Education for All Youth Carmen Siri, AED March 9, 2004 EQUIP Seminar Series

EQUIP Seminar Series Carmen Siri 2 World Education Forum Framework for Action Dakar, 2000 (iii) Ensure that the learning needs of all young people and adults are met through equitable access to appropriate learning and life skills programmes

EQUIP Seminar Series Carmen Siri 3 We need to act now… EFA success in basic education is increasing graduates Half of all youth out-of-school Growing young population Countries planning expansion of secondary education

EQUIP Seminar Series Carmen Siri 4 Education for ALL Youth in developing world urgently requires ….a change of vision … a new strategy

EQUIP Seminar Series Carmen Siri 5 Why? Heterogeneous needs and conditions of youth Adult responsibilities Many are parents HIV/AIDs At risk / conflict areas In gangs or crime Girls special needs Ethnic minorities Poverty

EQUIP Seminar Series Carmen Siri 6 Why not in school after primary? 50 % cannot afford school / opportunity cost 30 % lack relevance of school 20 % lack access to school Honduras, Encuesta de Hogares, 2001

EQUIP Seminar Series Carmen Siri 7 Secondary education Purpose not clear: university or work Lack of relevance Schedules not flexible Considers youth as children Academic orientation of teachers Public resources not sufficient Leads to unemployment

EQUIP Seminar Series Carmen Siri 8 Wealth of successful alternatives to formal system… Youth active as partners Community, NGO & private sector partners Volunteerism Learning skills for life Flexible delivery mechanisms Models of what should happen in school

EQUIP Seminar Series Carmen Siri 9 PROJOVEM - Brazil Rural alternative to vocational education Students develop projects on family land Academic subjects integrated Community involved in decision-making Results: Improved school work, family relations, leadership Cost lower than vocational: 2958 vs 4297 real/year

EQUIP Seminar Series Carmen Siri 10 Educatodos - Honduras Alternative lower secondary Relevant curriculum 250,000 person-years of schooling 4000 volunteer facilitators Results: Learning equivalent to school, values, service learning, volunteers as role-models, impact on women and production Cost 1/3 of regular school

EQUIP Seminar Series Carmen Siri 11 For Honduras to reach poverty reduction goals (7 to 9) From $25 to $52 million / year by 2015 Infrastructure $1.5 to $5.7 million / year Pedagogical university grow by 50%

EQUIP Seminar Series Carmen Siri 12 But good options are not sustainable… Alternative education seen as less valid Considered for the poor Assessment of results and costs are not used for decision making Not in public sector budget Not considered part of education system

EQUIP Seminar Series Carmen Siri 13 EFA …a change of vision we are responsible for all youth … a new strategy for donors and countries

EQUIP Seminar Series Carmen Siri 14 The new vision… the new strategy… We must reach ALL youth Strategy must be comprehensive: One answer does not work for all Quality & relevance are critical Existing out-of-school population cannot wait for the formal system Timing is now!