Insights into gender-inclusive education planning

1. BY: CHARITY ANAJA
SUPPORTED BY:
CIVIL SOCIETY ACTION COALITION ON EDUCATION FOR ALL
(CSACEFA )
BUILDING A GENDER INCLUSIVE
EDUCATION POLICY
… Advocating for quality education for all

2. Training objectives:
 In particular, it is designed to help policy makers (who may
not be gender specialists) recognize and address gender
issues in Education policy formulation and analysis
 Identify additional tools, resources and information to
support policy makers and planners in systematically
undertaking gender analysis and developing gender-
responsive policies during the Education Sector Planning
(ESP) processes.
 Enrich the existing policies by putting the spotlight on
gender issues through a consistent use of a gender
equality lens.

3. PUBLIC POLICY
At the end of this chapter, participants are expected to:
 Have a better understanding public policy
 Understand some key attributes of public policy
 Understand the policy cycle and the actors in public policy
formulation process

4. What is Public Policy?
Broadly, we might say that a public policy is simply what
government (any public official who influences or
determines public policy, including education managers,
Legislators, policy makers etc.) does or does not do
about a problem that comes before them for
consideration and possible action.

5. Key attributes of a public policy
Specifically, public policy has a number of key attributes:
 Policy is made in response to some sort of issue or problem that
requires attention.
 Policy is what the government chooses to do (actual) or not do
(implied) about a particular issue or problem.
 Policy might take the form of law, or regulation, or the set of all
the laws and regulations that govern a particular issue or
problem.
 Policy is made on behalf of the "public."
 Policy is oriented toward a goal or desired state, such as the
solution of a problem.
 Policy is ultimately made by governments, even if the ideas
come from outside government or through the interaction of
government and the public.
 Policymaking is part of an ongoing process that does not always
have a clear beginning or end, since decisions about who will
benefit from policies and who will bear any burden resulting from
the policy are continually reassessed, revisited and revised.

6. Public policy cycle
At present, a five-stage model of the policy process is the most
commonly used, although many other versions exist with fewer sub
stages
Agenda
Setting
Policy
formulation
Decision
Making
Policy
Implem-
entation
Policy
Evaluation

7.  Agenda Setting: refers to the first stage in the process when a
problem is initially sensed by policy actors and a variety of
solutions put forward (see Agenda Setting, Public Policy in).
 Policy formulation: refers to the development of specific policy
options within government when the range of possible choices is
narrowed by excluding infeasible ones and efforts are made by
various actors to have their favored solution ranked highly
among the remaining few. Decision making: refers to the third
stage in which formal actors in government adopt a particular
course of action.
 Policy implementation: Governments put their decisions into
effect using some combination of the tools of public
administration in order to alter the distribution of goods and
services in society in a way that is broadly compatible with the
sentiments and values of affected parties.
 Policy Evaluation: Refers to the fifth stage in the processes in
which the results of policies are monitored by both state and
societal actors, often leading to the reconceptualization of policy
problems and solutions in the light of experiences encountered
with the policy in question and the start of a new iteration of the
cycle.

8. Actors in Education Policy
 Actors engaged in the education policy process can be classified
according to their location inside or outside of government,
whether they hold their positions due to election or appointment,
and the extent to which they are visible
 Visible actors often fulfill prominent roles in placing problems on
the policy agenda while less visible and hidden actors are
typically more involved in developing proposed policy solutions
for problems
 Government actors include elected and appointed officials
and civil servants at the national and subnational levels.
Nongovernmental actors include political parties, interest groups,
foundations and think tanks, and the mass media. Some of the
most active interests in education politics include teachers,
business, and foundations. Parents are key stakeholders in
education but are not well organized for sustained, broad
involvement in education policy

9. EDUCATION POLICY IN
NIGERIA
At the end of this chapter, participants are expected
to:
 Understand the goal of the Nigerian Education
Policy and its context
 Understand the trends in the Nigerian Education
Policy Development
 Understand the challenges in implementation of
the Nigerian Education Policy

