The State of Education in Itezhi Tezhi District

In order to ensure that KnowledgeBeat is making the most effective impact in Itezhi Tezhi District, we recently surveyed seven schools in order to get a sense for the state of education in the area we serve. The data reveals a broken system. Yet amidst such a desperate situation we also found light – communities eager to build classrooms, dedicated teachers and students who still have hope for the future. Below I’ve included some of the data that I found most shocking.

• The largest school surveyed, Itezhi Tezhi Basic, had 16 girls drop out in 2008 due to pregnancy. One girl was 12 years old.

• At the seven schools surveyed, we saw under 100 teachers serving 4,000 students.

• Grades 7 and 9 require exams in order to progress through the educational system. These exams lead to significant drop out rates, with very few students making it to grade 10. In 2007, 21% of grade 7 students progressed on to grade 8 and 10% of grade 9 students progressed on to grade 10. As our consultant noted, “This system forces students into a lifetime of semi-illiteracy and poverty.”

• Students from remote villages come to the town of Itezhi Tezhi where they rent small homes, live unsupervised and attend elementary school and high school. These students, especially the girls, are subject to abuse. Many girls prostitute themselves to make money for food and rent. There are over 300 students currently renting homes in Itezhi Tezhi.

• One school had two untrained teachers educating 323 students, a ratio of 1:161.

• From an infrastructure perspective, the district suffers. Four of the seven schools were constructed from mud and grass, three schools had no electricity and none of the schools had adequate furniture to suit student’s needs.

• Aside from KnowledgeBeat, the district doesn’t have any NGO’s working on education in the area.