Open Research Online The Open University’s repository of research publications and other research outputs Delivering Quality Early Learning In Low-Resource Settings: Progress And Challenges In Ethiopia Other How to cite: Orkin, Kate; Yadete, Workneh A. and Woodhead, Martin (2012). Delivering Quality Early Learning In Low- Resource Settings: Progress And Challenges In Ethiopia. Bernard van Leer Foundation, The Hague/ Netherlands. For guidance on citations see FAQs. (cid:13)c 2012 by the Bernard van Leer Foundation, The Netherlands Version: Version of Record Link(s) to article on publisher’s website: http://www.bernardvanleer.org/English/Home/Publications/Catalogue/Delivering-quality-early-learning-in-low-resource-settings-Progress-and-challenges-in-Ethiopia.pdf Copyright and Moral Rights for the articles on this site are retained by the individual authors and/or other copyright owners. For more information on Open Research Online’s data policy on reuse of materials please consult the policies page. oro.open.ac.uk 59 WORKING PAPERS IN Delivering quality Early Childhood Development early learning in low-resource settings Progress and challenges in Ethiopia Kate Orkin, Workneh Abebe Yadete STUDIES IN and Martin Woodhead Early Childhood Transitions Studies in Early Childhood Transitions This working paper is part of a series on early transitions from Young Lives, a 15 year longitudinal study of child- hood poverty in Ethiopia, India, Peru, and Vietnam. Further information about Young Lives research is available on the website: www.younglives.org.uk Also in the Series Vogler, P., Crivello, G., and Woodhead, M. (2008). ‘Early childhood transitions research: A review of concepts, theory, and practice.’ Working Paper 48: Studies in Early Childhood Transitions. The Hague: Bernard van Leer Foundation. Woodhead, M., Ames, P., Vennam, U., Abebe, W., and Streuli, N. (2009). ‘Equity and quality? Challenges for early childhood and primary education in Ethiopia, India, and Peru.’ Working Paper 55: Studies in Early Childhood Transitions. The Hague: Bernard van Leer Foundation. Ames, P., Rojas, V., and Portugal, T. ‘Continuity and respect for diversity: Strengthening early transitions in Peru.’ (2010). Working Paper 56: Studies in Early Childhood Transitions. The Hague: Bernard van Leer Foundation. Streuli, N., Vennam, V., and Woodhead, M. (2011). ‘Increasing choice or inequality? Pathways through early education in Andhra Pradesh, India.’ Working Paper 58: Studies in Early Childhood Transitions. The Hague: Bernard van Leer Foundation. Cover photo: A church run pre-school in Ethiopia © Jorgen Schytte/Specialist Stock. Design: Valetti, vormgeving en communicatie, The Hague, The Netherlands (www.valetti.nl) Editing and proofreading: Green Ink (www.greenink.co.uk) 59 WORKING PAPERS IN Delivering quality Early Childhood Development early learning in low-resource settings Progress and challenges in Ethiopia By Kate Orkin, Workneh Abebe Yadete and Martin Woodhead STUDIES IN Early Childhood Transitions September 2012 Copyright © 2012 by the Bernard van Leer Foundation, The Netherlands. The Bernard van Leer Foundation encourages fair use – except modifications – of this material. Proper citation is requested. This publication may not be resold for profit. The views expressed in this publication are those of the author and are not necessarily those of the Bernard van Leer Foundation. About the authors Kate Orkin is a Research Associate at Young Lives in Oxford. She is a DPhil candidate in Development Studies at the Uni- versity of Oxford. Her research in rural Ethiopia uses qualitative and econometric methods to analyse how factors, such as the length of the school day, language of instruction and teacher quality affect children’s participation and achievement at school. Orkin has consulted for the World Bank and has designed and supported the management of surveys in Ethio- pia for the International Food Policy Research Institute and for Young Lives. Workneh Abebe Yadete is an Education Researcher at Young Lives in Ethiopia. He led data collection for the first school survey run by Young Lives in 2010. His research has focused on the educational experiences of pre-primary and primary school-aged children. Prior to his work on the Young Lives school survey, Yadete worked as a researcher with Young Lives on two rounds of qualitative research in 2007 and 2008 and for the Wellbeing in Developing Countries (WeD) Poverty, Inequality, and Quality of Life research project. He worked for five years as a practitioner in child protection and currently heads operations at SOS Enfants Ethiopie in