Activity Data Sheet

PROGRAM:  Peru
TITLE AND NUMBER:  Expanded Opportunities for Girls' Quality Basic Education in Target Areas, 527-006
PLANNED FY 2001 OBLIGATION AND ACCOUNT:  $1,098,000 (CSD)
PROPOSED FY 2002 OBLIGATION AND ACCOUNT: $1,000,000 (CSD)
STATUS:  Continuing
INITIAL OBLIGATION:  FY 1998    ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE:  FY 2003

Summary:  Girls in Peru, particularly rural girls, face daunting challenges in completing primary school. First, they tend to enroll late; rather than beginning school at the expected age of six, a large proportion of girls do not enter school until some years later. About 53% of primary students are over-aged, and 70% of those reside in rural areas. Second, geographic, socio-cultural, economic and academic factors make it harder for girls to stay in school through the years, especially in rural areas. Third, educational quality in rural areas is lacking. Dated materials with themes that are irrelevant, failure to address language barriers, and unequal treatment of girls in the classroom all affect girls' ability to learn and their motivation to stay and progress in school. Hence, the dropout rate for girls is higher than the rate for boys, with the national rate around 10%. Though total enrollment rates for primary school in Peru are strong for both girls and boys (net enrollment of 92%), this statistic does not convey the difficulties rural girls have in getting into, progressing through, and finishing primary school. Rural boys face similar problems, though to a lesser extent. By the same token, experience has shown that measures taken to improve girls' chances for completing primary education also help improve boys' chances.

USAID is addressing major impediments to the completion of quality primary schooling and initiation of secondary schooling by rural girls. The principal changes envisioned are: 1) increased proportion of age-appropriate school enrollment for girls; and 2) improved primary school completion rates for girls in target areas. Girls' education activities contribute to the Summit of the Americas' goal of 100% completion of primary school by the year 2010, and the Summit's Plan of Action in democracy and education by invigorating community participation, promoting intercultural values, supporting teachers to improve methodologies and materials, and addressing gender equity. It helps eradicate poverty and discrimination by promoting universal access to education and strengthening women's role in society. It contributes to USAID's agency goal of "Human Capacity Built through Education and Training" and supports the Mission Performance Plan (MPP) goal of encouraging broad-based economic growth in Peru. The ultimate customers are the girls and young women of Peru, in particular the 275,000 school-aged girls in the target areas of Ayacucho, Huancavelica, and Apurimac. These areas were the hardest hit by terrorism and the majority of the population lives in extreme poverty.

Key Results:  The success of the girls education initiative will be measured by the following results: 1) increased consciousness of the importance of girls' quality education and the constraints affecting it, particularly for rural girls; 2) implementation of community and school-based activities that address barriers to girls' quality education in target areas; and 3) improved and sustainable local capacity to implement appropriate policies and programs that support quality education for girls. To accomplish these goals, USAID support helped to establish the National Network for Girls' Education (FLORECER) and four departmental networks. These networks, made up of key decision-makers from governmental and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) as well as community, business, and religious leaders, actively advocate for improved policies and implement programs that support girls' quality education.

Performance and Prospects:  USAID, through FLORECER, continues to work toward increased consciousness of the importance of girls' quality education and the constraints affecting it. In September 2000, FLORECER conducted a second National Conference on Rural Girls' Education, with over 350 participants from around the country, including departmental network members, community leaders, parents, and young girls. The main theme was Quiero Tomar la Palabra ("I want to communicate") based on a USAID study referring to girls' urgent need for communication skills. The study, which was presented at the conference, introduced qualitative and quantitative information about communication patterns of rural girls and the role of family, community, and schools in improving/increasing communication skills among rural girls. This theme was incorporated into FLORECER's existing agenda for rural girls' education and commitments were made to address the issues put forth in the agenda. As a result of the conference, FLORECER developed a national bill in favor of Rural Girl's Education. Sixteen congresspersons signed on to this bill and the congress will likely ratify it as multi-partisan initiative. The 2001 National Conference will focus on promoting the new law and other policy initiatives.

In 2000, in response to information requests and interest from around the country, FLORECER began publishing a quarterly bulletin, "Voces de las Niñas" (Girls' Voices), providing information about issues and recent developments affecting girls' education as well as testimony from girls about their experiences. This information is used for advocacy and raising awareness among parents and community leaders about the importance of (and barriers to) quality education for girls. It also provides models for local organizations and programs in favor of girls' education. A USAID-supported CARE activity, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education (MOE), developed and widely disseminated a study on education status in the Puno Department to develop consensus on future actions. This study presents data about the situation of basic education, including access, retention, and quality, along with comprehensive information about families and administrators and teachers working in Puno.