10. Education policy in Nigeria Cont.
In Nigeria, the National Policy on Education (NPE)
prescribes National guidelines and requirements for
the effective administration, management and
implementation of education at all tiers of
government. The National policy on Education is a
statement of intentions, expectation, goals and
standards for quality education delivery in Nigeria
The National Policy on Education is anchored on
Nigeria’s philosophy on education as enunciated
through the nation’s development objectives

11. Trends In National Education Policy
Development
The first ever national policy on education in Nigeria was published
after the National Curriculum Conference, a seminar of expert
drawn from a wide range of interest groups within Nigeria was
convened in 1973.
The outcome of the seminar was a draft document which, after due
comments were received from the states and other interest groups,
led to the final document, the National Policy on Education, first
published in 1977.
The 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th editions were published in 1981, 1998,
2004, 2007 and 2014 respectively in keeping with the dynamics of
social change and the demands on education. This 6th edition was
necessitated by some policy innovations and changes, and the
need to update the 5th edition (2007) accordingly.

12. Challenges associated with implementation of National
Education Policy in Nigeria
 Under-estimation of the costs of implementing a plan – this happens when
cost-estimates do not make adequate provisions for inflation and actual
implementation costs become unmanageable
 Over-reliance upon external assistance – plans that substantially rely upon
assistance from foreign sources for their implementation run into hitches when
such aid fails to come, and
 Inaccurate statistical data – planning education requires accurate and up-to-
date data. Plans that do not adequately provide for this usually have
implementation problems.
 The communication process – effective implementation requires that
implementers know what they are expected to do; as messages pass through
any communication network, distortions are likely to occur which can produce
contrary directives, ambiguities, inconsistencies and incompatible requirements.
 The capability problem – ability to implement policies may be hindered by such
factors as incompetent staff, insufficient information, political support, inadequate
financial resources and impossible time constraints.
 Dispositional conflicts – implementation of a policy may fail because those
charged with the responsibility of implementation refuse to carry out their own
assignments

13. INTRACTIVE SESSION
In the first class activity, participants will jointly look
at the Adamawa State budgetary allocation for the
year 2020 with a view to critically analyzing its
implication on policy implementation. The activity is
expected to elicit interactions, discussions,
contributions and valuable arguments on the
budget under review. The participants should be
able to link budget allocation and performance to
education policy education. The Free education
policy can be used as a case study

14. ADAMAWA STATE GOVERNMENT
PROPOSED 2020 RECURRENT EXPENDITURE ALLOCATION AND 2019 PERFORMANCE TO MDAs
Organisatio
n
Organisation/
Economic Code
Approved Budget Actual
Expenditure
Budget
Performance
Proposed Budget
2019 Jan-Sept. 2019 Jan-Sept. 2019 2020
₦ ₦ % ₦
EDUCATION
17001001 Ministry of Education 430.3Million 100.132Million 23.3% 176.370Million
17003001
Adamawa State Universal
Basic Education Board 399.714Million 116.243Million 29.1% 197.495Million
17051001
Post Primary Schools Mgt
Board 12.192Billion 5.248Billion 43.0% 10.600Billion

15. EDUCATION SECTOR
ANALYSIS
This chapter aims to:
 Introduce policy making and the need to address
gender in education policy
 Present sector planning as a cycle and gender
analysis as part of that cycle
 Highlight how gender analysis helps in
understanding current education policy, including
how gender has been addressed and the lessons
learned

16. Education Sector Policy
A foundational step in the sector planning process is to develop a
sound understanding of the experiences of girls, boys, women and
men in the education sector and how they relate to society more
broadly.
Governments use policy to tackle a wide range of education issues
such as high student/teacher and student/class ratios, poor
infrastructure, high rates of wastage due to school dropout before
completion, rates of repetition and absenteeism, lack of teaching
and learning materials, inefficiencies in teacher recruitment and
deployment, mother tongue instruction, information and
communication technology (ICT) in education, and inclusive
education, among others. Some education policies focus on issues
faced by girls, such as menstruation and early pregnancy. Gender
responsive policy making in education, however, integrates gender
considerations across all policies

17. Applying Gender Analysis
to Education Policy
Applying a gender lens to the analysis of education
policy is important because all policies affect girls
and boys. Sometimes these policies, gender-
specific or not, impact girls and boys differently
A gender analysis of education policy enables
these differences to be brought to light so that
appropriate actions can be taken. The starting point
for any gender analysis of the education sector is to
assess how gender is reflected in the overall sector
vision and accompanying policies

