scholarly journals DOES THE CHOICE OF LANGUAGE IN TESTS HAVE AN IMPACT ON GENDER EQUALITY IN PRIMARY EDUCATION? A CASE STUDY IN SENEGAL

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 14-32
Author(s):  
Alexandre Chazeaud
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equality ◽  
Primary Education ◽  
Education System ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Unique Contribution ◽  
European Language ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Local Languages

Purpose: The present study analyses the possible impact on gender equality when using a language familiar to students in tests at primary schools in Sub-Saharan Africa where a European language is the unique medium of instruction and assessment. Methodology: To this aim, students at grades 3 and 6 (83 girls and 66 boys) in primary schools in rural Senegal were given two different tests: Mathematics problem-solving tasks and multiple-choice questions of Social Sciences. They were divided at random into a control group if they received the tests in Seerer, the local language familiar to them, or French, the sole official language in the Senegalese education system. After data collection, results were codified for analysis considering two variables: Gender and grade. First, we calculated both the percentage of students who scored the set mark and those who obtained the highest scores. Second, we checked for statistically significant differences between groups by means of One-Way-ANOVA and Tukey tests. Findings: Although Seerer as language of tests was found to benefit both genders, results suggest that its use may especially determine girls’ success at school: Girls in the experimental group obtained higher results than girls in the control group, especially the youngest, and many reached the highest scores. Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: Findings suggest that first, the use of a language familiar to students in tests seems to have positive effects on their academic results, and second, that it may play a role in bridging the gap between genders in some education models thanks to the evident benefits for girls, especially young ones. Such results might be taken into consideration by education authorities together with other existing examples to introduce local languages in the education system of Senegal and other Sub-Saharan countries where only a European language is employed, as it seems to contribute to reaching gender equality in education. We suggest that local languages could be used in tests from the lower levels of primary education in bilingual programs, thus favouring transfer of linguistic skills and content from the local to the European language, and increasing school success

Language Policy and Planning in Independent Namibia

1994 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 240-253 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wilfrid Haacke
Keyword(s):  
United Nations ◽  
Language Policy ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Constitutional Rights ◽  
Language Policy And Planning ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Policy Document ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Policy And Planning ◽  
Local Languages

An advantage of Namibia's late attainment of independence is that it can benefit from the experience of other African countries that achieved independence some thirty years earlier. Hence Namibia is unique in that it is the only country in sub-Saharan Africa that at the time of attaining independence already provided for constitutional rights for its local languages. The major policy document of the then liberation movement SWAPO, Toward a language policy for an independent Namibia (United Nations Institute for Namibia 1981), which was published in Lusaka by the institute (UNIN) as proceedings of a seminar held in 1980, essentially set the trend for the policies pursued since independence in 1990.

scholarly journals Evaluation of a school based comprehensive sexuality education program among very young adolescents in rural Uganda

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Kemigisha ◽  
Katharine Bruce ◽  
Olena Ivanova ◽  
Els Leye ◽  
Gily Coene ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Schools ◽  
Sexuality Education ◽  
Unwanted Pregnancy ◽  
Qualitative Evaluation ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Sexual Practices ◽  
Bivariate Analysis ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Young Adolescents ◽  
Comprehensive Sexuality Education

Abstract Background Limited research has been conducted on the effectiveness of sexuality education for very young adolescents (VYAs) ages 10–14 years in Sub-Saharan Africa. Furthermore, evaluations of sexuality education programs often report outcomes of risky sexual practices, yet positive aspects of sexuality are hardly studied and rarely reported. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) intervention for VYAs in Uganda, analyzing both positive and negative outcome indicators. Methods We conducted a mixed methods study, incorporating a cluster randomized trial (NCT03669913) among pupils in 33 randomly selected primary schools in Mbarara district. This was followed by a qualitative evaluation of the intervention in 4 schools that included 14 in-depth interviews and 3 focus group discussions distributed among pupils, teachers and parents. Quantitative data were analyzed using ordered logistic regression to compare differences in the change from baseline to endline between the intervention and control arms. We conducted bivariate analysis and multiple regression analysis controlling for key covariates, including age, gender, school location (rural vs urban), truancy, and orphanhood. Qualitative data were analyzed by thematic approach using ATLAS TI. Results Between July 2016 and August 2017, 1096 pupils were recruited. Outcomes were studied among 380 pupils in the intervention arm and 484 pupils in the control arm. The proportion of pupils who ever had sex increased from 9 to 12.1% in intervention compared to 5.2 to 7.4% in the control group between baseline and endline, however the differences between groups were not statistically significant. We found greater improvements in sexual and reproductive health (SRH) knowledge among intervention schools (AOR: 2.18, 95% CI: 1.66–2.86) and no significant differences in self-esteem, body image or gender equitable norms. Qualitative evidence echoes perceived SRH knowledge acquisition, increased their perception of SRH related risks, and intentions to delay sexual intercourse to prevent unwanted pregnancy, HIV and other STIs. Conclusion This study demonstrates that CSE can improve SRH knowledge and behavioral intentions among VYAs in Uganda. These results further emphasize the importance of initiating sexuality education before most adolescents have started engaging in sexual activity, enabling them to make informed decisions in the future. Trial registration NCT03669913, registered retrospectively on September 13th, 2018.

