BASELINE SURVEY ON BASIC EDUCATION IN THE NORTHERN STATES OF SUDAN FINAL REPORT JUNE 2008

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1 The Republic of the Sudan Federal Ministry of General Education Directorate General of Educational Planning BASELINE SURVEY ON BASIC EDUCATION IN THE NORTHERN STATES OF SUDAN FINAL REPORT JUNE 2008

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3 The Republic of the Sudan Federal Ministry of General Education Directorate General of Educational Planning BASELINE SURVEY ON BASIC EDUCATION IN THE NORTHERN STATES OF SUDAN FINAL REPORT JUNE 2008 In Partnership with the Ministry of International Cooperation, European Commission (EC), United Nations Children s Fund (UNICEF) and World Food Programme (WFP) This document has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union and UNICEF. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Union and UNICEF.

4 BASELINE SURVEY ON BASIC EDUCATION IN THE NORTHERN STATES OF SUDAN FINAL REPORT JUNE 2008 Acknowledgements This survey would not have been possible without the managerial, financial, technical and logistics support of the Federal Ministry of General Education, the European Commission, the United Nations Children s Fund, World Food Programme, a team of four national consultants and officials of the 15 northern State Ministries of Education. Much gratitude is due in particular to Dr. Al Mutassim Abdel Rahim El Hassan, Undersecretary, Federal Ministry of General Education for authorizing the conduct of this survey, Dr El Taher Hassan Eltaher and most especially Dr. Ibtisam Mohamed Hassan whose relentless efforts and commitment has led to the successful completion of this assignment. Gratitude is also due to Maria Horno- Comet, Mr Antonio Fernandez De Velasco, Ms Lotten Hubendick, and Mr Yassin Mustafa of the EC for their efficient support to this partnership; Mr. Ted Chaiban, the UNICEF Representative, Cecilia Baldeh the UNICEF Chief of Education, Mr. Abdel-Bari Nasr and Mr. Nawshad Ahmed, UNICEF Monitoring and Evaluation Officers and recently Mr. Parvez Akhter, UNICEF consultant for providing the necessary technical and financial back-up. Much gratitude is also due to Sara Moussavi of the World Food Programme for providing substantial logistic as well as technical support and to Dr Ibrahim El Dasis, UNESCO Education Officer for his technical inputs. The survey was conducted by a team of national consultants, namely, Dr. Mohamed Ali Adham, Dr. Siddig Mohamed Ahmed Shaheen, Dr. Siddig Mohamed Osman, under the leadership of Dr Eltayeb Abdelwahab Mohamed. This team deserves much commendation as without them, this survey would not have succeeded. To the more than 500 government and civil society members who played their part as steering committee members, technical committee members, master trainers, state supervisors, enumerators and data entry clerks who cannot all be named here, much thanks are due. 1. Resource Persons' No. Name Location 1. Dr. Al Mutassiam Abdel Rahim Undersecretary of FMOGE, El Hassan General Supervisor 2. Dr. El Taher Hassan Eltaher National Coordinator of the Project 3. Dr. Ibtisam Mohamed Hassan Assistant Project Coordinator 4. Ms Cecilia Baldeh Chief, Education, UNICEF 5. Ms Sara Moussavi Programme Officer - Education World Food Programme 6. Ms Lotten Hubendick European Commission 7. Dr Ibrahim El Dasis UNESCO 2. National Experts No. Name Location 1. Dr Eltayeb Abdelwahab Mohamed Team Leader 2. Dr. Mohamed Ali Adham Member 3. Dr. Siddig Mohamed Ahmed Shaheen Member 4. Mr. Siddig Mohamed Osman Member ii

