Component 3. Supporting Girls’ Learning
This component supports a range of activities to raise the learning achievement of girls, including supporting female learners and improving the numbers of female teachers in schools in remote areas.
- Learner Guides
MERP is providing support to the appointment and training of Learner Guides in delivering life and learning skills, as well as vital sexual and reproductive health information and psychosocial support.
Learner Guides;
- Create or support girls’ clubs to provide safe spaces for female students to share and discuss concerns and provide mutual support
- Advocate where required for female learners with teacher and school leadership
- Call attention to and address bullying, harmful traditional practices, gender based violence (GBV) and sexual abuse and exploitation (SEA), and inappropriate treatment of girls, both by fellow students and by teachers
- Provide guidance and support to female learners
- Deliver skills and wellbeing lessons
- Assist school governing structures (Parent-Teacher Associations, School Management Committees and Mother Groups) in harmonizing and implementing the PSIG strategies to provide support to female learners.
- Improved distribution of female teachers
Building on evidence that has demonstrated that female teachers can be effective in increasing girls’ learning outcomes and are crucial for their retention, MERP support the development and operationalization of district action plans for the rationalization of distribution of female teachers.
iii. Common zonal testing (CZT) and gender-disaggregated feedback
Zone-level standardized testing in all subjects has been scaled up to all 34 districts, providing comparable information on learning trajectories in lower primary schools. Under the guidelines for the new tests, results are disseminated to school communities; provision of report cards on key school indicators, the component is supporting this through the provision to schools of report cards that show grade and gender-disaggregated results from tests, raising awareness of student learning levels and gender disparities at the school level.