Practices and Challenges of Alternative Basic Education Implementation. The Case of Biruh Tesfa for All Project in Shashemene City Administration, Oromia Region

Abstract

The Purpose of this study was to explore practices and challenges of Alternative Basic Education implementation. The case of Biruh Tesfa for All  Project in Shashemene City administration. To achieve the purpose; Mixed methods of research design were employed; both quantitative and qualitative data were gathered through questionnaire, interviews and focus group discussion. The ABE facilitators, ABE learners, City education office ABE coordinator, City cluster supervisor, population council project coordinator and hand cup international project coordinator were selected using availability sampling technique. The questionnaires were distributed to 64 respondents. All of the questionnaires 64 (100%) were correctly filled and returned. In addition, one City education office ABE coordinator, one City cluster supervisor, one population council project coordinator and one hand cup international project coordinator were interviewed. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics (percentage, frequency and mean). Qualitative data were analysed using narrative and thematic description. The major findings revealed that  the practice of Alternative Basic Education has been benefited considerable number of girls’ groups mainly rural-urban migrants, child domestic workers and girls with disabilities, ABE played pivotal role in meeting the educational needs of the local community and ensured access to basic education and improve the community to know the purpose of alternative basic education program.  the major challenges lack of flexible ABE school calendar, lack of textbooks, lack of teachers' guide and lack of adequate facilitators training prior to implementation, Therefore, to alleviate these problems, NGOs, Government and civil society providing work on awareness creation through mass media, training and adequate budget should be allocated, all the stakeholders integrated give serious attention for the program and salary increment for facilitators were the possible ways to improve the practice of ABE program  implementation were suggested.

Keywords: Alternative basic education, Facilitators, ABE implementation

DOI: 10.7176/JEP/12-10-02

Publication date: April 30^th 2021