18. Important questions and Considerations when analyzing
education policies
 To what extent do gender considerations feature in the education policy
context?
 Do education policy documents show commitment or intent to address
girls’ education or advance gender equality?
 Are there other policies (on school fees, school feeding or construction,
for example) that do not explicitly mention gender but that may impact
girls and boys differently?
 Is gender considerations integrated across all policies or are gender
considerations missing in some?
 Does the teacher recruitment and deployment policy, for example,
consider the needs of both male and female teachers?
 Or is gender the exclusive domain of a separate policy?
Some countries have separate gender policies for the education sector or
a girls’ education strategy. It is important to also remember that some
policies that do not explicitly refer to gender (such as a general policy
regarding school fees) may impact girls and boys differently.

19. MAINSTREAMING GENDER IN THE EDUCATION
POLICY
At the end of this chapter, participants are expected
to:
 Have a better understanding of gender
mainstreaming
 Understand the importance of gender
mainstreaming in education policy
 Understand the gender mainstreaming cycle and
how it works

20. What is Gender Mainstreaming?
Gender mainstreaming has been embraced internationally as a
strategy towards realizing gender equality. It involves the
integration of a gender perspective into the preparation, design,
implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies, regulatory
measures and spending programmes, with a view to promoting
equality between women and men, and combating discrimination.

21.  Why is it important?
Gender mainstreaming ensures that policy-making and legislative work is of higher
quality and has a greater relevance for society, because it makes policies respond
more effectively to the needs of all citizens – women and men, girls and boys.
Gender mainstreaming makes public interventions more effective and ensures that
inequalities are not perpetuated. Gender mainstreaming does not only aim to avoid
the creation or reinforcement of inequalities, which can have adverse effects on both
women and men. It also implies analyzing the existing situation, with the purpose of
identifying inequalities, and developing policies which aim to redress these
inequalities and undo the mechanisms that caused them
 Who is responsible for gender
mainstreaming?
It is not only the responsibility of specific individuals working in certain areas or
units. While specific structures should be established and persons responsible
appointed, the responsibility for Gender Inclusive Education Policies rest on the
shoulders of lawmakers and other policy makers in government, implementing
gender mainstreaming should be with the entire staff of public institutions, under the
leadership of the management.

22.  How does it work?
A political commitment for gender equality and a compatible legal framework are the
basic conditions for the development of a successful gender mainstreaming
strategy. In addition to concrete objectives and targets in the strategy, gender
mainstreaming requires a clear action plan. Such plan should take into account the
context, satisfy the necessary conditions, cover all the relevant dimensions, foresee
the use of concrete methods and tools, set out the responsibilities and make sure
that the necessary competences exist to achieve the anticipated results within a
planned time frame.
 Gender responsive content of the policies
Although numbers are important, it is pertinent to also consider how gender relates
to the content of policy measures, to gain a better understanding of how women and
men would benefit from them. A gender responsive policy ensures that the needs of
all citizens, women and men, are equally addressed. Traditionally, government
policy and legislation have been viewed as gender-neutral instruments, on the
assumption that a public policy benefits all members of the public equally. However,
structural gender inequalities are still embedded in our society. Even if the laws treat
women and men as equals, women still do not have equal access to and control
over resources and assets.
Policies focused on the general public often impact women and men differently.
If these different gender impacts are not taken into account, the policy will be
gender-blind. To avoid this, it is necessary to take into account the different
needs and interests of women and men, to identify gender inequalities in
access to and control of resources, to consider the impact of gender based
stereotypes and traditional gender roles, to anticipate different effects on

23. Gender Mainstreaming Cycle
 Integrating the gender perspective in a policy means that equality
between women and men, as the overarching principle, should be taken
into consideration in all decisions, in each phase of the policy-making
process, by all the actors involved.
 The policy process is understood as a multi-stage cycle, including
defining, planning, implementing and checking (monitoring and
evaluating). In many cases, these stages are turned into a cycle, with
each step being repeated as changes occur. For example, when a
policy is evaluated, it may reveal new problems that need to be
addressed for re-programming.
Gender
Mainstreaming
Cycle
Problem
Definitio
n
Plannin
g
Implem
entatio
n
Monitorin
g &
Evaluatio
n

