Improving school readiness in the Sahel: The role of adaptive social protection programmes
This document discusses the importance of integrating school readiness measures into social protection programs to improve educational outcomes and strengthen human capital in the Sahel. It outlines the theoretical framework for school readiness, assesses the impact of school readiness interventions, details evidence-based measures, and concludes with safety net program recommendations and implementation guidance specific to the Sahel context.
This publication provides the following recommendations:
Efforts to address malnutrition and primary school performance in the Sahel through social protection programmes would be best directed towards safety net programmes;
In addition to behavioural change communication, goods/services can be provided to targeted/vulnerable households;
The introduction of community-based preschools is another invaluable service that could be provided to targeted/vulnerable communities;
Lastly, where feasible, efforts to improve parental stress and mental health could be used to further strengthen caregiver-child interactions and consequently improve childcare practices and early learning in the home.