scholarly journals Cytokine profile and clinical correlates in HIV-exposed infants with severe (hypoxic) pneumonia

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin Green ◽  
A Terclanche ◽  
P Becker ◽  
P Rheeder ◽  
D F Wittenberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Severe Pneumonia ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Clinical Correlates ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Paired Serum ◽  
Hiv Exposed ◽  
Host Inflammatory Response ◽  
Severe Lung Disease ◽  
Severe Lung

<p><strong>Introduction. </strong>Severe pneumonia in infants who are HIV-infected is a common problem in many parts of the developing world, especially sub-Saharan Africa. What has been missing from previous studies of severe pneumonia in HIV-infected infants, however, is a description of the host inflammatory response and cytokine/chemokine profile that accompanies this disease.</p><p><strong>Objective.</strong> To describe the cytokine profiles associated with severe hypoxic pneumonia in HIV-infected infants</p><p class="Body1"><strong>Methods. </strong>In a cohort of HIV-infected children diagnosed clinically with severe hypoxic pneumonia, paired serum and sputum cytokines were tested. A control group of HIV-infected children with bronchiectasis contributed matching controls.</p><p><strong>Results.</strong> A total of 100 infants (mean age 2.8 months) with a clinical diagnosis of severe hypoxic pneumonia were included in this study. IP-10 was markedly elevated in both sputum (mean 560.77pg/ml) and serum (mean 9091.14pg/ml), while IP-10 was elevated in serum (mean 39.55 pg/ml), with both these cytokines being significantly higher than in stable children with HIV-related bronchiectasis.</p><p><strong>Conclusion. </strong>This study of HIV-infected infants with severe hypoxic pneumonia suggests that IL-10 and IP-10 are associated with more severe lung disease. However, further investigation of this association is required.</p>

scholarly journals Gender equality in European Union development policy: incorporating women’s voices or confirming hierarchies?

Afrika Focus ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Petra Debusscher
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Civil Society ◽  
Gender Equality ◽  
Development Aid ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Gender Mainstreaming ◽  
Civil Society Organisations ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Eu

This paper examines gender mainstreaming in European Union (EU) development aid towards Sub-Saharan Africa. The aim is to detect how gender (in)equality in Sub-Saharan Africa is framed by the EU by critically assessing the nature and range of the differences between EU and civil society framings of gender (in)equality in Sub-Saharan Africa. Using the method of Critical Frame Analysis, 28 EU programming documents have been analysed and compared to 10 civil society texts on gender equality. I conclude that the EU’s approach to gender mainstreaming in its development aid towards Sub-Saharan Africa is to a large extent integrationist and predominantly instrumentalist as it is framed as a way of more effectively achieving existing policy goals. The more transformative issues that are put forward by Sub-Saharan African civil society organisations do not t within the EU’s dominant development paradigm that is focused on achieving the Millennium Development Goals and does not signficantly challenge gender relations or power structures. The gap between the analysed civil society views and those expressed by the EU can be explained by the EU’s reluctance to include in its policy drafting the promotion of gender equality by civil society organisations. Moreover, the gap seems to have both practical and ideological grounds. Key words: gender equality, European Union, Sub-Saharan Africa, development policy, civil society, millennium development goals, critical frame analysis 

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