24. Actors in Gender Inclusive Education Policy
Formulation
Policy process encompasses an intricate series of smaller processes. Specifically, it
entails formulation, implementation and evaluation. Consequent upon the intricacies
involved, specific crucial actors play roles in the policymaking process. Crucial
actors in the policy-making process can be categorized into two, namely: official and
unofficial policymakers
 Unofficial Policymakers: Unofficial policymakers do not occupy formal public
positions or political offices. They are not in government but they derive their
relevance and policy-making roles from government and the official policy
makers. Mainly, they harness their interests and demands, harmonize them and
influence official policymakers to factor them into the policymaking process.
 Official Policymakers: The official policymakers are those who possess legal
authority to engage in the formulation of public policy. Those involved in this
category are the legislators, the executive, the administrators and the judiciary.
Each of them performs policy-making responsibilities in a different way from the
others. They are governmental actors who occupy formal public positions and
political offices and serve as the actual policy makers.

25. Actors in Gender Inclusive Education
Policy Formulation – Cont.
Official policymakers are in turn categorized into:
The primary policymakers: Constitutionally empowered to engage in the
formulation of policies. It is their constitutional assignment and responsibility.
Consequently, they need not depend upon other governmental agencies or units or
structures to perform their policy-making roles. In Nigeria, for example, they are
members of the National Assembly (the Senate and the House of Representatives)
and states’ Houses of Assembly.
The supplementary policymakers: Expectedly, receive their authority to act in
policy making process from the primary policymakers such as the National and
State Assemblies in Nigeria. They are expected to be responsive to the interests
and requests of the National and State Assemblies. Examples of supplementary
policy makers are persons, agencies or bodies that need authority from others in
order to act as they are dependent on, or are controlled by, others. They include
ministries, departments and other governmental agencies that initiate policies and
push for them.

26. Role of Legislators in Policymaking
As indicated earlier, the legislators constitute the primary policymakers.
They possess direct constitutional authority to initiate and formulate
policies. As elected law makers, they represent their people from their
various constituencies. Consequently, they are expected to collate the
views, interests, demands and problems of their constituents, harmonize
them and translate them into policy proposals for the legislature. Such
policy proposals are subjected to the entire legislative processes of
reading, debating and scrutiny (by the relevant standing committees).
Policies formulated from such proposals are then forwarded for the
president’s assent. Formulated policies will set up policy programmes and
required actions which the executive will then implement and evaluate.
Legislators do not generate and develop policy proposals from their people
only. They also develop draft policies from their fellow legislators and the
executive.

27. Notable Quote
“To ensure gender equality, education systems
must act explicitly to eliminate gender bias and
discrimination… Governments and partners
need to put in place gender-sensitive policies,
planning and learning environments…”
(Education 2030, Incheon Declaration and
Framework for Action)

28. BREAKOUT SESSION
This session is a breakout session where
participants will be guided to develop action plans
for the development and implementation of a
gender inclusive Adamawa State education Policy

29. Some implementation Action Plans
 Ensure that the policy is disseminated, to and by all stakeholders so that
its used to inform decision-making, planning and implementation of all
education sector plans and programmes - LEGISLATORS
 Stakeholders’ sensitization on critical gender issues in the sector and
promoting community dialogue at all levels – MINISTRY OF
EDUCATION (MoE)
 Collaboration with other sectors, line ministries and departments to
lobby them to take actions that eliminate/mitigate vulnerabilities that
cause gender imbalances in education including adopting affirmative
action – CIVIL SOCIETY (CSO)
 Gender responsive planning, implementation, budgeting and reporting
at all levels - MoE
 Gender responsive monitoring and evaluation at all levels – CSO and
MoE
 Carry out research on gender and education in order to identify
inequalities and disparities in the sector – MoE (Research Department)
 Analyze and disseminate gender disaggregated data in education - MoE
 Build positive and supportive learning environment at all levels of
education - MoE
 Advocacy and Policy guidance for gender equality at all levels - CSO