Universal Primary Education Research Articles

Донское просвещение в эпоху реформ и революций (середина ХIХ в. – первая треть ХХ в.)

The periods of reforms of the 19th century, revolution, civil war and Soviet construction of the 1920s of the 20th century, unprecedented in the concentration of innovations in the Don enlightenment, are investigated. The author traces the formation of the legal statuses of the estate-Cossack and peasant schools of the Don region, the emergence of female and secondary education in the region. Changes in the educational space of the Region of the Don Army (RDA) are associated with the inclusion in 1878 of the Rostov region and the Taganrog city government in its composition. An analysis of various types of RDA schools showed that there were twice as many parish schools in military villages and farms as there were schools in peasant settlements. The primary school of the Synod, after growth in the 1880s, lost its position at the beginning of the twentieth century due to the low level of education. The peculiarities of secondary education in the region are the class-Cossack character of gymnasiums in the Cossack centers of the Department of Internal Affairs, the priority development of military Cossack educational institutions, the provision of benefits to specialists of Cossack origin. The establishment of the Don Polytechnic Institute in Novocherkassk meant that, in terms of the development of education, the RDA rose to a level comparable to the central regions of the country, at the same time, most school-age children did not have access to educational institutions. During the Civil War on the territory of the White Cossack quasi-state “The Great Army of the Don”, the learning process was not interrupted, and functioned according to the laws of the estate school. The Soviet Unified Labor School, separated from the church and representing equal rights to education for representatives of all social groups and nationalities, was formed after the end of the Civil War. The system-forming link was the state administration of education, acting in line with the decisions of the Communist Party. In the 1920s and the country made a leap from mass illiteracy of the population to the introduction of universal compulsory primary education, which stopped the constant reproduction of the illiterate when new generations entered life. Development of the Don regional educational space system in the 19th-20th centuries became a progressive civilizational process.

Universalization, Sustainability and “Justiceness” of Primary Education: Perspectives and Lessons from Uganda

Abstract It is through education that communities and governments can tackle political, economic, social and geographic inequalities and ills in the continent of Africa. It is for this reason that policies like the Universal Primary Education were adopted. Children have the right to basic quality education as espoused in several agreements such as the Convention of Childrens Rights of 1989 and the Sustainable Development goals. Access to quality education for success is a social justice trajectory and promotes social justice principles. This article was intended to examine the impediments in the effective implementation of Universal Primary Education policy in Uganda. The authors view the identified impediments as social injustice practices. In exploring the phenomenon, this study deployed a qualitative research approach within a constructivist paradigm. The authors located their thesis within Rawl’s perspective of social justice. This theoretical lens is fundamental and apposite in education in that social justice theorists believe that schools as social systems should create opportunities for inclusive and enabling schooling environments, and in addition provide quality education for students. This study is of great significance in that it contributes to the epistemology in the discipline of the management of universal primary education. The study yielded critical findings which can be summarized as follows: limited capitation grants, demotivated teachers, challenges related to stakeholder collaboration and coordination, communication, cooperation, engagement and consultation.

Formation of a Document Fund in the Languages of the Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia, and the Far East

