The aims of the study are two-fold: to examine the causes of low participation, persistence and performance of girls in primary schools, both absolutely, and relative to boys; to identify the most promising policy choices facing states which wish seriously to universalise the enrolment of all children at primary level, and to investigate the resource implications of such alternative policies.
The Report is based upon an extensive period of fieldwork between August 1995 and February 1996, which included surveys of, and group discussions with, schools personnel, pupils and parents, as well as those who had dropped out of school or who never enrolled. These surveys, supplemented by a review and synthesis of earlier work on gender and education, were designed to identify the main constraints affecting the education of girls and boys in Guinea.
In addition, the team collected and analysed a large amount of contextual information on enrolment trends, educational indicators, costs and expenditures which have been used in the Report to identify the main policy options faced by the government, and to specify the cost and resource implications of alternative policy measures.
