The Ministry of National Education and Professional Training in Djibouti (MENFOP) seeks to improve early grade reading in Djibouti at the school, community, and policy level. The Djibouti Early Grade Reading Activity supports MENFOP by improving classroom materials and teacher training; building CSOs, PTAs, SMCs, and family capacity to support reading; and strengthening the policy environment for reading instruction. Policy work under the Activity includes supporting MENFOP to monitor and evaluate early grade reading performance and make data-informed decisions based on information that is valid, reliable, and up to date.
STS came on a partner on the USAID DEGRA to support the MENFOP in its goal of improving early grade reading in Djibouti at the school, community, and policy level. STS has provided capacity building support via remote webinars to the MENFOP’s evaluation and research department (Service évaluation) on education research and monitoring with a focus on learning assessments.
In October 2019, STS led a five-day adaptation workshop in collaboration with FHI 360 and MENFOP in Arta, Djibouti to develop Grade 2 and Grade 5 EGRA tools appropriate for the Djiboutian context. The adaptation workshop was immediately followed by pilot testing of the tools. Following a break brought on by the COVID-19 global pandemic, STS facilitated remote Training of Trainers (ToT) and oversaw enumerator training in November 2020 and April 2021 for Grade 2 EGRA data collections. After participating in the ToTs led by STS, MENFOP was able to lead the April 2022 enumerator training with limited support from STS. Together the groups, monitored data collection, analysised data, and prepared results in April 2022. In addition to this work, STS prepared for and co-facilitated a remote policy linking workshop in January 2021 to establish Grade 2 benchmarks for reading.
To achieve this, STS will support the Activity to develop and implement large-scale literacy assessments, build MENFOP capacity to carry out these assessments, support MENFOP to set literacy benchmarks and standards, and develop a national assessment framework.