Summative evaluation of USAID/Malawi's girls' attainment in basic literacy and education (GABLE), (project no. 612-0240)

GABLE, particularly as extended/amended, achieved its objectives of creating a policy environment for sustainable and effective schools and classroom practice while putting into wider practice innovative and effective interventions at the community level. GABLE contributed very positively to achieving the strategy and objectives of strategic objective (SO) 4 and had a significant impact on its intermediate results. Specific findings are noted below. Educational quality. (1) Teachers trained under GABLE practice what they have learned; teaching is characteristically more interactive and more creative than in non- GABLE schools; teachers value their training immensely, have more confidence in their professional activity, and desire to receive more such formation. (2) The school cluster system and the mentor teacher program, developed in the Quality Education through Supporting Training (QUEST) (sub)project; are among the most successful components of GABLE; support to institutionalize these local support systems is necessary for sustained classroom reform. (3) Pupil performance at standards 1-4 of the GABLE-targeted schools has been enhanced by 20%, as proposed, in mathematics and Chichewa, less in English reading comprehension. (4) The rate of pupil dropout has decreased by about the 10% projected in every district and at each standard in GABLE-associated schools; the targeted 10% reduction in the pupil repetition rate was not achieved because of the increased attention given by teachers to pupil adequate performance and readiness for promotion. (5) The institutional partnerships established within GABLE have been highly productive in researching avenues (e.g., continuous assessment, gender-appropriate curricula) for enhancing the literacy and numeracy teaching strategies at standards 1-4. Community involvement. (1) GABLE has responded directly and successfully to the strategy of involving communities in school construction, supervision, and management through its training and support program for school committees, parent-teacher associations (PTAs), and community leaders; the contribution of Creative Associates International (CAII) and the Creative Center for Community Mobilization (CRECCOM) to this process was outstanding. (2) Community training has been successful, though the level of community participation in school improvement varies. More systematic support, facilitation, and monitoring of community practices in school involvement are required for this result to be sustained. Also, there is a risk that if expectations are not met within a reasonable amount of time, local communities will become frustrated and discouraged. (3) A strategic plan with measurable performance indicators is needed to measure the overall effectiveness of CRECCOM activities; a management information system (MIS) is also needed. CRECCOM has placed too much emphasis on process and inputs. Gender equity. (1) GABLE has enhanced the Government of Malawi's commitment to girls' education and fostered educational policy reforms, culminating in the incorporation of gender equity throughout the Policy Investment Framework (PIF). (2) GABLE has created a conducive and enabling environment for learning among boys and girls via its Social Mobilization Campaign (SMC) and SMC-Education Quality (EQ) activities. (3) Major attitudinal changes towards girls and their education under SMC and SMC-EQ have led to increased access for girls, abridging the gender gap in primary education, reducing dropouts, and improving performance. (4) A GABLE special unit developed gender-appropriate primary education curriculum for use in standards; these training materials and the training of educators in their use have all improved the learning environment for girls. (5) Nonetheless, some gender disparities remain; there are still fewer girls in the higher standards of primary education as well as in secondary schools overall, and there continues to be fewer female teachers. Role of government. (1) The government and its concerned ministries at the central, divisional, district, and zonal levels have successfully appropriated ownership of GABLE. (2) The ongoing awareness, support, and collaboration of the senior administrators and professional staff of these ministries have greatly facilitated GABLE implementation. (c) The Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology (MOEST) has successfully developed the PIF, established a Planning Unit, and installed an education monitoring information systems (EMIS) for assessing the strategic policies of GABLE. A total of 22 lessons are detailed regarding the sensitization, orientation, and participation of stakeholders and program/project objectives, activities, and management.