters or pandemics such as the Ebola outbreak. The cost and aftermaths of Ebola crisis may be felt in many years to come[1].What is clear is that the crisis left more children more vulnerable than before. 15 per cent of children who were in school before Ebola did not return to school even after schools were reopened in April 2015[2]. As a recovery strategy, key President’s Recovery Priorities were identified to fast track the recover process. Education was identified as a key sector in the priority plans.

The impact of Ebola on the education sector, meant that the ESP priorities could not be implemented as planned although the identified recovery priorities could be aligned to the ESP. The UNICEF supported Education Programme rolling workplan for 2015/16 was also adjusted in 2016 to align with the recovery priorities and the results framework adjusted in 2017.  Despite the constraints of the emergency, implementation of the recovery plans and other interventions in the sector has resulted in some progress in the ESP at various levels. For instance, 2015 Annual School Census Data shows that gross enrolment rates continued to be over 100% in primary school between 2012/2013 (134%) and 2014/15 (126%). Furthermore, enrolment at pre-primary level was maintained at 10% over the same period, which is an improvement from 8% in 2011/12, and also remained above 60% at junior secondary school level between 2012/13 (61%) and 2014/15 (61%).

The Ebola crisis also exposed fundamental systemic weaknesses in the education sector that undermined its resilience to emergencies, especially the lack of emergency preparedness and alternative non-school learning models. The outbreak also highlighted the gaps and challenges in implementing school health policies as schools were found to be lacking in terms of facilities for Ebola prevention like water and sanitation. In every ten schools, about three schools (29 per cent) do not have access to safe drinking water and also lack access to sanitation.    The Ebola crisis also highlighted the relatively weak capacity of MEST at both central and district levels to respond to emergencies due to limited capacity for data collection, analysis, and planning as a result of a lack of a functional Education Management Information System (EMIS). Moreover, a 2016 National Assessment of the Situation of Out of School Children in Sierra Leone conducted by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MEST) with support from UNICEF revealed that 37 per cent of school going children are out of school, an increase from 22 per cent in 2013. More children from rural, poor and child headed households are out of school than those from urban and higher income quintile households. Over 14,000 children were reported to have fallen pregnant during the Ebola emergency period in 2015 by a UNFPA study. Over 11,000 of these were school going before the outbreak. Furthermore, the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs (MSWGCA) reported that more than 8,000 children were orphaned by Ebola[3]. Furthermore, the aftermaths of the Ebola crisis have been compounded by the general changes in the economic welfare of the country, a factor that can also be linked to the Ebola crisis.

MEST, with support from UNICEF and other partners, identified priority areas for the short term recovery and transition phase, identified as follows for the first six to nine months; Zero cases of school acquired Ebola, Support enrolment of children into school, and accelerate leaning to “catch up” on lost time.

The 2015-2018 Education Programme to which the Government of Sierra Leone is supported by UNICEF contributes to the achievement of SDG 4 in Sierra Leone and national development priorities as outlined in the Poverty Reduction Strategic Plan 2013-2018, the National Education Sector Plan 2014-2018 and the Presidential Recovery Priorities. The programme focuses on both in and out of school interventions through support to quality early childhood development, school readiness, mentoring programmes for girls, accelerated learning and greater participation by parents and communities in school management. A key focus is also on support to the sector on emergency preparedness and response. Additionally, support for capacity strengthening is provided on in-service teacher training (continuous professional development), continued strengthening of central and decentralized systems for data generation, management, monitoring, reporting and utilisation using the EMIS and the MEST-led Situation Room/EduTrac Monitoring system. The expected outcome and outputs of the 2015-2018 Education Programme are as follows:

Expected Education Programme Outcome: Improved learning outcomes and equitable and inclusive basic education for all girls and boys by 2018      

Expected Education Programme Outputs:                 

1. Access and equity: Improved equitable access to basic education for children (boys and girls) in Sierra Leone, with a focus on vulnerable groups by the end of December 2018.
2. ECD: Improved accessibility and quality of care and pre-primary education for young boys and girls aged 0-8 years old, (in 4 Districts) with a focus on vulnerable groups, by the end of December 2018.
3. Quality and Learning: Improved capacity of schools and other learning facilities at primary level to provide child friendly learning environment to children (boys and girls) by the end of December 2018.
4. Policy and Systems: MEST, Local Councils, schools and communities have the capacity to plan, implement and monitor equitable delivery of education services by end December 2018.
5. Emergency: MEST, Local Councils and communities have the capacity to plan, prepare and respond to emergencies by end December 2018.