Schools have the potential to transform girls’ lives, unlocking the door to future opportunities, better health and greater autonomy. But in many places, schooling falls short of that aspiration.
In May, global educators gathered at the World Education Forum in Korea to agree on a post-2015 global education agenda. In June, the US first lady Michelle Obama visited the UK to help launch a UK/US partnership that will invest nearly $200m (£128m) in supporting girls’ education in countries affected by conflict, starting with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Next week, global educators will gather again, this time in Norway at the Oslo summit on education for development. There, they will work to strengthen and renew political commitments on education and improving learning outcomes for children worldwide.
And in September, world leaders will gather at the UN general assembly in New York to adopt the sustainable development goals, which will replace the millennium development goals and shape the international development agenda until 2030.
Given this growing momentum, now is clearly the time to ensure global organisations are committed to using rigorous evidence to improve education.
Girls face more barriers to learning than boys, particularly around the time of puberty. Understanding the relationship between events in girls’ lives and their ability to succeed in school will be key to achieving not only the post-2015 education goals but arguably the other development goals as well.
Over the past 25 years, access to school has increased dramatically. The gender gap has narrowed. More girls than ever are in school, and they are staying in school longer. Even in the developing world, adolescent girls are more likely to be in school than out of school. We need to celebrate that success.
But as girls stay in education longer, the challenges they face outside school have the potential to disrupt their education. Factors including early pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, child marriage and sexual and gender-based violence all pose challenges. Many girls are grappling with these issues today – and those in the education sector need to know how to respond.
For decades, the Population Council and others have been studying disparities in education – disparities between girls and boys, between the poorest and most vulnerable populations and those who are better off. We have looked at what works in girls’ education, and analysed what girls need to complete primary school, and to gain access to a high-quality, safe secondary school where they can complete their education. We have looked at how to ensure girls learn in school and go on to become healthy, productive adults.
One thing we have noticed is just how difficult it is to pinpoint what causes girls to struggle in school or to drop out during adolescence. So many life changes happen during this time. A lot can depend on where a girl lives, how she is doing in school, and what pressures her family is facing.
But while it is difficult to tease out the exact reasons girls leave school, it’s crucial that we do try, because the causes determine the solutions. Pregnancy and early marriage are not necessarily the only issues. We must look deeper at which girls are most likely to become pregnant, get married or leave school prematurely. For example, if a girl’s family is poor and unable or unwilling to pay school fees, she may not have the support she needs to continue her education. Her parents may decide marriage is a better option for her future security.
In 2009, we conducted a review of more than 300 adolescent girls’ education programmes from around the world. The study revealed that the majority of these programmes were not based on evidence and were not evaluated to demonstrate whether or not they were achieving their goals.
Of the 11 most common programme interventions for adolescent girls, only two —having female teachers and providing financial help — had been proven to be effective.
Too often, the scarce resources invested in girls’ education are going to programmes that lack evidence-based proof of success. These programmes are not being rigorously evaluated to see if they help girls stay in school longer, retain skills, and live healthy, productive lives.
To reap the benefits for girls and societies, we need evidence, not just intuition, to guide our efforts. Donors and policymakers must commit to using evidence – about the problem and what works to address it – when developing policies and deciding on funding.
Donors and implementing organisations should hold themselves to high standards: let no programme be implemented or funded without a solid base of evidence behind it, or a significant commitment to evaluation within it.
As world leaders put the final touches to the post-2015 education goals, a commitment to rigorous evidence must be a top priority. We are heartened by the new US/UK investment in education, because the agreement includes a welcome commitment of £10m from the UK to build the evidence base around adolescent girls’ education. We encourage others to follow this example. .