5 FINAL REPORT JUNE 2008 BASELINE SURVEY ON BASIC EDUCATION IN THE NORTHERN STATES OF SUDAN Foreword This survey was implemented within the framework of the commitment of the Government of National Unity through the Federal Ministry of General Education in Sudan to accelerate the pursuit of the EFA and the MDG goals in education. It is evidence of a successful partnership in education among a number of national and international organizations, namely between the Federal and State Ministries of Education on the one hand and the European Commission, UNICEF and WFP on the other. It is testimony to the commitment of the education sector to face the challenges that have been recognized over the years related to the adequate access to quality data to support evidence-based policy planning and decisionmaking. The survey signifies the onset of a longer process of developing an Educational Management Information System which can support evidence-based policy decision-making as well as a comprehensive strategy to develop the capacity of the education system in sector-wide policy analysis, planning, management and performance-based monitoring and evaluation. The data obtained from this survey has pointed to a number of key policy issues that will need to be reviewed in order to accelerate the attainment of the Education For All and Millennium Development Goals. Key among these policy issues are the need to seek novel ways of implementing a free and compulsory basic education policy within a pro-poor macro-economic policy context that recognizes the relative capacities of government, parents, communities, the private sector, civil society in realistically meeting the cost of education; the need to close the 12% gender gap in enrolment; the need to promote greater private sector and community participation in early child care. The high burden of non-salary expenditure on communities needs to be substantially reduced through greater government non-salary expenditure in basic education. The sector will review existing regional disparities in enrolment, access to safe water and sanitation in schools, provision of furniture and other facilities in schools, paying particular attention to the States that consistently show lower than average performance against key education indicators. Factors which account for the relatively high drop out rates for both boys and girls at grade 3 and 4 will be assessed and appropriate measures taken to redress this situation to reduce wastage in the education system. The large percentage of untrained teachers as well as inequitable distribution of all teachers points to an urgent need to invest in quality teacher training and rationalize the distribution of teachers among all States, especially in iii

6 BASELINE SURVEY ON BASIC EDUCATION IN THE NORTHERN STATES OF SUDAN FINAL REPORT JUNE 2008 the Darfurs and transitional areas. Our policies for early childhood development will also be revisited to encourage greater private sector and community participation, linked to parenting education. The report of this survey will serve as the entry point to the development of the education sector s data systems within a broader plan to build its capacity in policy analysis, planning and performance monitoring. iv

7 FINAL REPORT JUNE 2008 BASELINE SURVEY ON BASIC EDUCATION IN THE NORTHERN STATES OF SUDAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in January 2005 made it imperative to assess the educational needs of Sudanese children if impact-oriented strategies were to be effectively developed and monitored. Assessing the current situation of basic education was thought to be a priority to identify ways and means to advance the implementation of the EFA and MDG plans in Sudan. The survey therefore sought to determine the current educational situation against key EFA and MDG indicators and targets as well as against known policy standards. The survey methodology was largely quantitative, although some qualitative information was sought on the reasons for non-enrolment, drop-out and absenteeism of pupils. A sample of 9% of schools was selected across the 15 States bearing in mind the relative weightings. The sample was designed through stratified random sampling procedures with the stratification done at State and Mahalya levels within the state as well as by using gender, school type (single sex/co-educational) and nomadic/non-nomadic and conflict/nonconflict areas as sub-strata. A sub-sample was taken from each substratum, proportional to the size of the sub-stratum. A total frame of all 13,541 schools in all 15 states was prepared. The representative sample size of 1225 schools was then calculated according to a specific margin of error and a level of confidence 95% 1. This represented a sampling fraction of 9% of the total number of schools, on average. The final selection of the schools within each Mahalya was done randomly i.e. with equal probability to each school within the Mahalya. Data collection was done through four questionnaires designed for the school, grade teacher, Educational Board, and the locality authorities. Teams of supervisors and interviewers, for each state, were chosen and trained in how to fill the questionnaire with the help of manuals. A pilot survey was conducted as a part of training and the instruments reviewed in the light of the outcomes of the pilot test. The data was processed and analyzed using Census & Survey Processing System (CSPRo) and SPSS software. The survey has shown that there is inequity in educational provision. Wide gender and geographic variations exist on a number of issues. While several new policies need to be developed, several others are not being effectively implemented. On several fronts, it is unclear what the national standards and targets are against key policy issues. There is need to review the educational standards and norms for access, quality and efficiency on a sector-wide scale and develop more effective systems to monitor these standards, particularly 1 The details of the methodology and formula used to calculate the sample size can be found in chapter 4 on the methodology. v

8 BASELINE SURVEY ON BASIC EDUCATION IN THE NORTHERN STATES OF SUDAN FINAL REPORT JUNE 2008 towards the attainment of EFA and MDG in Sudan. There is a consistent under-performance of the transitional areas and the Darfur States against a number of key indicators. These States should continue to receive priority attention in the delivery of services and in capacity development. Educational opportunities that are available are in some case not being fully utilized as indicated by the relatively low pupil/teacher ratio and higher rates of application for admission than the gross intake rate (see table at page 30). There is also inadequate stakeholder participation, particularly the private sector in pre-school provision and parents in school-based analysis, planning and co-management of schools. The survey has raised a number of issues for further research including the relation between enrollment and school feeding in Sudan. School feeding programmes should be scaled up particularly to reach most vulnerable communities within a holistic Child-friendly schools approach. The experiences and delays in conducting this survey point to the need to strengthen national institutional capacity for research. Finally, while certain States have 20% or more of non-salary government expenditure on education, others have percentages as low as 0%. There is a great need to bridge existing disparities on a State by State basis in the financing of education. The high burden of non-salary expenditure on communities needs to be substantially reduced through greater government non-salary expenditure in basic education. vi

