Purdue ELRC Evaluation Sheds Light on Somalia's Accelerated Education Programs

Purdue University College of Education's Evaluation and Learning Research Center (ELRC), funded by USAID, has been leading a multi-national evaluation of educational models for diverse learners in Somalia, including the USAID-funded Bar ama Baro (BaB) Accelerated Basic Education (ABE) programme. The evaluation team includes the Somali Research and Development Institute (SORDI) and the ResilientAfrica Network (RAN). The BaB programme, implemented by Creative Associates International, condenses two years of formal education into a single year to help over-aged, out-of-school children and youth catch up on their schooling. The evaluation examines both academic outcomes and psychosocial indicators — including students' sense of self-efficacy, wellbeing, and hope — that influence learning. In September 2022, ELRC director Wilella Burgess spent twelve days in Nairobi meeting with the Somali BaB evaluation team, USAID, and representatives from related education projects to discuss findings, share learning, and plan next steps. Data collection began in 2021 across eleven districts in Jubaland, Southwest, Hirshabelle, and the Banaadir region, with follow-up data collected after one year of instruction and further collection planned to track outcomes over time. The evaluation team shared its findings with USAID and the Somalia Ministry of Education, Culture and Higher Education to inform improvements to the Bar ama Baro programme and future Somali education policy. This research is funded through the LASER PULSE programme, a Purdue-led consortium supporting USAID's Innovation, Technology and Research Hub.