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Speed School learners are self-reliant. They don’t only depend on what is done by the
teachers. They always encourage their fellow learners to never give up on their lives.
-Headteacher, Nwoya district
The Speed School program, initiated in Uganda in 2016 and operating in Ethiopia since 2011, provides accelerated education for out-of-school children aged 9 to 14 alongside a social and economic empowerment component—” Self-Help Groups”—for their parents. Now in its eighth year, Geneva Global Uganda (GG-Ug) partners with the Ministry of Education and Sports at both central and district levels to implement and grow the program. Aspiring to growing the ministry’s leadership in implementing Speed School, GG-Ug chose last year to explore a fundamental question: How does the Speed School program translate into sustained and affordable learning advantages as its former students progress into conventional government schools? To answer this, Geneva Global enlisted the Development Research and Social Policy Analysis Centre (DRASPAC) to conduct an independent longitudinal study. Titled, “Impact Assessment of the GGU Program on Former Speed School Learners in and Outside School,” the independent study sheds light on the program’s many outcomes with robust data and nuanced analysis. This blog explores the report’s major findings and insights.
Methodology
The impact of the Speed School program was assessed using a quasi-experimental design, focusing on three groups: (1) former Speed School students who had transitioned to conventional P3 or P4 classes in 2018; (2) students with only a conventional education background who are learning alongside the Speed School “graduates” in the same classes; (3) and learners in “virgin” schools, comprising those with no exposure to the program. DRASPAC researchers implemented two main data-collection strategies, administering Math and English tests to the primary target population and conducting interviews and focus group discussions with teachers, parents, and education officials. This dual approach aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the program’s impact on student’s academic learning as well as their personal competencies and school retention. The study considered also the Speed School program’s impact on teachers and teaching, including teachers of conventional classes. Lastly, the research team undertook a comprehensive analysis to compare the per student costs for Speed School and conventional classes. Spoiler alert: the outcomes of former Speed School students equaled or, more often, surpassed those of their conventional school classmates, and this has happened at a much lower per student cost. It is worth noting as well that the research occurred at the end of the first year back from Uganda’s two-year school closure due to COVID-19.
Key Findings
The DRASPAC researchers, when handing over their initial draft of the report, admitted to being surprised by the results, not expecting former Speed School students to perform so well, and certainly not to excel so clearly. The final version, found here, paints the same picture, with major highlights shared below.
Concerned most basically by the question, “Are students learning well?,” the researchers report no statistically significant differences in academic performance between former Speed School learners and their peers who only attended conventional classes. This discovery was a bit surprising given the findings of a similar longitudinal study of Speed School in Ethiopia (University of Sussex and Hawassa University, 2017, found here) that showed superior results in most subjects for former Speed School students. The test scores also contradict the universal opinions of teachers, inspectors, and parents that these students showcase clearly superior learning skills, stronger problem-solving abilities, heightened ability to apply their learning for practically, and greater collaborative mindsets and practices. Furthermore, their consistently higher attendance rates underscore the profound impact of the program in instilling a seriousness in their studies and a lasting commitment to education. The study attributes lower-than-expected academic performance at least in part to the transitional shock experienced by Speed School learners during their move to conventional link schools and delays related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The longitudinal study explored the retention and progression of Speed School learners amid shifting expectations post-COVID-19. Despite challenges, former Speed School learners demonstrated resilience, with a remarkable 63% remaining in the same school post-pandemic. In contrast, only 49% and 47% of link school and virgin school learners continued, respectively. This underscores not just the enduring dedication of former Speed School learners but also the commitment of parents to ensuring their children stay enrolled. This is all the more significant given that Speed School enrolls children from a community’s poorest, most marginalized families.
Looking towards the future, 62% of parents anticipate their children’s completing school and securing salaried employment. Former Speed School learners align with this positive outlook, with 97% expressing a strong intention to continue education beyond primary.