The main mission of the National Library of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) is the formation of the documentary heritage of the indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East. The document fund in the languages of the indigenous peoples of the North of the National Library of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) was formed from publications in five languages: Even, Evenki, Yukagir, Chukchi and Dolgan. The main principle by which the library fund was completed was an exhaustive collection of all published documents. The history of the book fund in the languages of the peoples of the North is divided into five chronological periods. The first period (1812—1917) is associated with the activities of the Russian Orthodox mission. The second (1918—1960) includes the creation of the Committee of the North (1924), the opening of the library (1925) and the beginning of the introduction of universal primary education in Yakutia. At that time, the People’s Commissariat of Education of the Yakut ASSR published and distributed the first ABC books for adults. The third period (1961—1990) was marked by the problem of publishing literature in the languages of the Evens, Yukagirs and Chukchi. In total, 3—5 books were published in the Even language per year, literature in other languages of the peoples of the North was not published. Languages were on the verge of extinction, there were no necessary conditions for their preservation. The fourth period (1991—2020) is associated with the completely destroyed book supply system in the early 1990s, the beginning of the commercialization of publishing. In 1990, the library was returned to the national status, which played a positive role in the formation of national and local history documents. The modern stage of the development of the book fund in the languages of the peoples of the North began in 2021, when the “Strategy for the Development of Librarianship in the Russian Federation for the period up to 2030” was adopted, which fixed the main tasks, directions and measures of state policy in the field of librarianship. In July 2022 The Government of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) has approved the “Strategy for the Development of Librarianship in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) for the period up to 2032”, which defines the main tasks for the formation of a depository storage fund for documents in the languages of all indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East. As of January 1, 2023, the document fund in the languages of the peoples of the North numbered 2,659 copies. Work continues to preserve the documentary heritage of the small peoples of the North. The electronic library of the National Library of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) is being developed, and the digital project “Knigakan: about the Arctic and the indigenous peoples of the North” is being implemented as part of it. The digital library of the indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East “Knigakan” currently has 2,760 digitized documents that are in great demand among readers. The electronic publishing house of the National Library of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) plans to publish books in all languages of the small peoples of the North, including endangered languages, and preserve them for future generations. The long-term task is to create a depository storage fund for documents in the languages of all indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East. This project should intensify efforts to preserve and ensure free access to the documentary heritage of indigenous minorities, the development of linguistic and cultural diversity of the peoples of Russia.

100 years of international cooperation in education: Some takeaways from my 55 years of involvement

This article reviews my involvement since the late 1960s in education development, largely in developing countries. It focuses on what became the two cornerstones of my career: (i) Achieving universal primary education (UPE), especially in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), and (ii) Promoting international cooperation in education. Half of my career was spent working as staff or consultant for the World Bank. The remainder was spent as staff of UNESCO (ten years), OECD (two), and Norwegian institutions (five), and as an independent consultant. While the issues have evolved over time, the world community still faces major and urgent challenges in the afore-mentioned areas. A large proportion of young people in poor countries, especially in SSA, continue to enter adulthood without basic literacy and numeracy skills. And, while it is more needed than ever, effective multilateral cooperation -- that goes beyond pious wishes voiced at global conferences to actual implementation -- faces complex new challenges in today’s increasingly interdependent, multi-polar world. Though progress has been mixed in the two areas to which I have devoted my career, I do not regret having done so. More than ever, progress in both areas is vital for securing the brighter future we all want, and I am happy to have been part of my generation’s efforts in this regard. I hope that the next generations will turn past lessons into stronger and more effective actions. The onset of the COVID pandemic gave a strong impetus to improved education cooperation. I hope that the many urgent challenges threatening our common future -- challenges that no country, however strong, can handle alone – will give the global community the necessary jolt to strengthen the ability of the multilateral system to deliver more effectively the global public good functions needed to address these challenges.

Influence of Child Labour on Primary School Pupil's Enrolment and dropout: A Scoping Review

Child labour is one of the major obstacles to the realization of universal primary education in low- and middle-income countries. Child labour deprives children of their chances to acquire the required skills for the development of their potential. This is akin to a child trying to prepare for an exam while carrying a heavy backpack of worries, fears, and distractions on their back which affects their desired outcome. This study provided an updated review of the literature on child labour's influence on primary school pupils' enrolment. Child labour literature was explored via a scoping literature review strategy. As a result of this literature review, child labour negatively impacts primary school enrolment. This study also revealed that child labour is the major contributor to primary school pupils' dropout. Finally, this review revealed that enforcing a minimum employment age of 15 and reducing the return to child labour without providing social supports such as conditional cash transfer to the poor household would facilitate an increase in children’s dropout rate in developing countries. Based on the empirical child labour literature, more research is needed to be conducted using qualitative and quantitative measures to capture first-hand information to augment quantitative measures.

