Country Case Studies on Promising EFA Practices in the Asia-Pacific Region

In view of the 2015 deadline for achieving the Education for All (EFA) goals, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) created this series of 5 country case studies to share the experiences and lessons learned from the EFA process in the Asia-Pacific. What were the enabling factors that contributed to the achievements made towards a particular EFA goal in a country? How were expected and unforeseen challenges addressed along the way? What is the impact a promising EFA practice has made on the intended population(s)? These are some of the questions the case studies address. They also look into sustainability and scalability aspects of the promising practices as countries continue to address the remaining EFA challenges in 2015 and beyond.

• Cambodia: Early Reading and Writing [PDF] (28 pages) - "This study examines the contribution to improving learning outcomes made by the Early Reading and Writing Initiative. In particular, the study examines the format of the new textbooks and the associated teaching-learning methods and practices that were put in place. This study also looks at the perspectives of the key stakeholders regarding the textbooks and the new teaching-learning methods and their views on what further changes are necessary to improve early grade reading and writing skills."
• Bangladesh: Pre-primary Education and the School Learning Improvement Plan [PDF] (48 pages) - "Among the policy and strategy steps in Bangladesh that have contributed to positive changes in terms of intensifying the EFA effort, two are highlighted in this study. These two initiatives...are: the pre-primary education (PPE) initiative, which prepares children, including those from disadvantaged home environments, for formal school, and the School Learning Improvement Plan (SLIP) programme, which engages school management committees (SMCs), teachers and parents in improving school operations. This case study involved an in-depth examination of the PPE and SLIP initiatives, involving review of documents, visits to pre-schools, interviews and focus groups and analysis of the findings."
• India: Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan [PDF] (64 pages) - "This study examines the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), the 'Education for All Movement', India's flagship programme aiming to achieve universal primary education. In particular, this case study examines the implementation of the SSA programme in two states: Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. The main focus of this study is to examine partnerships in these states between government and civil society and assess the contributions of these partnerships to the SSA programme."
• Indonesia: Literacy for Life Skills and Entrepreneurship [PDF] (76 pages) - "Among the policies and strategies in Indonesia that have contributed to progress made towards the achievement of the EFA goals, the Literacy for Life Skills and Entrepreneurship (LLSE) programme is highlighted in this study and is viewed as a promising practice for accelerating efforts to achieve EFA Goal 4 [achieve a 50% improvement in levels of adult literacy by 2015, especially for women, and equitable access to basic and continuing education for all adults]. The case study examines the LLSE intervention and explores its role in terms of national literacy achievements....The study also explores the relationship between literacy and increased entrepreneurship competencies of adults."
• The Philippines: Kariton Klasrum [PDF] (55 pages) - "Formally recognized by the Philippines' Department of Education as a highly promising alternative delivery mode that can help increase access to basic education, the Kariton Klasrum recognizes the need for new approaches that are tailor-made for vulnerable groups....The programme was developed and implemented by the Dynamic Teen Company (DTC), a non-governmental organization based in Cavite City. As part of this initiative, the DTC uses the kariton, a pushcart that is used mostly by the poor in urban areas to collect scrap and used bottles, as their mode of bringing a mobile classroom to street children. The Kariton Klasrum programme provides alternative education, healthcare and food to disadvantaged children with the aim of encouraging the children to attend or return to school. The Kariton Klasrum is the core element of the K4 Project, which stands for Kariton Klasrum, Klinik and Kantin (Pushcart Classroom, Clinic and Canteen)."