Post on 19-Mar-2017
Literacy in Fragile Environments: Guiding Principles and Real Examples
Stephen Luke, EdD | sluke@fhi360.orgJulia Frazier, PhD | jfrazier@fhi360.org
CIES
2017
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bit.ly/CIES2017
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OUTLINE• Introducing FHI 360• Fragility/Development Continuum• Characteristics/Features of:
– Students– Teachers– Governments & Systems– Families & Communities
• Examples of Principled Responses
Health
Nutrition
Education
Economic
Civil Society +
Research
Gender
Youth+ Social
Marketing
FHI 360: A Comprehensive Approach to Human Development
Environment
Technology
Peacebuilding
Communication
Development+ Livelihoods
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FRAGILITY/DEVELOPMENT CONTINUUM
HUMANITARIANRELIEF
REHABILITATION/RECOVERY
DEVELOPMENT/GROWTH
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CRISIS RESPONSE INITIATIVE
FLICKR@utenriksdept
GOVERNMENTS• Not fully resourced or
staffed• Poor school infrastructure• Curriculum may be in flux• Assessment and data are difficult
WHAT MAKES FRAGILITY DIFFERENT?
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STUDENTS• Late start or disrupted schooling• Experienced trauma or stress• Difficulty concentrating• Language of instruction
may change
TEACHERS• Often underqualified • Trauma or loss
• Language of instruction may change
• Linguistic, social, cultural environments may have shifted
COMMUNITIES• Threat of insecurity
• Experiencing effects of displacement
• Often sole money-earner
CONSIDERATIONS FOR LITERACY IN FRAGILE CONTEXTS
• Policy, governance, and infrastructure• Language policy in education• Teachers, professional development, and support• Curriculum and materials• Communities and families• Youth and adults
From: Zakharia and Bartlett (2014). Literacy Education in Conflict and Crisis-Affected Contexts. Washington, DC, USAID
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CONSIDERATIONS FOR LITERACY IN FRAGILE CONTEXTS
• Policy, governance, and infrastructure• Language policy in education• Teachers, professional development, and support• Curriculum and materials• Communities and families• Youth and adults
From: Zakharia and Bartlett (2014). Literacy Education in Conflict and Crisis-Affected Contexts. Washington, DC, USAID
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1. Policy, governance, and infrastructure…
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1.POLICY, GOVERNANCE & INFRASTRUCTURE
• Infrastructure and financial/human resources may be compromised
• Bureaucracy and turnover may slow decision making• Data about schools, teachers, students, and learning
outcomes is lacking• Schools may have no or minimal facilities• There could be more than one government or
ministry to work with• In refugee settings, it may be hard to access the
ministry of education in host or home countries
Photo credit: American Wildlife Federation
13 13Photo credit: Nathalie Louge
DRC: ACCELERE! (USAID)
CHALLENGES:• Limited Ministry Capacity/Human Resources
• E.g., Not enough school inspectors• Many schools difficult to access from district offices
14 14Photo credit: Nathalie Louge
DRC: ACCELERE! (USAID)
RESPONSE:• Work directly with head teachers to provide support
for teacher learning
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Photo credit: Neil Branvold
DRC: ACCELERE! (USAID)
RESPONSE:• Leverage support via community reading mobilizers
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2. TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
• May be undertrained and have low levels of education • May not be strong in the LOI or community language and
language might be conflated with ethnicity and could influence literacy education when there are ethnic conflicts
• May have experienced trauma or may have extended family depending on them
• May be far from their families and communities or may have been displaced with them
• May be directly targeted during conflict • Play an important role in mitigating (or exacerbating) the
effects of conflict on learners
FLIKR@UNMISS MEDIA
17 17Photo credit: Emily Koester
SOUTH SUDAN: ROOM TO LEARN (USAID)
CHALLENGES:• Low levels of prior training• Limited English language skills• Lack of teaching & learning materials• Curriculum under revision
18 18Photo credit: Emily Koester
SOUTH SUDAN: ROOM TO LEARN (USAID)
RESPONSE:• Materials development workshops
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SOUTH SUDAN: ROOM TO LEARN (USAID)
RESPONSE:• Key Information
Cards
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3. FAMILIES & COMMUNITIES
• Structures may have changed as a result of displacement or of having to spend more time attempting to meet basic needs
• Support for literacy programs may be more difficult to get under these conditions
• Have an important role to play to offer psychosocial support to children and teachers
• Sometimes it is communities themselves who make schooling possible by building schools and paying teachers
• Social cohesion may be threatened because of conflict
FLICKR @USAID_IMAGES
21 21Photo credit: FHI 360, RANA
NIGERIA: RANA (UNICEF)
CHALLENGES:• Ongoing threats of violence/abductions• Discontinuity of services
22 22Photo credit: FHI 360, RANA
SOUTH SUDAN: ROOM TO LEARN (USAID)
RESPONSE:• Engaging traditional community leaders• Inviting community leader participation in
assessment activities, monitoring, and policy discussions
• Inviting each community to appoint a Reading Champion
• Assisting communities to write Community Leadership Action Guides
23 23Photo credit: FHI 360, RANA
THANK YOU!
Stephen Luke, EdD: sluke@fhi360.orgJulia Frazier, PhD: jfrazier@fhi360.org