"Schooling without learning is a terrible waste of precious resources and of human potential" – The South Asian paradox

In 1990, at a prestigious conference all agreed that universal primary education is crucial for enhancing human capital – it is key to economic development, reduction in poverty, and empowering girls. The conference endorsed Education for All (EFA), a commitment to universal basic education focused on "actual learning acquisition and outcome". In 2000, a subsequent conference endorsed EFA and the Dakar framework, which influenced the second Millennium Development Goal: enable, by 2015, universal primary education for all children. In terms of enrollment, gender parity, and survival to the terminal primary grade, MDG2 was a success. However, MDG2 failed in terms of learning outcomes. To demonstrate this failure, the article compares the impact of national survival and literacy rates on change in national per capita GDP (2015–19). Literacy is measured by the World Bank's learning poverty rate at ages 10–14. Regressing national per capita GDP change on learning poverty rate reveals a strong association with literacy; regressing on survival rate reveals a very weak association. The article analyzes major institutional obstacles to explain the paradox: why do governments in South Asia (and elsewhere) forgo the benefits, to all, from universal literacy?

AN EXPLORATORY ANALYSIS OF THE INFLUENCE OF EARLY MARRIAGE AMONG PUPILS ON LEARNER RETENTION PRIMARY SCHOOL EDUCATION IN KENYA, A CASE OF TURKANA COUNTY

The Dakar Conference of 2000 evaluated development in attaining Universal Primary Education (UPE) within the continent of African. An EFA target was established that is eradicating gender inequality in primary schools within the year 2005 and by 2015 be able to attain gender impartiality.Despite all efforts by governments, retention of pupils in primary schools is a major challenge to most governments in the world and in sub-Saharan Africa in particular. Among other social –cultural factors, early marriage among primary school going learners have had a negative impact on the Free Primary Education policy since its re-introduction in 2003 in Kenya. The country faces 23% early marriage among girls and might be a contributor factor in low learner retention in the country especially in Turkana County which has so far had the lowest retention in the county with 7.8% compared to 79.6% nationally. The purpose of this study was to have an exploratory factor analysis to understand why this situation has been experienced within the FPE policy in Kenya. The findings establishedthat girls are married early by young and old men who can afford paying dowry, payment of dowry has driven many girls to early marriage, and majority of early marriages are done according to the traditions of the community. It concluded that early marriage is predominant among the pastoralist communities in ASAL regions in Kenya and has had tremendous influence on learner retention in primary school education contributing negatively to the implementation and success of FPE policy.

Original

Universal Primary Education aims to ensure that all children achieve primary education withina stipulated timeframe. In moving towards the attainment of this goal, it is essential to ensurethat disparities do not exacerbate. The primary focus of this study is to identify disparities inschool access, infrastructure, and outcomes at the primary school level in Bihar. To fulfill thispurpose, secondary data was collected from official sources, including Unified District Infor-mation of School Education+ (U-DISE+), Bihar Education Project Council (BEPC), Census ofIndia (2011), the National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA),and other related publications. To measure the development of primary education, four keyparameters access to schools, infrastructure, teacher availability, and school outcomes are uti-lized. These parameters are further broken down into fifteen sub-parameters. The raw values ofeach of these fifteen indicators were standardized using the Z-score method, and an IntegratedComposite Index was computed. Based on the values of this composite index, districts areranked relative to their development status. The findings reveal that Rohtas, Siwan, Gopalganj,Nawada, and Bhojpur are relatively performing well, while Samastipur, Pashchim Champaran,Madhubani, Araria, and Purab Champaran trail behind on many parameters.

Tuition fees and the intra-household allocation of schooling: Evidence from Uganda’s Free Primary Education reform

Many education policies in low income countries impose eligibility limits, and these can generate household responses that distribute educational investments across children. In this paper, I study the effects of eligibility limits in the context of the Universal Primary Education (UPE) reform in Uganda. The program abolished elementary school fees for up to four children per household, with families paying fees on each additional child. Depending on the composition of children and their age at the onset of the reform, the policy generates costs for primary school that vary both within and across households. Children that are eligible for the tuition waiver but live in households with ineligible siblings complete fewer years of schooling. I estimate that the presence of ineligible siblings wiped out almost half of the overall impact of the UPE reform on educational attainment, with the effects concentrated among the poorest households. Household responses to the subsidy program are similar to those found in other types of schooling programs such as conditional cash transfers.