Addis Ababa. Yadete holds a MA in History from Addis Ababa University. Martin Woodhead is Professor of Childhood Studies at the Open University and Associate Research Director of Young Lives at the University of Oxford. He led the Young Lives/Bernard van Leer Foundation sub-study on early childhood tran- sitions. His thirty year research career has included a focus on early childhood development, education, and care and has involved policy studies, extensive international work and numerous publications. Citation Orkin, K., Abebe, W., Yadete and Woodhead, M. (2012). Delivering quality early learning in low-resource settings: Progress and challenges in Ethiopia. Working Paper No. 59, Studies in Early Childhood Transitions. The Hague, The Netherlands: Bernard van Leer Foundation ISSN 1383-7907 ISBN 978-90-6195-126-1 Contents Acronyms v Acknowledgements vii Executive summary ix Introduction 1 Chapter 1: Early childhood in sub-Saharan Africa: Opportunities and challenges 5 Chapter 2: Early childhood and primary education in Ethiopia 15 Chapter 3: Studying early childhood transitions in Ethiopia 33 Chapter 4: Unequal pathways into education: Case studies from an urban community 47 Chapter 5: Accessing ‘Education for All’: Multiple challenges in a rural community 61 Chapter 6: Discussion and conclusions 75 Appendix: The Young Lives communities 83 References 85 vii Acronyms c-IMCI Community-based Integrated Management of Childhood Illness CREATE Consortium for Research on Educational Access CSA Central Statistics Agency DfID United Kingdom Department for International Development DHS Demographic and Health Survey DRC Democratic Republic of Congo ECCE Early Childhood Care and Education ECD Early Childhood Development EFA Education For All EPRDF Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front ESDP Education Sector Development Plan ETP Education Training Policy FBO Faith-Based Organisation FTI Fast-Track Initiative GEQIP General Education Quality Improvement Programme GER Gross Enrolment Rate HDI Human Development Index KG Kindergarten Group LDC Least-Developed Country LKG Lower Kindergarten MDG Millennium Development Goals NER Net Enrolment Rate NGO Non-Governmental Organisation NLA National Learning Assessment PRSP Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper PSNP Productive Safety Net Programme SNNPR Southern Nations, Nationalities and People’s Region UKG Upper Kindergarten UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund USAID United States Agency for International Development TTI Teacher Training Institute YL Young Lives ix Acknowledgements Young Lives is an innovative, longitudinal study provided by the Bernard van Leer Foundation investigating the changing nature of childhood to the Open University as a Young Lives partner. poverty. Young Lives is tracking 12,000 children in Ethiopia, India (Andhra Pradesh), Peru and We thank Paul Dornan, Suadik Hassen, Lynette Vietnam over 15 years through a quantitative Okengo and Alula Pankhurst for their com- survey and participatory qualitative research, ments and suggestions. We acknowledge Natalia linked to policy analysis. Young Lives seeks to: Streuli’s contributions to the development of (cid:113)(cid:243) improve understanding of the causes and this paper, until her untimely death in Febru- consequences of childhood poverty and ary 2012. We thank Gina Crivello and Laura to examine how policies affect children’s Camfield for their role in coordinating Young well-being; Lives early transitions qualitative research and (cid:113)(cid:243) inform the development and implementa- the Ethiopian team members Yisak Tafere and tion of future policies and practices that Asham Assezinew for their support in data col- will reduce childhood poverty. lection. We thank the children and families who participate in Young Lives research, as well as Young Lives is receiving core funding from 2001 the teachers and head teachers who open their to 2017 from the UK Department for Interna- schools and classrooms to us. Further informa- tional Development (DfID) for the benefit of tion about Young Lives is available at: developing countries and is co-funded by the www.younglives.org.uk. Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2010 to 2014. Sub-studies are funded by the The views expressed here are those of the Inter-American Development Bank (in Peru), authors. They are not necessarily those of, or the International Development Research Centre endorsed by Young Lives, the University of (in Ethiopia), and the Oak Foundation. Support Oxford, DfID or other funders. for focused research on early transitions was