9 FINAL REPORT JUNE 2008 BASELINE SURVEY ON BASIC EDUCATION IN THE NORTHERN STATES OF SUDAN CONTENTS Acknowledgment ii Forward iii Executive Summary v Table of Contents vii List of Tables ix List of Figures x List of Abbreviations xi Chapter One: Background of the Survey Background Objectives of the survey Problems to be addressed Chapter Two: Current Situation of Basic Education in the Sudan General Profile of the Sudan Education Policy Structure of General Education a. Basic Education b. Secondary Education Current Situation: General Education Pre-School Education Gross Intake Gross Enrolment Indicators Quality of General Education Teachers and Classrooms Academic Performance Out-of-School Children Education Opportunities for Vulnerable Groups Financing Education Partners of Government in Basic Education Chapter Three: Methodology of the Study The Data Collection Instruments The Questionnaires The Manual The Training The Sample Design The Field Work Study Limitations Chapter Four: Major Findings of the Baseline Survey Introduction School Characteristics Ownership of Schools School Type Mode of Schooling Schools in IDPs Area vii

10 BASELINE SURVEY ON BASIC EDUCATION IN THE NORTHERN STATES OF SUDAN FINAL REPORT JUNE Access and Coverage Access to Pre-School Education Opportunities in Basic Schools Access and Participation in Basic Education a. Supply and Demand for Basic Education b. Gross and Net Intake Rates c. Gross and Net Enrolment Rate d. School Location e. Distance from Home to School School Environment a. Classrooms/Building Condition b. School Fence c. Source of Drinking Water d. Provision of Latrines e. School Furniture f. School Facilities Quality of Education Teachers by Sex Teachers Basic Qualifications Teachers Professional Training Pupil Teacher Ratio Length of School Academic Year Student Absenteeism Chalkboard Status Pupil Textbook Ratio by Grade Efficiency Promotion, Repetition and Dropout a. Promotion b. Repetition Rate c. Dropout Rate School Feeding Type of Feeding Program School Administration School Records Expenditure Non-Salary Expenditure Chapter Five: Conclusion and Recommendation Annexures Annex 1 Survey Materials Annex 2 Summary of Human Resources Annex 3 Additional Tables Annex 4 Education Indicators viii

11 FINAL REPORT JUNE 2008 BASELINE SURVEY ON BASIC EDUCATION IN THE NORTHERN STATES OF SUDAN LIST OF TABLES 2.2 Main Indicators of EFA Plan Gross Intake Rate for 15 Northern States Gross Intake Rate, , by State and Sex Gross Enrolment Rate, , by State and Sex Average Class Size and Pupil Teacher Ratio 2006/ Public Expenditure on Education % Distribution of the Sampled Schools The Distribution of the Sampled Schools According to Type and State Percentage Distribution of Schools by Ownership of School and State Percentage Distribution of Schools by Type and State Percentage Distribution of Schools by Mode and State Percentage Distribution of Schools in IDPs Area by State Percentage Distribution of Kindergartens Attached to Schools by State Children who have Completed Pre-school as % of those Admitted a1 Pupils Intake at Grade 1 as % of Applied a2 Children Admitted as % of Applied for Grade b1 Net and Gross Intake Rates by State and Sex c1 Gross Enrolment Rate by State and sex, c2 Reasons for Non-Enrolment d Percentage Distribution of Schools by Location e Percentage Distribution of Schools from Home in Km a Percentage Distribution of Classrooms According to Building Status b Percentage Distribution of Schools by Availability of Fence and by State c1 Percentage Distribution of Schools with Safe Drinking Water c2 Percentage Distribution of Schools by Source of Drinking Water and State d Percentage Distribution of Latrines According to Building Status by State e1 Pupils Seating by State e2 Seating Status for Pupils in Grade 1 by State e3 Seating of Pupils in Grade f1 Support Services f2 Educational Board and Parent-Teacher Association f3 Educational Council Participation Percentage Distribution of Teachers by State and sex Percentage Distribution of Teachers by Basic Qualification and State Teacher s Distribution by Training and Mode of Schooling Pupil Teacher Ratio by State Distribution of Schools by Number of Official School Days Reasons for Student Absenteeism Chalkboards Status Availability of Textbooks by Grade and Subject Distribution of Pupils According to Promotion, Tepetition and Dropout by Grade and Sex c Reasons for Dropout Percentage Distribution of Schools by Type of Feeding Program and State Percentage Distribution of Non-Salary Expenditure by State and Source Tables in Annexes Annex 2 Summary of Human Resources Involved in the Baseline Survey -2008/ Annex 3 Additional Tables Table 1 Percentage Distribution of Teachers by Teaching Load and State Table 2 Percentage Distribution of Teachers by Years of Service and State...83 Table 3 Percentage Distribution of Teachers by Grade and State Annex 4 Education Indicators from Baseline Survey ix