Impact of Universal Primary Education Policy on the Schooling of Girls and Children with Disabilities in Uganda

Utilizing the nationally representative Demographic and Health Survey dataset from 2016 and using the difference-in-difference technique, we compare the effect of the Universal Primary Education (UPE) policy on the educational attainment between girls and children with disabilities in Uganda. Although UPE is effective in bridging gender gaps, we observed no significant gaps between children with and without disabilities in poor households, indicating the difficulty parents with financial constraints face in investing in education regardless of disability. Additionally, for disabled samples, we observed a positive effect of UPE on years of schooling for full and female samples but not for poor households, indicating that simply waiving tuition fees as part of the UPE policy is not sufficient to increase access to education.

DESIGN OF RAINWATER HARVESTING SYSTEM: BASIC ENGINEERING AND ECONOMICS

Residents at the Universal Primary Education (UPE) sand-filled of Borokiri town in Port Harcourt city, Nigeria are facing challenges in obtaining potable water due to numerous factors. Consequently, most residents could not meet the minimum daily per capita water demand set by the United Nations (50 – 100L). The rainfall in Port Harcourt is quite high enough to augment the water scarcity however, the poor quality of the rainwater makes it unsafe. Hence, rainwater harvesting (RWH) system incorporated with treatment facility was designed for an average household of six inhabitants at a daily per capita water demand of 75L. Results showed that the treated water obtained from the designed RWH system was highly potable and the reliability of the designed RWH system for water supply is 75% at a safety factor of 1.22. It was also found that the optimal dimensions of the rectangular rooftop gutters are 170mm width by 100mm depth (including freeboard space) at a bed slope of 1inch in every 10feet. The research further revealed that the designed RWH system is highly economically viable as the net present value (NPV), profitability index (PI) and payback period (PBP) are 747, 439.21Naira, 3.4 and 1.72years respectively, at a discount rate of 15% and lifespan of 15years. Necessary recommendations were made for the inhabitants of the study area, government and non-governmental organizations.

Clinical Supervision and Teachers’ Preparation for Teaching in Universal Primary Education Schools of Mbarara City in Southwestern Uganda

This study determined the relationship between clinical supervision and teachers’ preparation for teaching. It employed a cross-sectional research design where a quantitative approach was used. The researcher used a sample size of 268 respondents. The study findings showed a strong positive statistically significant relationship between clinical supervision and teachers’ preparation (r =0.913**, p = 0.004). It was concluded that there is a significant relationship between clinical supervision and teachers’ preparation for teaching in Universal Primary Education Schools of Mbarara City. The government and the Ministry of Education and Sports should provide policy guidelines and clinical supervision materials to all the head teachers to facilitate the implementation of clinical supervision by head teachers in Universal Primary Education Schools.

Investigating the Situation for Children with Autism and Their Families in Cambodia

Following periods of conflict and instability during the oppressive regime of the Khmer Rouge (1975–1978) and the period of Vietnamese occupation (1978–1992), the Kingdom of Cambodia has adopted policies and initiatives that aim to ensure greater equity and stability across all services in the country as a signatory to international agreements for the promotion of universal primary education (United Nations 2015). The education of children with disabilities continues to present challenges to both policy makers and service providers in Cambodia, though government agencies have made a commitment and invested resources to improve facilities and increase awareness of the difficulties experienced by children and families. Previous studies of provision for children on the autism spectrum in Cambodia suggest that they are little understood and that many experience difficulties accessing appropriate services or support. However, these reports have often been based on localised small-scale studies and have not provided a broader national perspective of the situation. A national analysis of the situation for persons with autism was conducted to provide a more detailed picture of the experiences of children with autistic spectrum disorders and their families. Data were collated using focus groups and interviews with service users and providers from a purposive stratified sample across the country. The findings reveal that a limited awareness and understanding of autism amongst both professionals and the general public has limited opportunities for development. Education facilities and expertise are limited, and access to therapeutic and specialist medical provision is poor. The pervasive nature of poverty has been a major contributory factor in the slow development of and accessibility to services to this population. A number of recommendations have been made and are being used to shape future policies for children with autism and their families in Cambodia.

