Reaching the marginalized: EFA global monitoring report, 2010; 2010

0120CHAPTER 3Education for All Global Monitoring ReportReaching themarginalized willtake a concertedeffort to tacklethe interlockingstructuresof disadvantagethat limitopportunityLevelling the playing fieldMarginalized people are often conspicuous bytheir absence from national debates on educationreform. The implicit assumption of many policymakersis that, as national education systemsbecome more effective, the benefits will eventuallytrickle down to the most disadvantaged sectionsof society. That assumption is flawed. Increasingpublic spending on education, raising averagelearning standards and strengthening overallaccountability are necessary conditions forovercoming marginalization. But they will not besufficient to break the cycles of marginalizationdocumented in this Report. Reaching themarginalized will take a concerted effort to tacklethe interlocking structures of disadvantage thatlimit opportunity. The diversity of the processesperpetuating marginalization means there are nosimple panaceas or blueprints for reform. To theextent that any general conclusion can be drawn,it is that all governments can, and should, do moreto put marginalization at the centre of educationreform debates.How can governments break the cycles ofeducational disadvantage that trap so manychildren, restricting their opportunities and fuellingmarginalization in other areas? This part of thechapter identifies broad clusters of policies:Make education affordable. Governments inmany countries have withdrawn formal schoolfees, but this is not enough. Indirect costs andinformal charges continue to keep school outof reach for millions of children. Eliminating allschool fees is a first step towards improvingaffordability. Incentives covering other costslinked to school attendance can also play a vitalrole in enabling marginalized children toparticipate in school.Ensure that schools are accessible. Distanceto school remains a major barrier to educationfor all. This is especially true for girls because ofthe security risks associated with long distancefrom home. Classroom construction can reducedistance and improve physical accessibility tobring schools closer to marginalized people,provided governments target investment withequity in mind. Ensuring that school constructionprogrammes prioritize remote rural areas andurban slums is key. Some marginalized groups –notably pastoralists – have been bypassed asa result of inflexible models of school provision.More flexible models, including multigrade andmobile schools, can open the doors to education.Develop an inclusive learning environment. Allchildren deserve a good-quality education buttypically those who enter school carrying theweight of disadvantage receive the worst. Theyare often taught by poorly trained teachers,sometimes in a language they do not understand.They often lack textbooks – and when booksare available, they frequently include materialthat depicts negative stereotypes. Governmentscan address these problems by creating anenvironment of non-discrimination and equalopportunity. Providing incentives for skilledteachers to work in areas characterized by highlevels of marginalization is a starting point.Supporting intercultural and bilingual educationcan strengthen achievement amongdisadvantaged ethnic minorities. Ensuring thatteachers and schools are equipped to supportchildren with disabilities is also important forinclusive education. Channelling extra resourcesand pedagogical support to ‘failing’ schoolscan benefit areas of greatest need.Rights and redistribution matter. Translatingthe human right to education into concreteentitlements requires action at many levels.National laws can prohibit formal discriminationand create an environment enabling greaterequity. Laws are most effective when linkedto political mobilization and the developmentof broad-based alliances to advance Educationfor All. In addition, governments and donorsneed to strengthen social protection measures,using cash transfers and risk-managementinterventions such as employment programmesto build the resilience of vulnerable households.National budgets can play a vital role inequalizing educational opportunities betweenricher and poorer people and regions.Redistributive public spending can help tonarrow gaps. Conversely, failure to prioritizeequity in national budgets can reinforceexisting disparities.‘Joined-up’ national strategies. Marginalization ineducation is the result of interlocking deprivation.Breaking down disadvantage requiressimultaneous public action across a broad front,with education interventions integrated into widerpolicies for social inclusion, including strategies186