CO-COVID-19 Tutoring students of primary schools in Tahoua and Maradi following the closure of schools due to the pandemic Covid-19
Oxfam in Niger with funding from SP DANIDA through Oxfam IBIS is implementing the Education For Active Citizenship (EFAC) project in 40 primaryschools in the Maradi and Tahoua regions. The objective of this project is to mobilize, through advocacy, the financial resources necessary to improve the quality of education and vocational training in Niger. These 40 primary schools have a total of 10,753 students, including 4,613 girls, who are suffering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. To minimize the spread and impact of the disease in schools, the EFAC project redirected funds from certain activities to take action to combat COVID-19. An amount of 27,786 Euros is redirected for awareness-raising activities in schools and the purchase of hand washing devices and hydroalcoholic gels. These actions will be initiated when the schools reopen. As part of the fight against the COVID-19pandemic, the State of Niger has implemented several preventive measures to limit the spread of the disease. Among these preventive measures, there is the closure of allschools and universities in the country from March 19, 2020. Despite the reopening ofschools scheduled for June 1, 2020 for a period of 45 days, it will be very difficult to cover school time lost, therefore claiming to ensure a certain quality of teaching-learning. This gap, in terms of lost school time, will result in pupils in rural areas finding themselves with a significant drop in school levels compared to those expected in normal times. This drop in level is likely to jeopardize their transition to higher class thefollowing year.
 Based on the logic in which the school year willbe validated, which means that pupils, despite their below normal levels, will move up to the higher class for the 2020-2021 school year. So if this situation which is inexorably looming on the horizon occurs, it is very likely that a situation of massive dropout of pupils will occur in schools, especially those from vulnerable rural families; because these children will not be able to hold on because they have not acquired the minimum required to appropriate the teachings / learnings of the passage classes.
This situation of massive dropout of students could be more acute at the level of transition classes, in particular CM2 classes (last year of primary) and CI classes (first year of primary). That is to say, many CM2 students will go to college without having the required level, which would lead to frustrations which will result in dropouts and dismissals during or at the end of the school year. This will cause many children to lose their right to education, and would expose girls to another scourge,namely early marriage.
To respond to this massive dropout situation linked to the COVID-19 pandemic in the intervention areas of the EFAC project, Oxfam in Niger is seeking funding through this concept-note to provide educational support to students ingrades 5 and 6 CI of partner schools of the EFAC project which are the most exposed.
This intervention, which lasts two (2) months from June 15 to August 15, 2020, essentially aims to offer Support Courses to students in CM2 and CI classes to improve their levels to allow them to keep in the upper classes. The choice of these students is justified by the fact that they are in transition classes and those most exposed to wastage. A total of 4,115 students including 1,811 girls. These students are distributedas follows: 2010 CM2 students including 775 girls and 2105 CI students including 1036 girls.