Promotion of Primary Education for Girls and Children in Disadvantaged Areas in Gansu Province, China

Universalizing primary education for girls and children in disadvantaged areas remains the most challenging task for developing countries in Asia and the Pacific. This evaluation report reviews the processes and outcomes of the Pilot Project on Promotion of Primary Education for Girls and Children in Disadvantaged Areas in Gansu Province, China, a UNESCO-sponsored project through the Asian-Pacific Program for Education for All implemented between 1991 and 1995. The report is presented in three parts. Part 1 describes the planning procedures; the target areas; and the project objectives, scope, activities, and evaluation plan. The major activities of the pilot project involved mobilizing influential persons in the community to ensure community participation, providing family education to parents, training educational personnel, developing supplementary learning materials combining functional literacy with vocational skills, and providing preschool education. Part 2 details educational deficits in the targeted area's available school facilities, outlines the specific intervention procedures and additional studies undertaken, and presents outcomes. Findings indicated that the enrollment rate and retention rate have been raised by 11 percent and 3 percent, respectively, and the repetition and dropout rates have been reduced by 8 percent and 2 percent, respectively. Girls' participation increased steadily in all counties involved. Part 3 of the report discusses the implications of the study, concluding that the pilot project proves that with well-designed and implemented interventions, serious disadvantages can be overcome to make a difference in the lives of girls. Part 4 outlines problems with the project and makes suggestions for future programs. (KB)