The SOFIE Project (Strengthening open and flexible learning to increase educational access for young people in high HIV prevalence areas of Malawi and Lesotho) www.ioe.ac.uk/sofie

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The SOFIE Project(Strengthening open and
flexible learning to increase educational access
for young people in high HIV prevalence areas of
Malawi and Lesotho)www.ioe.ac.uk/sofie
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Rationale for the SOFIE Project

• One of the broader forces structuring
  young people's vulnerability to HIV is access to
  schooling.
• Keeping young people in school has
  been linked to lower risk of HIV infection.
• In the context of poverty young people
  affected by HIV frequently have reduced access
  to traditional schooling.
• More appropriate, open and flexible
  models of schooling and support need to be
  developed to protect the right to schooling in
  high HIV prevalence areas.

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Project partners

• Institute of Education, University of London
  (IoE) Pat Pridmore
  and Chris Yates
• South African Institute for Distance Education
  (SAIDE) Tessa Welch and Ephraim Mhlanga
• Institute of Education, National University of
  Lesotho Thabiso Nyabanyaba
• Centre for Educational Research and Training
  (CERT), University of Malawi Catherine Moleni
• Harvard University, School of Education
  Matthew Jukes

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Central Research Question

• To what extent can barriers to education access
  and achievement presented by HIV and AIDS be
  overcome using more open, and flexible models of
  learning and support as a complement to
  conventional schooling?

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• Subsidiary Research Questions
• What ODFL initiatives, structures and networks
  are in place to deliver education to young people
  in high HIV prevalence areas?
• What factors influence access to conventional
  schooling for children affected by HIV and AIDS?
• To what extent can access be increased through
  strengthening and expanding more open and
  flexible learning and support to complement
  conventional schooling?

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Methodology

• Step 1 Situational analysis a series of
  background desk studies - to address RQ 1.
• Step 2 Case studies in Malawi and Lesotho to
  identify barriers to education at the
  household level and school level in four
  contrasting communities severely affected by
  HIV/AIDS - to Address RQ 2.
• Step 3 Interventions through schools to expand
  and strengthen open and flexible learning and
  support and thereby reduce drop out and
  increase attainment - evaluated using an
  experimental design to address RQ 3.

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Family/household level factors influencing
access to schooling

• Shocks from malnutrition and infection.
• Constantly changing household organisation and
  child migration.
• Increased poverty and demand for child labour.
• Family skepticism and intra-household
  discrimination against orphans.
• Trauma, stress, child abuse and unplanned
  pregnancy.
• Loss of social cohesion.

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School level factors

• Lack of support for the special
  educational needs of HIV-affected children.
• Gender based violence, stigma and
  discrimination.
• Reduced supply and quality of
  education.

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Key strategies for educational interventions

• More open and flexible delivery of the national
  curriculum together with strengthening of support
  systems and structures.
• Identification and monitoring of vulnerable
  children by school managers and teachers and
  provision of pastoral care and counselling.
• Improving the quality of the educational
  provision.
• Strengthening community cohesion and
  participation to support the special educational
  needs of vulnerable children.
• Promotion of childrens rights and strengthening
  of child protection legislation.

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Key factors for success Open and
flexibledelivery of curriculum strong
school-community links

• The community schools in Burkina Faso, Zambia and
  Malawi
• The Escuela Nueva self-study learner guides
  piloted in Zambia and Uganda,
• The Schools as Centres for Care and Support
  Project in South Africa.

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More open and flexible curriculum

• Interactive Radio Instruction (IRI) programme,
  called Tikwere (Lets climb), broadcast
  nationally on the Malawi Broadcasting
  Corporation.
• A complementary basic education (CBE) Programme
  in Malawi delivered by unemployed secondary
  school leavers to 9 -17 year olds.
• The Mindset Cabanga and Mindset Learn Programmes
  in South Africa which deliver the curriculum to
  grades 10 - 12 using digital learning materials
  delivered through satellite communication to
  schools.
• The Namibian College of Open Learnings (NAMCOL)
  Open Learning Approach providing secondary
  education and their E-Learning Pilot Project
  providing Grade 10 and 12 learners in Mathematics
  and Science.
• Second chance secondary education delivered
  through the Malawi College of Distance Education
  (MCDC) and the Lesotho Distance Teaching Centre
  (LDTC).
• Literacy programmes for herd boys and child
  domestic workers delivered through the Lesotho
  Association for Non-Formal Education (LANFE)

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Strengthening school community links

• The Circles of Support initiative
  developed by the Soul City Institute in South
  Africa.
• The establishment of mothers groups
  in primary schools and a few secondary schools
  in Malawi.

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A more appropriate model of schooling
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Preconditions for new models of schooling to
take root

• Greater flexibility.
• Increased resourcefulness and openness to change.
  
• Tolerance for diverse solutions and models.
• Willingness to loosen up bureaucratic constraints
  and procedures.
• Co-operation and collaboration with several
  partners.
• Meaningful decentralization based upon school
  autonomy and effective participation of local
  stakeholders.
• Free primary education and essential schooling
  costs covered.

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• Welcome to the SOFIE website
• www.ioe.ac.uk/sofie