The project aims to improve equal learning outcomes for girls and boys at the primary school level in Ghana, Mozambique and Rwanda. Project activities include: (1) integrating gender-responsive play-based learning into teaching practices; (2) engaging parents and caregivers in addressing the gender-specific learning needs of girls and boys, including at-risk children; and (3) increasing the integration of gender-responsive play-based learning techniques in teacher training (pre-service and in-service). Project beneficiaries include 221,486 children (of which 109,057 are girls), 23,228 teachers (of which 1,682 are women), and 744,974 community members, including mothers, fathers and caregivers in all three countries. The project also supports “Play Your Part”, an initiative that aims to reach more than 50,000 students aged 8-14 years, in 200 schools across Canada every year. The project builds on the achievements and lessons learned from Right To Play’s project “Play for Advancement of Quality Education” (project number D000893001), an eight country, two-and-a-half-year (2015-2017) initiative. A cost increase amendment was provided to the Gender-Responsive Education and Transformation project in response to address the education needs related to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana, Mozambique and Rwanda. The new funding will aim to support the ministries of education to ensure that schools are able to deliver quality education during COVID-19 related school closures, while also preparing children, teachers and schools for re-opening.
The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) increased integration of gender-responsive play-based learning by teachers into teaching practice; (2) increased engagement of parents and caregivers in addressing gender-specific learning needs of girls and boys, including at-risk children; and (3) increased integration of gender-responsive play-based learning in teacher training (in-service and pre-service). Expected results for this COVID-19 funding include: (1) Increasing continuous learning opportunities for children during school closures related to COVID-19; (2) Reducing barriers to education for girls and boys resulting from COVID-19 school closures, through support to Ministries of Education and communities; (3) Improving training of teachers to incorporate COVID-19 considerations on gender-responsive play-based learning; and, (4) Increasing capacity of the community to prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence.