Impact of the human papillomavirus vaccine in low-resource settings

Impact of the human papillomavirus vaccine in low-resource settings

Republic of Sudan Education System Reform: The Causal Effect on Welfare of Women and Children

This paper explores a change in education law in the Republic of Sudan, also known as Northern Sudan, to estimate the causal effect of compulsory education on the welfare of women and children. The aim is to investigate the impact of education policies on women and children’s well-being and point out the limitations of these policies in conservative societies. The policy extended the duration of primary education from five years to eight, made it compulsory and reduced the entry age from seven to six. It was proposed in 1995 and implemented in 1998, affecting individuals born from July 1993 onwards. The birth-date Regression Discontinuity Design is implemented as the main methodology to investigate the engagement with education and outcome variables of interest after versus before the cut-off point, by using the UNICEF Multiple Indicator Survey Data. This methodology enables overcoming the endogeneity problem when dealing with observational data. The results suggest that the policy increased completion rates of primary education and participation of women in the labour force but did not increase participation in education. Moreover, there is limited evidence of any welfare effect of the policy. The paper also investigates possible reasons for the policy being ineffective in increasing participation rates. The paper recommends that before taking an essential step towards the goal of universal primary education, the government failed to address existing problems such as the unavailability of schools, long distances to schools, school fees and child labour, which discourage families from sending their daughters to school to increase the effectiveness of the policy. In Muslim societies where informal institutions dominate written rules, compulsory education policies are not likely to yield the expected outcomes, such as equal access for girls to education, unless they are accompanied by huge investment. This paper contributes to the existing literature by highlighting the impact of educational reform policies, discussing issues that limit their effectiveness and making propositions to improve the impact of these policies in such societies.

Evaluation of Sanitation Management at Bassajabalaba Secondary School in Bushenyi District Ishaka Municipality.

Inadequate sanitation has been found to be a major problem in primary schools and now as Universal Primary Education (UPE) begins to offload pupils into the secondary school system, the same problem might begin to affect secondary schools. This study, therefore, sets out to investigate sanitation management at Bassajjabalaba Secondary School Bushenyi District in Ishaka Municipality. The required information was gathered using four methods namely, indepth interviews, surveys, focus group discussions, and observation. Two categories of respondents were used including head teachers and students. It was found that although the sampled secondary school on a variety of sanitation facilities, there is generally inadequate coverage of sanitation facilities at the school, and the phenomenon is exacerbated by the ever-increasing student population due to increasing enrolment for secondary education resulting from Universal Primary Education. The cleanliness of the available sanitation facilities is not at its best and this forms part of the reasons why some students ignore using facilities and instead opt for use of bushes around the school. It was recommended that there is a need to develop sanitation programs under which the challenge should be tackled right from the root rather than attempting to manage the resultant consequences. School administrations need to prioritize the aspect of sanitation and hygiene. Keywords: Sanitation, management, Bassajjabalaba, pupils, sanitation and facilities.

On the Universal Access to the Primary School Education in the Orenburg Region at the Beginning of the 20th Century (Based on the Materials of the Turgay Region)

For the first time in historiography the article analyzes the experience of universal access to elementary school education for children from 8 to 11 years old in the Turgay region of the Orenburg governorship on the basis of records of the Turgay regional school inspector, the trustee of the Orenburg school district, the Turgay regional government, found in the Russian State Historical Archive. The purpose of this article is to reconstruct this process, its results and regional characteristics. It was determined that the reform was carried out in line with all-Russian trends. At the same time, a number of peculiarities of the region were taken into account: its multi-ethnicity and multi-confessional character, high rates of peasant migration, and lack of local self-government bodies. Therefore, the construction and maintenance of primary schools in Turgay region was carried out at the expense of the state. The author concludes that the administration of the Orenburg school district failed to implement the idea of universal primary school education. The reason was insufficient funding for school construction, the dispersed settlement of peasant settlers in the region, the mismatch rate of peasant migration to the pace of school construction, etc. At the same time the reform had a positive value, as it provided the integration of the regional education system into the imperial educational space. The article is intended for specialists in the history of social policy of the Russian Empire.