12 BASELINE SURVEY ON BASIC EDUCATION IN THE NORTHERN STATES OF SUDAN FINAL REPORT JUNE 2008 LIST OF FIGURES Percentage Distribution of Schools by Type a Pupils Admitted as Percentage of those who Applied at Same Age c Reasons for Non-Enrolment b School Fence c1 Main Source of Drinking Water c2 Distribution of Schools with Safe Drinking Water f1 School Facilities f2 Support Services Percentage Distribution of Teachers by Gender and State Teachers Basic Qualification Teachers Latest Training School Days Reasons for Absenteeism a Promotion Rate by Grade and Sex b Repetition Rate by Grade and Sex c1 Dropout Rate by Grade and Sex c2 Reasons for Dropout School Feeding in Northern States Percentage of Schools Served by School Feeding Programs School Records Non-Salary Expenditure by Source x

13 FINAL REPORT JUNE 2008 BASELINE SURVEY ON BASIC EDUCATION IN THE NORTHERN STATES OF SUDAN LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS DGEP EC EFA EMIS FMoGE GIS GoNU HQ MDG NGO NSSF PTC SBA SMoE TTI UNESCO UNICEF WFP Directorate-General of Educational Planning European Commission Education for All Education Management Information System Federal Ministry of General Education Geographical Information System Government of National Unity Headquarters Millennium Development Goals Non-governmental Organisation National State Support Fund Parent Teacher Committee School Baseline Assessment State Ministry of Education Teachers Training Institute United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation United Nations Children s Fund World Food Programme xi

14 CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER ONE BACKGROUND OF THE SURVEY

15 FINAL REPORT JUNE 2008 BASELINE SURVEY ON BASIC EDUCATION IN THE NORTHERN STATES OF SUDAN Background of the Survey 1.1 Background Sudan is in the midst of momentous political, social and economic transformation with the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in Throughout the peace process, leaders on both sides and international partners have cited the importance of quality education for economic and social recovery in the post-conflict period. The devastating effects that the war has had on basic social services, including the educational system is apparent. The specific situation of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and isolated vulnerable groups needs particular attention. Now is the opportune moment to address the most pressing problems facing education in Sudan during the post-conflict and recovery period. In order to implement the policies set by the Federal Ministry of Education, and to provide a cornerstone for constructive strategic planning during the post-conflict period, accurate and timely information and data is needed on education facilities and the educational process in Sudan. Following the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005, the Government of Sudan prepared to embark upon a comprehensive programme ( ) for the reconstruction and development of basic education throughout the country. The programme has eight overall objectives: improvement of access, coverage and efficiency development of new policies and strategies for education financing curriculum reform and development expansion and improvement of teacher education development and expansion of alternative learning opportunities for adults and adolescents development of improved technical and vocational education strengthening of education management systems and governance provision of effective programme co-ordination, monitoring and evaluation The Government of Sudan has prioritized the strengthening of education information systems as an integral part of improving the education system. The starting point of setting up of such a system is the establishment of programme baselines through a survey to provide data against key indicators with which to continuously 1

16 BASELINE SURVEY ON BASIC EDUCATION IN THE NORTHERN STATES OF SUDAN FINAL REPORT JUNE 2008 measure policy and programme effectiveness and impact. Such a survey would also support the implementation and monitoring of state and mahalya plans. Information for this purpose would eventually be systematically provided through a strengthened EMIS and a programme implementation monitoring system (PIMS). 1.2 Objectives of the Survey The primary objectives of the Baseline Survey are to: Provide the evidence base to strengthen policy decision making to facilitate the implementation of the strategic plan ( ) Strengthen the capacity of local and Federal MOE staff in the area of data collection and analysis 1.3 Problems to be Addressed The northern states of the Sudan have well established paper-based education information systems. However, data are not entirely reliable. Manually calculating values for indicators is a laborious process. The data are entered, with various degrees of aggregation, into a series of paper forms often bound into annual statistical year books. In some state education ministries, computers are available but data are not currently stored in databases although there is some use of spreadsheets for tabular display. In addition to periodic collection of data from schools, school mapping exercises have been carried out in selected localities. However, data are not in nationally standardized formats, are out-of-date and are neither collected nor processed and used in a timely manner for evidence-based decision making. If there were an efficient digital EMIS, much of the data needed would be available through an annual school census supplemented by sample surveys for additional information where necessary. In the meantime, a sample school and catch-ment area survey is necessary in order to gather baseline information. The sample survey will provide data against key education indicators related to access, quality, the learning environment, internal efficiency and information on the financing of education. Whatever the sources of the data, it was clearly not possible to collect, let alone process, data about every conceivable item in the various categories of information. It was therefore necessary to decide at an early stage which items of information and their associated indicators are most important and likely to be changed in consequence of programme interventions. The EFA indicators and those associated with the Millennium Development Goals are obvious candidates but there were undoubtedly others that are not routinely collected but can shed light on the overall situation of education. 2

