The unserved

Further down the line from the underserved are those unserved by the formal schools sector. Little-to-nothing is being done to cater to those out of school and those incapable of accessing the schools. These people are already left behind and are still falling far behind because the “system” is not responsive to their special needs. The way the schools operate and the way curricula are designed ensure that they remain not only deprived but also shut out.

Efforts by governments, institutions, foundations and other stakeholders interested in advancing education in many African countries are mostly geared towards improving the quality of education for those already in the formal education sector or those whom formal education is accessible to. Taking the school to people and communities in remote areas is anything but easy; it is however the only way to reach millions of out-of-school children and young adults.

Education is at the centre of social change not because it merely confers qualification for jobs or leads to development of special skills, but because it works at the level of changing mindsets—for individuals, communities and whole societies. Education leads to improvement in all sectors and in all walks of life. At the basic level, education is a lifeline for lifting millions of people out of poverty. It is the light that gives those living at the fringes a glimpse of a better world and the chance of having a part in it.

Narrowing the G—A—P
The most promising opportunities for narrowing the yawning gap in education opportunities for the unserved are to be found in collaborative problem solving and innovative use of local resources. The pressure point here is at the basic education level. Below are five important factors.

Happily, the benefits of mass education go far beyond literacy, lifting people out of poverty and improving livelihoods. Even where basic education does not lead to job security and its benefits to the person are not immediately seen by some, it is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

On a macro level, it improves governance and human development. Education makes citizens more alive to their duties and more able to hold governments to account for providing public goods. Also, the people are better able to make informed decisions to solve their own problems. Security also gets better. Lack of access to education, youth unemployment and youth exclusion are significant factors of insecurity. Not surprisingly, the unserved are often used as foot soldiers for carrying out daredevil attacks in communities ridden with terrorism and violent extremism.

Test case: Safe Schools Initiative

(This is just one example to show how options can be adapted depending on the context. The context here is acute and endemic insecurity.)

The Safe Schools Initiative which was launched in 2014 for parts of northern Nigeria is a genuine effort to solve a problem in an area of great need. The rate of school dropout in some parts of north-east Nigeria rose to as high as 70%. Many school children who had witnessed mass murders and abductions did not feel safe to go back to school. Teachers and school administrators alike were afraid to return to school.

Curiously, a key element of the Initiative which sought to restore confidence in schools was that schools would be physically guarded by the police, the military and vigilantes which so far have failed to deter recurrent terrorist attacks. In fact, military barracks and police stations have been the targets of attacks in these areas.

It appears that the solution proposed somewhat reinforces the situation which led to the problem in the first place. Even if every school dropout in the past five years went back to schools with improved learning environment, a significant proportion of people of school age in those areas who have long carved out an existence outside the formal schools sector would still be left out.

“E” for extended: E-Schools Initiative

One can think of several reasons why better outcomes would be achieved if an E-Schools Initiative (hybrid distance learning) is integrated into the Safe Schools Initiative, especially for areas most affected by violence and insecurity.

The Safe Schools Initiative does not change the dynamics. All the focus remained on the physical schools infrastructure which still gave terrorists easy and concentrated targets. For the most affected areas, borrowing a leaf from the tactic of diffuse engagement may work better: diffusing the potential “targets” would significantly alter or remove the threat to schools.

There is no easy way out. A tailored solution must include platforms which can take basic education into homes, social groups, communities, workshops and farmlands in hard-to-reach locations. Such effort should also outlive the insecurity.

What will success look like?

Imagine that on-air prep lessons can be used to reach those otherwise unserved, and customised instructions in local hubs can be provided for the exceptional ones that would take the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (equivalent of the SAT). Those that “make it” will be a shining example to their peers and their communities that it is possible. This may not happen in a year or two but it is not farfetched if stakeholders commit to doing things differently.

Using a social enterprise model to deliver public goods to millions of unserved populations and communities means that profits would not be the immediate target, and the bottom-line needs to be redefined to embrace social change on a macro level. Due to the fact that politicians and public office holders want to show quick results within a four-year electoral cycle, they are usually not invested for the long term. Such attitude needs to change.

A tiny fraction of the annual education budget of governments at the federal and state levels or a fraction of the fund appropriated for the Safe Schools Initiative could give an E-Schools Initiative or any like intervention a head start. Wider partnerships involving the government, the private sector, tech companies, CSOs and development partners can be leveraged to expand the Initiative.

Help grow our ideas bank

EduTrust Foundation is shopping for ideas to make our E-Schools Initiative and innovative use of local resources for education work better for communities in Nigeria and in other African countries.

• Share your NYSC or other experience with teaching in rural areas and making use of local resources for teaching and learning.

• How will free and accessible education better serve unserved communities?
• In what form(s) and by which tool(s) can free and accessible education be achieved?
• In what ways can we improve the learning experience for the unserved?
• What challenges and opportunities should be considered?