Improved and sustainable local capacity to implement appropriate policies and programs for girls' education is beginning to take form. Outreach efforts by USAID's education promotion activity (New Horizons) and FLORECER members helped to establish four departmental networks to promote quality education for rural girls in Ayacucho, San Martin, Amazonas, and Huancayo-Huancavelica. Girls in these four departments are at high risk of not completing primary school. New Horizons also mobilized local authorities, parents, and teachers to promote the establishment of community networks for girls' eduction in seven communities. Due to political instability in 2000, these networks have not yet consolidated, but it is expected that they will have the opportunity to do so in 2001. Nevertheless, actions in Ayacucho have promoted an increase of girls' timely enrollment in targeted communities. Results from New Horizons work with seven communities in the Ayacucho area to develop community-based and school-based programs include: 1) the establishment of a coalition of parents, local authorities, teachers and students organized to prevent violation of girls' rights and protect their safety; 2) the hiring of a health sector professional to provide services in several communities to assure that school-aged girls are healthy and informed about health issues; and 3) the participation of communities in building a new school and installing a potable water system with supplies and engineering services provided by the municipality.

USAID initiated in FY 2000 an activity called Opening Doors with funds from the Presidential Initiative for Basic Education. This project, implemented by UNICEF, will positively affect the determinants of quality education for rural girls in target areas by applying several interventions in an integrated approach. Activities envisioned under Opening Doors will also demonstrate innovative cost-effective interventions to support girls' quality education, especially in remote rural villages, in such areas as bilingual education, distance education, and community/parent participation in basic education. A second component of the activity will develop a new model (itinerant teacher training/supervision teams) for teacher training, supervision and monitoring and evaluation. It will involve municipal governments and local communities in supporting teacher training and monitoring education quality. This activity is underway in Ayacucho, Apurimac, and Huancavelica, and has recently begun activities in San Martín. An important outcome of the activity is confirmation of its methodology in rural communities and transfer of successful methodology to the MOE. Opening Doors will have been implemented in at least 360 indigenous communities by FY 2002.

A small activity was initiated in Ayacucho by the Salesian Missions to provide education and occupational training for 1,500 orphans and abandoned children between seven to nineteen years of age who have been affected by years of political violence in the region. USAID's contribution to this activity focused on education for orphaned or abandoned girls, many of whom are out of school because they have no caretaker or guidance.

Other USAID activities implemented in collaboration with the education program continue to show positive results. For example, in the primary schools where "Democratic Education and Student Participation in Public Schools" is implemented, observations and interviews reveal increased participation by girls, resulting in girls and boys participating equally in classrooms, a decrease in physical mistreatment of students, increased knowledge of students' rights by both boys and girls, and better relations among principals, teachers, and students.

In 2002, USAID will support the MOE's efforts to develop a national consensus on an agenda to improve the quality of education, particularly for girls in rural areas. Support will include assistance in the following areas: improving data collection and analysis at the national and local levels; developing alternative models for decentralization; and adopting democratic education in all primary schools in target areas. FLORECER will embark on a campaign to use locally-generated resources for activities that provide expanded opportunities for girls' education. It will also launch a national public awareness campaign about girls' education directed to influential leaders and decision-makers.

FY 2001 funds will be used to: support the MOE in its efforts to develop an agenda to improve educational quality (particularly for girls in rural areas), improve data collection and analysis, and adopt democratic education in all primary schools in target areas ($70,000); strengthen local capacity and develop alternative models for decentralized education systems ($230,000); continue community-based programs and research to inform policy making, and support FLORECER's national campaigns to capture local resources for girls' education and raise awareness ($500,000); and continue the Opening Doors activity ($298,000).

FY 2002 funds will be used to: work with the MOE on the policy framework to improve girls' education ($135,000); continue developing cost-effective models to deliver quality basic education in remote, bilingual rural areas ($495,000); and continue strengthening local networks' capacity for implementing decentralized, quality education programs ($370,000).

Possible Adjustments to Plans:  Interventions may be modified by MOE plans to implement a rural education program. Depending upon the results of awareness surveys and other studies, New Horizons will refine, change, and/or expand its campaigns to raise national and local awareness.

Other Donor Programs: In 2000, the GOP signed a $100 million loan with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for institutional strengthening with a component for improving pre-service teacher training at the Pedagogical Technical Schools. In addition to this activity, the IDB has supported early childhood education by financing the expansion of child care centers around the country and is planning a loan to reform secondary education. The World Bank is financing a national teacher training, infrastructure development and management improvement at the MOE. Spain and Germany are supporting teacher training and curriculum development, especially in bilingual education.

Principal Contractors, Grantees or Agencies:  U.S. implementing agencies include CARE and World Education. Peruvian NGOs include the National Network for the Advancement of Women and the Center for Education Research and Development. The Ministry of Education is also a partner. International organizations include UNICEF and the Salesian Missions, an international private voluntary organization.

FY 2002 Performance Table

Peru: 527-006

Performance Measures:

Indicator Information:

* Includes $ 210,000 from the Displaced Children and Orphans Fund