17 FINAL REPORT JUNE 2008 BASELINE SURVEY ON BASIC EDUCATION IN THE NORTHERN STATES OF SUDAN By computerizing data storage and analysis it will be possible to remove the errors due to inaccurate compiling; provided that data are collected and entered accurately, the computer can then compile with perfect precision. The survey should therefore be viewed as a prelude to the establishment of a computerized EMIS as envisaged in the development programme. The results of the Sample Survey of the state of Education in Northern States of Sudan are presented and analyzed under the following main themes: School Characteristics Access & Coverage School environment Quality of Education Efficiency Expenditure School feeding School Administration 3

18 CHAPTER TWO CHAPTER TWO CURRENT SITUATION OF BASIC EDUCATION IN THE SUDAN

19 FINAL REPORT JUNE 2008 BASELINE SURVEY ON BASIC EDUCATION IN THE NORTHERN STATES OF SUDAN The Current Situation of Basic Education in the Sudan 2.1 General Profile of Sudan Sudan lies in the North Eastern part of Africa and shares borders with nine countries. The area of Sudan is KM. The population of the Sudan was estimated at 36.3 million in 2006 with an annual growth rate of 2.6%. According to the projection based on the 1993 census, the population under 15 years of age is estimated at 41.8%. The urban population is estimated to have increased from 25% in 1993 to 37.7% in Life Expectancy at birth is estimated at 54 years. The fertility rate is estimated at 4.1% while the average household size is 6.4 persons. From the social indicators the adult literacy rate was estimated at 57%. The employment ratio amounts to 52.3%. The active population between the ages of represents 52% of the total population. The rate of unemployment is considered to be 17.1% of the size of the labor force (8.8 millions) Sudan has registered significant economic growth rates since the discovery of oil. In 1999 Sudan began exporting crude oil. Increased oil production revived high industry and expanded export processing zones. Oil production continued to rise from 2003 and it constituted more than 80% of export earnings. In 2006, the industrial sector contributed 26.66% to the GDP while the services sector contributed 32.2 per cent. The growth rate of the GDP reached 10% in 2006 while the GNP per capita is US$ The major sector is Agriculture which is the main source of livelihood of the majority of the population that is 80% of the labor force. Agriculture also contributes 39.9% (value added % GDP). Sudan is a tolerant multiracial and multicultural society endowed with vast expanses of arable land and diverse cultures. Sudan has a decentralized Federal system of governance and is divided into 25 states. Each state is governed by a governor called a Wali supported by a number of ministers. 2.2 Education Policy The Federal Ministry of General Education seeks to implement the following general policies drawn from the Education Sector Strategic Plan To provide education opportunities in order to achieve balance in its opportunities between the states and the groups and then to become generalized and compulsory. 2. To adopt the strategic educational planning to develop the educational database. 3. To develop works of examinations and educational evaluation. 4. To enable those who pass the basic education certificate examination to continue their secondary education. 5

20 BASELINE SURVEY ON BASIC EDUCATION IN THE NORTHERN STATES OF SUDAN FINAL REPORT JUNE To promote education quality by providing inputs, improving the school environment and improving the performance. 6. To ensure education opportunities to the vulnerable groups, waraffected groups, adults and those who are in the age of the general education. 7. To link education with the community needs. 8. To develop the goals and content of the curricula, methods and evaluation in order to keep up with the updates and to meet the needs of the learners. 9. To professionalize education and to take care of the selection, preparation, qualification, training and improving the conditions of the teacher. 10. To seek stabilizing, achieving the social security and cementing unity ties. 11. To enhance the culture of resistance and to maintain the identity through the educational curricula and activities. 12. To coordinate between the Ministry, States and the concerned educational organs. 13. To make use of the technological advancement in generalizing, enhancing and implementing the educational programme. 14. To achieve justice and equality in education opportunities by giving due concern to the education of the persons of the special needs and children affected by conflicts and natural disasters. 15. To upgrade those who work in the general education by training. 16. To develop curricula that suit pre-school children and another parallel curricula for the children outside the school. 17. To complete the educational structure and infrastructure under the Federal Rule. 18. To establish a fund for financing education and taking care of the education economics through research and studies. 19. To establish the National Council for the Educational Planning. 20. To broaden the international cooperation with friendly countries and organizations. 21. To support the participation of students. These policies represent Sudan s response to the CRC, EFA and MDG goals. The nation committed to these instruments, and 6

