Equity, Gender and Quality in Education

1. Equity, Gender and Quality in Education Gender inequalities in teaching and learning processes & outcomes UNGEI GAC meeting 11-12 September 2008 Kathmandu GROUP 3

2. Key priorities in promoting gender equality: • Data collection, monitoring and evaluation • The role of teachers • Child and community participation • Working with parents • Advocacy and awareness raising • Local and relevant curriculum • Conceptualising gender in quality education

3. Data collection, monitoring & evaluation • Data disaggregated by gender and other exclusionary factors: ethnicity; language; caste; disability; religion; and poverty • Mapping exclusion at the community level and identifying multiple barriers to learning • Data disaggregated by age and grade to monitor attendance, completion and survival rates • Systemic overhaul of the school inspectorate services • Code of conduct and school-based monitoring systems • Mainstreaming of gender in School Development Planning

4. The role of teachers • Mobilise and engage teachers as key change agents and role models • Ensure teachers are at core of processes promoting gender equality • Ensure a good gender parity and equality within the teaching profession • Promote teacher collaboration with children and communities through participatory development of CofC and SDP • School-based professional development activities to ensure gender-responsive classroom practice

5. Child & Community Participation • Gender equality and equity need to be addressed beyond the school walls • Ensure quality participation of children and parents extended into community-wide initiatives • Provide information, ideas and skills to allow children and community to: - Address their identified needs, interests and priorities - Advocate and demand rights from duty-bearers

6. Working with Parents • Strategies to promote girl’s education also need to extend to mothers • Promote literacy of mothers to promote their role as change agents • Engage fathers, often the head and key decision-maker in the household to raise awareness and change attitudes

7. Advocacy • Key components of a grassroots advocacy campaign: Quality participation; effective data collection and analysis; mobilized and engaged teachers; literate mothers and engaged fathers • Establish networks and linkages within and across levels and enhance collaboration with research and academic institutions • Document and disseminate examples of success in girls education and impact of on girls and their communities • Identify girl/women role models and promote children, especially girls , as champions for female participation

8. Local and relevant curriculum: • Enhance enrolment, attendance and completion of girl children by providing livelihoods training to both children and parents • Curriculum is that is locally relevant and reflects the needs and interests of the child / family increase commitment to girl’s education • Local curricula should be developed in collaboration with all stakeholders and delivered through either the formal education system or alternative education programmes • Linking local curriculum to the local labour market

9. Conceptualising gender in quality education • Clear articulation of quality education and how it embodies key principles of gender equality and equity to provide a common vision and purpose • Flexible to contextualization at the local level to ensure the community’s values, traditions and priorities are recognized and respected • Linked to human rights legislation framework and emphasising transformative nature of education