italian contribution to general education quality improvement programme (geqip) ii
The General Education Quality Improvement Programme (GEQIP) aims at strengthening the quality of the general education system, in order to improve learning outcomes and management and planning capacities of public educational institutions.
GEQIP was launched in 2009 as a two-step programme. The first one ended in December 2013 and Italy, through the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, contributed to it with 15 M Euro. The second phase was formulated jointly by donors, the World Bank (WB) and the Ethiopian Government, based on the experience of GEQIP I, and will end on 30 June 2020. Italy is contributing to it with 7,5 M Euro managed by the WB and 622.000 Euro managed directly by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation.
The Italian Contribution to the GEQIP II represents the financing of the second phase of the programme aimed at improving the quality of teaching and learning processes in primary and secondary schools in Ethiopia. In the second phase, aspects of equity were strengthened and a new component relating to ICT was introduced. GEQIP II has six components:
- Curriculum implementation & teaching and learning materials;
- Teachers and education leaders development programme;
- School improvement programme;
- System management and capacity building programme;
- ICT in education;
- Programme planning, coordination, M&E, and communication.
The aspects of equity are addressed through the mainstreaming of cross-cutting issues, such as: gender, special educational needs, health and nutrition in schools. Particular attention is also devoted to support the four least served regions (Afar, Somali, Benishangul-Gumuz, Gambella).
Effectiveness is guaranteed by the Multi-Donor Trust Fund managed by the World Bank, where bilateral donors channel their contributions. The donors of the programme are: Italy, Finland, DfiD, USAID, the World Bank and the Global Partnership for Education (GPE).
The program fits into the country's development goals by facilitating a coordinated and harmonious advancement of the education sector. In parallel to the GEQIP II, the third phase of the programme, GEQIP-E, has already been launched. The focus on the achievement of results and performance evaluation will be strengthened. Italy does not contribute to GEQIP-E.