21 FINAL REPORT JUNE 2008 BASELINE SURVEY ON BASIC EDUCATION IN THE NORTHERN STATES OF SUDAN implements them in partnership with UN agencies and donors. Within the policy framework, the Government of National Unity seeks to reform the education system to: (i) Close the gender gap and regional imbalances; (ii) Expand opportunities towards compulsory universal basic education, including access to pre-school education (iii) Improve quality and relevance through an improved national curriculum; improved efficiency of the education system education and (iv) Adopting the principle of participation in the financing of education. In monitoring the implementation of the EFA and MDG goals in Sudan, the following key indicators are used. No. Table2.2 Main Indicators of EFA plan Main Indicators Progress Achieved Targeted 2007 Targeted Gross enrolment for preschool education (4-6) 24.7% ( ) 35% 50% 2 Gross intake ratio for grade(1) age (6) 69.7% ( ) 90% 100% 3 Gross enrolment in Basic education (6-13) 66.2% ( ) 72.5% 82.4% 4 Gross enrolment for secondary education (14-16) 26..3% 40% 75% 5 Percentage of students benefiting from non-government basic education 6.9% 10% 10 % 6 Share of education from general expenditure. 2.9% 6% 10 % Source:.MOGE, Ed. Planning 2007./EFA Report 7

22 BASELINE SURVEY ON BASIC EDUCATION IN THE NORTHERN STATES OF SUDAN FINAL REPORT JUNE Structure of General Education The education system is composed of two main education levels which are: A. Basic Education B. Secondary Education A. Basic Education Basic education is divided into two sub-successive education levels: 1. Pre-education level (Khalwas and kindergartens) in which the education begins at age 4 and ends at Basic education level begins at age 6 and ends at age 13. B. Secondary Education This education level is composed of two types: 1. Academic education: This is a three-year programme at the end of which the students sit for Sudan certificate exam and compete to participate in higher education. 2. Technical education: This contains 4 different types of education which takes three years, each these types are: Commercial education Industrial education Home Science Agriculture It should be noted that many schools are not included in this structure of general education. Many have their own syllabi according to their objectives and needs. These institutions are: Religious institutions Vocational training centres Vocational industrial schools 2.4 Current Situation: General Education Pre-School Education The Sudan GER for pre-school education is estimated at 23%, while the national target is 35%. However there are regional disparities in access to pre-school education ranging from 8% in South Kordofan to 39.0% in White Nile Gross Intake The FMoGE statistical yearbooks for the years to show the following trends in GER between the school years 2000/2001 to 2006/2007. The number of pupils admitted in grade 1 in 2006/2007 school year in the 15 northern States was 777,264 (350,602 girls, 426,662 boys). The gross intake increased from 553,346 in 2000/2001 school year to 777,264 in 2006/2007 school year However, due to the estimated population figures from the CBS for the period to that are based on 1993 Population Census, the gross intake expressed in percentages is 73.1% for and 73% for the year

23 FINAL REPORT JUNE 2008 BASELINE SURVEY ON BASIC EDUCATION IN THE NORTHERN STATES OF SUDAN Gender disparities prevail in enrolment at grade 1 at a gender gap of 13 percentage points. Geographic disparities also prevail. Whereas in Northern State the intake rate was 93.3% (89.6% girls, 96.9% boys), it was 53.1% (49.7% girls, 56.4% boys) in South Kordofan. Table Gross Intake Rate for 15 Northern States Year Pupils Pop at age 6 Gross Intake (%) % Male % Female % Both 2000/ / / / / / / Source: FMOGE, Ed Planning, Statistical Yearbooks from Estimates of population at age 6 for the years to are taken from CBS. While progress has been made in gross intake rate, this is still short by 17% from the EFA Plan target of 90% for The Table below shows the gross intake rate of pupils during 2006/07 by state and sex of pupils. This table shows that regional disparities among the states and between boys and girls still exist. Table Gross Intake rate, , by State and Sex State Female Male Both sexes Northern River Nile Khartoum Gezira Blue Nile Sinnar White Nile North Kordofan South Kordofan North Darfur South Darfur West Darfur Red Sea Kassala Gadaref States

