Blog

What causes a student to leave school? Financial pressure, pregnancy, health problems – the data from a recent external evaluation of “Promoting Equality in African Schools” (PEAS), PEAS-partner, and government schools in Zambia points consistently to external constraints, not disengagement.

Of the out-of-school students interviewed, 88% expressed a desire to return; none described losing interest in learning. Drawing on baseline survey results and qualitative interviews across the evaluation sample, this blog examines why students drop out, how leaving school reshapes their ambitions, and why girls bear a disproportionate share of that risk. The barriers that push students out of school don’t affect boys and girls equally, and neither do the costs of leaving school.

Read the blog. 

Street Child and Education Development Center (EDC), have been working in a partnership to test the Engage toolkit in primary schools in Sierra Leone and Bangladesh. The experience of collaboration in education research offers a blueprint of the potential for such cross-cultural partnerships to be equitable, mutually respectful and optimally impactful. The blog describes the process.

They conclude: “Rather than focusing just on a joint outcome, equitable research partnerships must be defined through commitment to a process that prioritises meaningful partner contributions and mutual learning from start to finish.”

Read the blog.

The partners of the Global Coalition for Foundational Learning are working together to support governments in improving foundational learning outcomes. This blog, the first in a series, sets out a framework to help governments navigate decisions on EdTech and AI, with a focus on what will deliver impact in a context where evidence of what works reliably at scale is still emerging.

Evidence increasingly shows that impact depends on how technology is used within systems, not the technology itself. It also points to a small set of system-level approaches, particularly structured pedagogy, targeted instruction, strong teaching and effective assessment, with technology most effective when it complements and reinforces these approaches and keeps the teacher at the center.

Read the blog. 

This article from GPE highlights a programme that supports girls to manage menstrual health and hygiene. It gives the examples of Meskerem and Haska, girls who in the past would have missed school when they had their periods but now can attend after receiving the support. It also introduces Asebege, a boy, who participated in training around gender equality and who now says his attitudes have changed. By equipping young people with essential life skills and health knowledge, the program is helping to break long-standing harmful practices and creating safer, more inclusive learning environments where girls and boys can pursue their education with dignity and mutual respect.

Read the article. 

In this podcast, the members of the “Lifting Barriers” team discuss boy’s disengagement from education and their project findings. Globally, an estimated 139 million boys are out of school. Addressing boys’ disengagement is critical not only for their future well-being but also for achieving gender equality and inclusive societies.

Research shows that boys who complete secondary education are more likely to challenge gender-based violence, participate in caregiving, and contribute to shared domestic responsibilities. Conversely, boys who leave school early face heightened risks of unemployment, poor health, and involvement in criminal activity.

Listen to the podcast.

Inclusive education depends on the transformation of gender relations, which necessarily includes involving men in care. A project in Guatemala and Honduras on inclusive pedagogy with a gender perspective works on masculinities and opens up more spaces for men to become involved in care and early childhood education.

In communities in Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, and in municipalities such as Danlí and Yuscarán, Honduras, the project has worked directly with teachers, families, community leaders, and children. Experience shows that the most effective approach has not been theoretical discourse on gender equality but acknowledging men’s roles in family and community life. Rather than imposing change, the focus has remained on the exchange of experiences and mutual recognition.

This work is not limited to adults. It also means working with boys from early childhood to expand their sense of identity and shift how they express their feelings. Through play, creative activities and everyday interaction, boys are encouraged to develop skills linked to care, empathy, and emotional expression.

Read the blog. 

This UNICEF report draws on evidence from multiple fields to present a framework for understanding children’s evolving capacities. The authors note:

“The United Nations has pointed to growing evidence of a pushback against children’s rights and respect for their evolving capacities in favour of a stronger emphasis on parental rights. In addition, climate change and environmental degradation are negatively impacting the lives of many more children… Furthermore, the United Nations estimates that hundreds of millions of children live in conflict zones, facing profound and often devastating immediate and long-term consequences.. Given these shifts and their tremendous impact on children and families, it is time to re-examine how the concept of evolving capacities is being applied and understood to advance child rights.”

Read the report.

Summaries are also available in English, Arabic, French, and Spanish.

Mohamed, born with quadriplegia, spent much time in his home. A mobile education team offered self-learning classes for out-of-school children and Mohamad’s mother enrolled him. The impact has been profound. Mohamed now reads confidently and often wins Holy Quran verse competitions with his brothers.

Salsabeel has severe visual impairment after a shelling attack. She started to miss classes but has now started non-formal learning through her phone and an educational app. The experiences shows how flexible, education models can give children with disabilities a second chance to learn, even in the most challenging contexts.

Read the blog. 

In a small meeting room in Bong County, a group of women gathers to review school attendance lists and plan their next outreach. Their goal is simple but urgent: to ensure that every girl in their community knows her right to education and is supported to stay in school. These gatherings reflect a shift in how girls’ education policy is understood, not as a distant government framework, but as a shared community responsibility. Through direct engagement with schools and local stakeholders, the women’s groups helped strengthen accountability and secure the endorsement of school safety and WASH policies by parent teacher associations and school boards and help improve girls’ attendance and retention at schools.

Read the blog.

The Inclusive Education Policy was introduced in Uganda to allow children with special needs to learn alongside their peers. However, the reality in schools tell that those children still struggle. The article gives the example of several schools and the issues these schools face like lack of learning tools, teacher training and weak implementation. The author interviewed teachers, a representative from a teachers’ union, a representative from the National Union of Disabled Persons of Uganda, and the Commissioner Special Needs Education at the Ministry of Education and Sports. Uganda is making progress but this is not sufficient to allow for inclusive education in all schools.

Read the article.