Benefits of enhanced access to education in Tanzania

Motivation Expanding access to education is a desirable policy. Tanzania implemented Universal Primary Education (UPE) in 2001 and expanded secondary education in 2006. However, evidence that UPE delivers benefits in educational attainment or earnings is scarce. We investigate if the enhanced access to education (EAE) in the 2000s benefitted the youth able to complete more schooling, those aged 15–25 in 2018. Purpose There is evidence that expansion of primary education in Tanzania in the 1970s increased the incomes of the individuals who benefitted. We compare households headed by youth aged 15–25 and by adults (aged over 35) in 2001 and 2018 to identify benefits of EAE. Methods and approach Household welfare is measured as consumption per adult equivalent relative to the national poverty line using Household Budget Survey data for 2001 and 2018. We examine whether welfare differences comparing youth-headed and adult-headed households in 2001 and 2018 are attributable to differences in educational attainment of youth due to EAE using regression analysis and decomposition methods. Findings The increase in youth educational attainment by 2018 is a significant factor explaining the increase in welfare of youth-headed households between 2001 and 2018. If the youth in 2001 had the same education endowment as their 2018 counterparts, their relative welfare would have been about a quarter higher. If adults had the same level of educational attainment as the youth, their welfare would have been about a third higher in 2018. Policy implications Expanding access to education via EAE had a positive effect on the welfare of youth, represented by those who were heads of households, in Tanzania due to increased years of schooling, providing support for implementing policies that improve access to schooling. Benefits are greatest for younger youth, aged 19–24 in 2018. Returns to schooling declined, suggesting that growth in demand for skilled labour did not match the supply of educated entrants to the labour force.

The negative health spillover effects of universal primary education policy: Ethnographic evidence from Uganda

ABSTRACT Scholars of global health have embraced universal education as a structural intervention to prevent HIV. Yet the costs of school, including fees and other ancillary costs, create an economic burden for students and their families, indicating both the challenge of realising the potential of education for preventing HIV and the ways in which the desire for education may produce vulnerabilities to HIV for those struggling to afford it. To explore this paradox, this article draws from collaborative, team-based ethnographic research conducted from June to August 2019 in the Rakai district of Uganda. Respondents reported that education is the most significant cost burden faced by Ugandan families, sometimes amounting to as much as 66% of yearly household budgets per student. Respondents further understood paying for children’s schooling as both a legal requirement and a valued social goal, and they pointed to men’s labour migrations to high HIV-prevalence communities and women’s participation in sex work as strategies to achieve that. Building from regional evidence showing young East African women participate in transactional, intergenerational sex to secure school fees for themselves, our findings point to the negative health spillover effects of Uganda’s universal schooling policies for the whole family.

Transition in Primary and Secondary Schooling in Pakistan: Gender and Age Cohort Analysis

This study assesses the changing pattern of school attendance through age cohort analysis for both males and females in Pakistan. Based on the 1998 census data on educational attainment, the results indicate a profound rise in school attendance among younger age cohorts contributing to elimination of gender gap in primary-level schooling in urban areas only. The disadvantaged situation of rural females is reflected by a combination of low school entries/attendance to begin with, and high chance of discontinuing education before completing primary levels. The pattern of school transition reveals that among those few who have completed Class Five, the chances of staying through the secondary level are much higher—after which dropout accelerates rapidly. Two overall conclusions emerge from these results. First, the bulk of the deficit from universal primary education comes from females population, especially in rural areas. Second, the key to reducing dropouts and gender gap in school attendance lies in actions that raise the demand for schooling of girls, with equally matched availability of quality primary- and secondarylevel schools. It appears that achieving universal primary education by 2015, as mandated in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), remains a tall order for Pakistan.