24 BASELINE SURVEY ON BASIC EDUCATION IN THE NORTHERN STATES OF SUDAN FINAL REPORT JUNE Gross Enrolment Ratio (FMOGE, ) indicators (5) The enrolment figures available for all of the 15 northern states for the year indicate that total enrolment in basic education (excluding pre-school education) was 4,237,907 (1,912,933 girls and 2,324,974 boys). The gross enrolment rate (GER) for the 15 northern states was reported to be 58.8% (74.9% for boys and 61.8% for girls). Within the 15 northern states, the gender gap is 13.1%. Geographic disparities are also great among regions. The GER in the River Nile State is the highest at 88.2% (82.3% girls and 94.1% boys), followed by the White Nile 86.9% (79.9% girls, 94.0% boys). The lowest GER is in Kassala State 46.4% (36.9% girls, 55.9% boys) followed by South Kordofan with 51.4% overall (44.2% girls and 58.6% boys). Even in the States with the highest GER the gender gap is more than 10 percentage points. Considering that the northern States of Sudan have an EFA target for 2007 of GER of 72.5%, a lower GER implies that stronger efforts are needed to reach the GER target of 82.4% in Table Gross Enrolment Rate, , by State and Sex State Female Male Both sexes Northern River Nile Khartoum El Gezira Blue Nile Sinnar White Nile North Kordofan South Kordofan North Darfur South Darfur West Darfur Red Sea Kassala El Gadaref Northern States - GER % The factors affecting enrolment in basic education include: 1. population size and growth 2. population mobility 3. the educational level of the parents 4. the economic conditions of society. 10

25 FINAL REPORT JUNE 2008 BASELINE SURVEY ON BASIC EDUCATION IN THE NORTHERN STATES OF SUDAN 2.5 Quality of General Education Teachers and classrooms The total number of teachers in general education reached 227,166 in 2007 of which are in pre-school. For basic education the total number of teachers is 145,999; (91,777 females, 54,222 males). The average pupils teacher ratio in basic education is 1:35, lower than the 1:40 standard ratio for many developing countries while the average class size was 45 pupils/class. Although overall the ratio seems low to the advantage of Sudanese children, significant regional variations exist especially in Darfur States. Whereas the class size could exceed more than 100 pupils; this is especially in Urban areas while in rural areas the average number of class size is less than 25 per class. The same can be argued about pupilsteacher. The percentage of trained teachers in basic education was estimated to be 66.3%. This percentage is significantly lower than the targeted 80% for 2006/2007. The ratio of pupils to trained teacher was 1:44 in 2006/2007. Teachers training courses in educational sciences and teaching methods varied between short courses, for up to two weeks, to long courses lasting for two to six months. Table Average class size and Pupil Teacher Ratio 2006/2007 State Pupil Teacher Ratio Pupils /class Northern River Nile Red Sea Kassala Algadarif Khartoum Algazeera White Nile Sinnar Blue Nile North Kordofan South Kordofan North Darfur West Darfur South Darfur Total Source: FMOGE, Ed. Planning 2006/

26 BASELINE SURVEY ON BASIC EDUCATION IN THE NORTHERN STATES OF SUDAN FINAL REPORT JUNE Academic Performance The 2006/2007 education statistics show that of the 333,856 pupils (148,055 females, 185,801 males) who sat to the Basic school certificate exams in the 15 northern States, 237,730 (71.2%) succeeded (among them 106,647 or 72% girls and 131,083 or 70.5% boys). In nine of the fifteen States girls performed better than boys. The widest performance gap in favour of girls was eight percentage points in Gezira and Gedaref States. The widest performance gap in favour of boys was seven percentage points in West Darfur state Out of School Children Although the rate of illiteracy among adolescents 9 14 years was 47% (33% males, 61% females) in 2006/2007, the number of beneficiaries from literacy programs reached 87,748 students. A total of 5313 classes were being taught by 3215 teachers in More girls than boys seem to have enrolled in out of school adolescent education programmes than boys. 2.6 Education Opportunities for Vulnerable Groups (including displaced and nomadic children) It is to be noted that in some parts of the country tribal conflicts have led to outbreak of war resulting thereby to population displacement. However other factors leading to displacement have included natural disasters such as floods. An estimated 179,444 children (54% boys, 46% girls) in displaced communities were in school in 2006/2007. They are mostly in the Darfurs. This type of education depends mostly on volunteer teachers from civil society organisations. The shortage of textbooks is among the reported challenges. The number of children out of school is thought to be increasing dramatically. The Sudan Household Health survey of 2006/2007 reported a net attendance rate of 67%, 46% and 56% in North, West and South Darfur respectively. In addition secondary level age children attending basic education was estimated at 45%, 44% and 45% in the three states respectively. In nomadic schools, basic education services are provided up to the fourth grade. The number of schools reached 1285 in 2006/2007 school year with a total number of pupils of 134, 138 with an annual growth rate of 16%. The nomadic education needs to be completed up to the eighth grade. However it is believed that boarding schools could encourage increased enrolments of nomadic children, although their sustainability remains a major issue especially in food insecure areas. 12

