Despite positive changes made in the Eswatini education system, significant challenges remain in terms of access to education, especially at secondary level, and regarding the quality, relevance, efficiency, and equity of education. This is only worsened by the decline in public spending for education. Finally, poverty levels remain high, further limiting access to basic care and education. Exclusion and gender inequalities continue to hinder many children from learning. 

This project is led by Swaziland Network Campaign for Education for All (SWANCEFA), the national education coalition (NEC) of Eswatini. SWANCEFA will work towards inclusive, transformative education that can ensure unhindered access to and participation in education for all learners and that the education system is supported with comprehensive care services within school settings. 

The project is building on a previous phase, implemented between April 2022 – December 2023, and will continue to advocate for a transformative and gender responsive education system in Eswatini. 

More specifically, the project has four main target areas:  

• Governance: Promote robust operational and governance systems for the NEC. 

• Advocacy: Ensure increased civic participation and state accountability for the redistribution of resources and delivery of equitable, quality, gender responsive education. 

• Generate evidence and awareness-raising: The NEC will highlight the need to strengthen social accountability, and budget analysis by conducting research. 

• Capacity-building: The NEC will build the capacity of civil society organisations and communities to influence and close the implementation gap between policy and practice. 

Key activities will include: 

• Conducting annual analysis of the education budgets and facilitate policy dialogues with parliamentarians on education budgets. 

• Facilitate capacity buildings for SWANCEFA members, parliamentarians, parents and CSOs. 

• Conduct trainings on social accountability, fiscal justice, and other thematic and advocacy learnings. 

• Conduct a national assessment of school fees per child, and on this basis lobby policy makers to standardise school fees and extend free education to secondary level. 

• Monitor social accountability in eight schools across the four regions of the country. 

This shall all lead to strengthened capacities of the NEC in inclusion, effective participation and self-sustainability to influence and monitor education sector plans and policies; advocacy on equitable education financing and spending to improve the quality and accessibility of education for marginalised learners; and increase the participation and engagement of CSOs and other marginalised groups in education sector planning, implementation and monitoring to improve equitable access to education in Eswatini. 

The project will promote CSO participation and involve important stakeholders, such as SWANCEFA members, parents, and parliamentarians. The interventions that entail monitoring education budgets and ensuring CSO participation in planning, implementation, and monitoring, will ensure that participation starts at community and school level where learners, local leaders, and teachers plan and monitor together through social accountability. 

A previous phase of the project was carried out between April 2022 – December 2023. The current project is part of the EOL extension phase of 2024-2026. Read more about the previous phase of the project here.