Baseline evaluation promotion of quality basic education in Hamer woreda, South Omo Zone-SNNPR

Background   
Save the Children has been working in partnership with Hamer woreda education office to create and improve access to quality basic education for out of school boys and girls in Hamer woreda of South Omo zone of the SNNPR. The project focuses on creating access, piloting Early Childhood Care Development (ECCD), School Health and Nutrition (SHN), and supporting quality of children’s learning. More emphasis was given to building the capacities of the woreda education office and school communities and ensuring sustainability of the project.

Purpose/objective (including evaluation questions)   
 The main objectives of this evaluation were the following.
• To quantitatively and qualitatively illustrate the status of the intended changes in the target communities and evidently illustrate outcomes of the project.
• To assess changes that occurred by virtue of the project implementation in the integrated sub-thematic areas and cross-cutting issues proposed in the document.
• To assess changes and outcomes as per the stated objectives and strategies of the project
• Recommend action points and lessons of the good practices for future interventions

Methodology    
 This evaluative study used both secondary and primary data sources to obtain relevant information. The secondary data sources were project documents, annual reports, and statistics obtained from Hamer WEO and the project office in Dimeka. The primary data were gathered from four of the five cluster of schools in Hamer woreda: Dimeka cluster, Turmi cluster, Erbore cluster and Shanko cluster. Overall, data were collected from 311 participants (children, teachers, facilitators, head teachers, parents, PTA and CMC members, local government officials at woreda level and SCN-E experts) using interviews, FGDs, questionnaire, observation, tests and review of documents. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to analyze the data

Key findings   
 increase in ECCD enrolment from  32 children in 2007 to 498 children at the end of 2010
primary school student enrollment grew from 1878 at the end of 2007 to 5018 at the end of 2010
 schools and ECCD centers were equiped and furnished with equpments and furnitures (computers, printers, copy machine, reading materials, de-worming and trachoma treatment, and medical supplies)
the promotion rates for grade eight  and grade four students in Hamer woreda were better than the corresponding rates for Debub Omo Zone and SNNPR. In 2009/2010, for example, the promotion rate for grade eight students in Hamer woreda was 67.6 percent. The corresponding figures for Debub Omo Zone and SNNPR (in 2002 E.C.) were 46.6 percent and 54.4 percent. Besides, the promotion rate for students in the first cycle Grades four in Hamer woreda in 2008/2009 was roughly estimated to be 82.9 percent. However, the corresponding rates in the same year for Debub Omo Zone and SNNPR were 81.9 percent and 75.4 percent, respectively
the community is reluctant to send their  children to school because of low value given to the importance of education by the community
• aid dependency and weak government services in a context of conflicting national and local issues on education.

Recommendations   
• Efforts needs to exert concerted effort to change attitudes of the communities towards education in Hamer woreda through sensitization programs utilizing culturally influential people (like opinion leaders, clan leaders) as change agents.
• The project needs to conduct periodic, on-the-job training for teachers and facilitators with a view to improving their teaching competence.
• There is a need to train teachers so that they can handle students better. In the training, teachers should be introduced to alternative methods to corporal punishment (like positive disciplining techniques)

Follow up (with reference to Action Plan)  
 Shared the findings of the assesment to stakeholders, woreda and zonal educational officials
Revised the 2012 annual oplan and project implementation
Trained teachers on positive technioques of students misbehavior handling