MODFL/Mainstream/Role of policy
Policy plays a central role in regulating access to education and employment by youth and marginalised groups in society. Policy reforms can go a long way in addressing access problems at a systemic level. For example, an affirmative action policy in favour of disadvantaged groups can increase participation of learners from such groups in society. Providing girl children with school requirements, like sanitary pads or uniforms, has potential to attract and retain more girls in the school system. It has been noted in several African countries that school feeding schemes have had a profound impact on school attendance by children from poor home backgrounds. Policy on deployment of qualified teachers to rural schools has also resulted in improvement of the quality of rural education and increased participation in school by rural children. Similarly, policy in favour of building better school facilities in rural areas has also attracted poor rural children to school. In many African countries, and perhaps in other developing regions as well, policy on compulsory education for children of up to a certain age has resulted in more participation in education for the relevant age group. Thus, challenges of access should be at the fore of policy makers at all levels of the education system – national, provincial, district and school level. In terms of youth employment, the overall macro-economic policy framework, including human capital development policy, is a key prerequisite for effective interventions that address the demand side of the labour market. In some countries, it has been clear that the high rate of youth unemployment is a direct result of the mismatch between education and training and the needs of the market. Thus, addressing this skills gap through education and training has a positive impact on youth employment. As Datta et al (2018)10 argue, employment protection legislation (EPL) that affects hiring and firing procedures as well as policy on minimum wages and mandatory social benefits can have more negative effects on the propensity for firms to hire youth. In general, the cost of labour is a significant factor affecting decisions by investors on where to locate their business.
Girls and women
Women and girls struggle to access education in most developing countries, especially in Africa. This trend is mostly a result of entrenched cultural practices in these regions. Education systems in many developing countries are characterised by glaring gender disparities, which reduce the social and economic benefits of investments in education. Gender disparity in education refers to the unequal access and opportunities for education between males and females. It involves differences in enrolment rates, completion rates, quality of education, and subject choices. An important aspect to consider when analysing gender disparity are school dropout rates, which refers to the number of learners who leave school before they complete their education cycle. In the developing world, girls and women drop out of education more than their male counterparts due to factors such as early marriage, pregnancy, financial constraints, and cultural norms that prioritise boys' education over girls'. These factors perpetuate gender disparities and hinder girls' and women's personal and professional growth opportunities and have an overall negative effect on national development. This problem is particularly acute amongst low socio-economic groups where there are both low levels of education and scarcity of resources. Due to certain cultural and religious beliefs, the limited resources available are channelled for the advancement of boys at the expense of girls.