27 FINAL REPORT JUNE 2008 BASELINE SURVEY ON BASIC EDUCATION IN THE NORTHERN STATES OF SUDAN 2.7 Financing Education Expenditure on education as a percentage of public expenditure was reported to be 2.9%, while public expenditure on education was less than 1% of GDP in The figures show a very insignificant proportion of government expenditure was allocated for the education sector. In Mahalyas, schools are run through the imposition of certain taxes. This policy is relatively new in the Sudanese administrative system and has not been evaluated to establish its degree of efficacy. Table 2.7 Public eexpenditure on Education %: * % of ed. Expenditure from public expenditure % of ed. Sector from GDP Source: Ministry of Finance and National Economy *2005 data was estimated The low level of government investment in education stems from the fact that Basic Education and other services are constitutionally the responsibility of the locality administration which has a weak resource base to afford to meet the cost of basic education. It is important to note that around 80% of locality resources are allocated to basic education, largely to meet recurrent costs. Recent studies show that 80-85% of the expenditure of localities on basic education goes to teacher s salaries, while the remaining covers other educational activities. 2.8 Partners of Government in Basic Education Most communities have been playing an important role in providing different types of support for schools. It is believed that educational councils provide assistance to running the daily affairs of the schools. International organizations and other regional and NGoNU are also providing significant assistance (including school feeding and other essential services). 13

28 CHAPTER THREE CHAPTER THREE METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY

29 FINAL REPORT JUNE 2008 BASELINE SURVEY ON BASIC EDUCATION IN THE NORTHERN STATES OF SUDAN Methodology of the Study This part of the report deals with the methodology followed and tools used to collect the data. A summary of five aspects will be mentioned, together with some details supplemented in the Annex 1. These aspects are: 1) Data collection instruments i) The questionnaires used for data collection. ii) 2) The manual. 3) The training. Observation: some comments were received from the interviewers in the fieldwork regarding their observations towards certain answers by the respondents. 4) The sample design and sample size. 5) The field work. 3.1 The Data Collection Instruments The Questionnaires Four separate questionnaires were used in data collection: i) The School Questionnaire was completed by the School Headmaster. ii) iii) iv) The Teacher s Questionnaire was completed by the Grade Supervisor. The School Educational Council (Board) and School Mothers Friends Questionnaire was completed by the school Headmaster or a member of the Board. This was a combined questionnaire. The Locality (Mahalya) Questionnaire was completed by the authorities in the Locality. This included information on the total number of schools of all types including single sex, co-educational and nomadic schools, as well as the total number of pupils by locality to each state. All the four questionnaires are given at Annex 1 i) School Questionnaire The School Questionnaire contained 20 modules. Each module contained questions that asked about a particular topic. The modules were identified by a module name. 15

30 BASELINE SURVEY ON BASIC EDUCATION IN THE NORTHERN STATES OF SUDAN FINAL REPORT JUNE 2008 ii) The Teacher s Questionnaire This questionnaire was used to collect information about: 1) Reasons for dropping-out from school. 2) Reasons for absenteeism from school. iii) The School Educational Council (Board) and School Mothers Friends This questionnaire included the following: 1) The Relationship between School Council and School Friends, and their activities in the school. 2) Food preparation and management 3) Activities of Parent- Teacher Associations, (if they existed). iv) The Locality (Mahalya) Questionnaire This questionnaire included simple questions about the locality, the number of schools, and position of schools. 3.2 The Manual A practical manual of instructions for field workers was designed to show then how to handle an interview and fill the questionnaires, namely, that of the school, the teacher, and the educational council. The manual provided guidelines to the interviewer on each question. The manual was written in both Arabic and English languages. A copy of the manual is attached in Annex The Training The training was conducted for the following survey teams: Master trainers, i.e. trainers of trainees State coordinators Local level enumerators Data entry teams A training of trainers (TOT) was provided in Khartoum, from 18 to 22 August, 2007, to 34 participants, selected from Directorate General of Education Planning and representatives from States Ministries of Education. The production of training materials was a major outcome of this work. 16