Social Protection Policies— Material Support & Nutrition Selwyn Jehoma

CSTL and EPRI The Care & Support for Teaching & Learning (CSTL) program adopted by all Education Ministers of all SADC Member States is a great milestone in the efforts to address multidimensional poverty and therefor barriers to education for children CSTL supports Education Ministers to fulfil their commitments & intentions to provide quality education to all children The approach is comprehensive in addressing barriers to teaching & learning associated with health & poverty challenges. The Economic Policy Research Institute (EPRI) is an independent not-for-profit policy research institution and its vision is to ensure inclusive growth EPRI recognized as the “Top Ranked Small Think Tank EPRI works extensively with global development partners: UNICEF, DFID, World Bank, UNFPA, AusAID, USAID, etc.

Courtesy: “An Overview of the Care and Support to Teaching and Learning (CSTL) Programme” – SADC / MIET

Social Protection Collectively all these programmes constitute social protection We define social protection as: “Policies and programmes that protect people against risk and vulnerability, mitigate the impact of shocks, and support people from chronic incapacities to secure basic livelihoods.”* Along with social services can also include cash or in- kind transfers and temporary subsidies Objective is to reduce vulnerability of households and communities by improving living standards to minimum standard or Social Floor * Definition used by DSD in “White Paper on Families in South Africa” adapted from Adato & Hoddinott (2008)

Conceptual framework * * Devereux S. 2004

SADC and Child Vulnerability Multidimensional poverty at regional and country levels vary with higher rates of poverty in Mozambique and DRC (see next slide) and Limpopo and the Eastern Cape in South Africa Child vulnerability o Face household challenges such as poverty, food insecurity, effects of HIV/AIDS, access to basic services such as healthcare, sanitation, and education o 10-15% of children of children in CSTL member countries are orphans Inequality leads to lower access to and lower quality of services for the poor perpetuating existing inequality Poverty creates barriers to education o Quality of education for the vulnerable is poor; Taylor et al (2011) found that children in lower income schools had lower reading scores across Southern Africa o High school fees an, poor health, and economic shocks to the household can lead to low educational achievement

Brain Development

Poverty Statistics ( ) Country Population in Multidimensional Poverty Population Vulnerable to Poverty Population in Severe Poverty Population Below Income Poverty Line Headcount Intensity of Deprivation PPP $ 1.25 a Day National Poverty Line DRC73%54%16%47%59%71% Mozambique79%65%10%61%60%55% South Africa13%42%22%2%17%23% Swaziland41%45%24%13%63%69% Zambia64%51%17%35%64%59% Statistics cover different years in some cases ( ); National poverty lines set by each member individually Data courtesy: SADC STATISTICS YEARBOOK 2012

SP in more developing countries World Bank, July 9, 2012.

SOURCE: OECD AND ILO Social protection reduces poverty in high-income countries

SOURCE: OECD AND ILO Social protection reduces poverty in high-income countries

Current SP in developing countries Deepening food insecurity and vulnerability has not been solved by developmental interventions. Shift from emergency food aid towards predictable cash transfers. Existing social protection measures include direct welfare programmes, productivity enhancing programmes, market interventions, and policy changes implemented by government and in collaboration with development partners Current “focus on formulation, adoption and implementation of social protection frameworks especially for women, youths and vulnerable groups” Growing emphasis on SP as means of alleviating poverty and achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Social protection has grown at unprecedented in Africa, but there are many gaps, especially for working-age poor Devereux, S. & R. Cipryk- IDS (2009) “Social Protection in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Regional Review.” UNDP (2014) “Social Protection in Africa: A Review of Potential Contribution and Impact on Poverty Reduction ”

Trends in SP Increased political commitment – policy and legal framework, funding Increased development of national social protection policies and strategies to improve coordination, delivery, and targeting Increased use of cash transfers Better systems of monitoring and evaluation Despite growth of SP, overall spending on SP remains low in Africa (2.8% of GDP) compared to global average of 5.7% of GDP, attributed to low coverage Existing programmes have shown that SP is fiscally affordable, recent economic growth has yielded fiscal space, and that donors and external support can be vital for funding and can “introduce reforms and test approaches” UNDP (2014) “Social Protection in Africa: A Review of Potential Contribution and Impact on Poverty Reduction” World Bank (2012) “Africa Social Protection Policy Briefs: Affordability and financing of Social Protection Systems”

Impact of CSG Benefits in South Africa South Africa provides a means tested benefit to more than 11 of the 18 million children. The impact: o School enrolment Reduced delays for girls entering school by 27% o School attendance Male adolescents in CSG receiving households have lower school absenteeism Earlier receipt show reduced probability of female adolescents working outside the home o School performance Earlier receipt of CSG shows higher grade attainment especially for girls and for those whose mothers have less than Grade 8 education (potential for reducing education gap)

Health o Improved height-for-age scores (i.e. less stunting) for recipients whose mothers have Grade 8 educations for young children o Early receipt of CSG reduce incidence of illness, especially in boys Risky behaviours in adolescents Peer pressure: Reduced violence and gang involvement Better sexual engagement choices Lower incidence of alcohol and substance use Reduced teenage pregnancies Lower HIV and AIDS infection rate UNICEF’s Evaluation of the school nutrition programme in South Africa UNICEF’s South African Child Support Grant Impact Assessment Impact of CSG Benefits in South Africa

Impact of SP in SADC Lessons from SADC countries of cash transfers o Mozambique : GAPVU programme reduced headcount poverty by 6%, poverty gap by 27%, and poverty severity by 44% o Swaziland : Old Age Grant received by those over 60 (many skip generation households) led to better nutrition in both quantity and quality of food purchased. Many used money for school fees and associated expenses. More money available for healthcare of household members. o Zambia : Pilot Kalomo programme, which mainly benefits households headed by older people has led to 16% increase in school attendance among children and better quality nutrition, incidence of illness decreased from 43% to 35% ** o DRC : Study found lack of an “overarching government strategy for social protection.” Existing SP is “short-term, small scale interventions” from NGOs. Informal transfers are the strongest source of support. UNDP (2014) “Social Protection in Africa: A Review of Potential Contribution and Impact on Poverty Reduction” Vincent, K. & T. Cull (2009) “Impacts of social cash transfers: case study evidence from across southern Africa “ “Swaziland Old Age Grant Impact Assessment” (2010). Bailey, S. et al (2011) “Child-sensitive social protection in DRC: A diagnostic study” Overseas Development Institute

Education Ministries and SP How can Education Ministers ensure that material support and nutrition is part of the CS for Teaching and Learning For MoE to create an inclusive and enabling environment at national and sub-national levels, there is a need to among other create structures and partnerships with Social Development/Welfare/Children/Social Protection Ministries The framework suggest Monitoring, through Education Management Information Systems (EMISs), but an integrated information system provide a more comprehensive framework – SA NISIS

Conclusion Poverty and its implications on education The evidence of social protection Proposals for education ministers