This study found out that former Speed School students shine as classroom leaders. They garnered recognition from 49% of teachers for their exceptional leadership qualities, a stark comparison to the 16% acknowledgment received by their conventionally schooled peers, with 35% rating their leadership qualities the same. Moreover, 50% of teachers observed a significant enhancement in problem-solving skills among Speed School students, a notable contrast to the mere 10% improvement noted among their peers. Parental perspectives further underscore the program’s effectiveness, with over three-quarters (77%) of caregivers rating their children’s ability to plan and execute activities higher than non-Speed School attendees. Teachers also commended the graduates’ discipline and ease of management. Caregivers echoed these sentiments, praising the program for fostering independence, academic excellence, and domestic proficiency in their children. The holistic impact is further evident as over three-quarters of caregiver’s reported students’ improved planning and follow-through abilities. Impressively, 84% of caregivers acknowledged their children’s heightened willingness and capacity to assist others, underscoring the program’s broader societal contributions. with an impressive 84% of caregivers acknowledge their children’s enhanced capacity and willingness to help others.
The qualitative data unveils the profound impact of the Speed School initiative on families. Parents and caregivers also undergo positive transformations, gaining a heightened understanding of their roles in supporting their children’s education while honing their financial savings and management skills and providing income-earning opportunities. The researchers found, surprisingly, that the program also plays a pivotal role in improving overall family relations and household welfare. Active parental involvement extends beyond the household to contributions to school fees and initiatives to enhance school infrastructure. These benefits have endured even six years after the parent or other caregiver participated in a Self-Help Group, emphasizing the lasting values, resilience, skills, and behaviors instilled by the Speed School initiative.
The Speed School model not only influenced the students and their parents. The researchers found that It also brings positive change to conventional classes at the schools that hosted Speed School classes, called “Link Schools.” Through proximity, occasional training, and various peer interactions, many government teachers have creatively and successfully integrated different aspects of Speed School’s pedagogic model into their own instruction and classroom management. In these instances, teachers describe clear improvements to their classroom environments, to students’ life skills, and to the overall motivation of their learners. Teachers in Link Schools appreciate Speed School’s learner-centered approach, engaging activities, and small group interactions. They attribute to these methods improved student collaboration with greater academic performance, especially in literacy, and positive learner attitudes. Beyond classroom lessons, teachers explained that they have embraced new behaviors, such as kinder interpersonal connections with students and more sensitive approaches to handling challenging students, resulting in overall improved discipline. Teachers even reported that the enhanced classroom environment has attracted some children who had dropped out to rejoin their peers in school.
In a crucial examination of educational costs, looking at expenditures for 2022, the Speed School model emerges as a more cost-effective solution compared to conventional schools. The assessment calculates a significantly lower annual cost per learner for the Speed School model, suggesting its strong potential for sustainability and scaling. The researchers calculated that the cost to ready a student to enter Primary Four is Ugandan Shilling (UGX) 524,844 (about US$ 146). This is about one-third the per student cost for the conventional school model: UGX 1,523,700 (about US$ 423). Moreover, the comparison of dropout rates shows the even greater economic advantage of the Speed School model, with wastage in conventional schools being approximately 12.4 times higher than in the Speed School model. These findings not only underscore the financial prudence of the Speed School model but also suggest its potential as a transformative and cost-effective solution to enhance educational outcomes.
The Path Forward: Recommendations and the Future of Speed School in Uganda
The study provides a few key recommendations, aiming both to enhance the Speed School program and its impacts and to contribute to the formal system’s educational landscape. For one, the final report proposes more concerted efforts to equip teachers with the practices embedded in the Speed School pedagogy, permitting them to educate and motivate all learners more effectively. (This is something GG-Ug already did, conducting regular training for conventional teachers, headteachers, and school inspectors and other agents, but expanded in the 2023 school year, encouraged by the recommendation.) The report recommends further that government schools emulate Speed School’s emphasis on fostering practical life skills, commenting on their contributions not just to life out of school but also to students’ academic performance and their lifelong learning. Lastly, the researchers encourage the government to consider adopting the Speed School model for its cost-effectiveness and positive impact on increasing enrollment, though they do voice the need for further research on instructional methods and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on learning outcomes in Ugandan primary schools.
GG-Ug and DRASPAC alike consider the evidence presented in this assessment to represent a powerful advocacy tool for the ongoing implementation and scaled operation of the Speed School program in Uganda. As GG-Ug continues to deepen its collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Sports, the program’s transformative potential emerges as a compelling catalyst for change, propelling education towards a brighter and more equitable future.
