A Mongolian emergency – schools stay open but children suffer
James Lawrie and Odgerel Dandii led the Mongolia Dzud Education Needs Assessment for Save the Children. Here they reflect on some of the critical issues uncovered during March and April this year. The Report on the 2009-10 Dzud Disaster: Impact on Schools, Kindergartens, Children and Teachers in Mongolia, can be accessed here.
We entered the large socialist era brick building, removed our thick coats and received a strong welcoming handshake from the School Director. Following a cup of salty milk tea, and later a hearty meat-based lunch, we engaged in frank conversations about children, learning, living conditions and education during the Dzud emergency. The purpose of these visits, in one of the most sparsely populated countries on earth, was to learn how pre-school, primary and secondary education had been affected by a summer drought and a winter characterized by heavy snow and temperatures which dropped to -45oC.
Dzud Emergency
Mongolia is not a stranger to the weather system known as Dzud, but following ten years of ‘normal’ winters this year was particularly tough. In a country where 30% of the population relies on livestock for their livelihood, the loss of animals has profound implications. The National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA) reported that by mid May 8.2 million animals, of an estimated 42million nationwide, had died during the winter.
Mongolia, 2010. photo courtesy of Adam Dean.
Mongolia, 2010. photo courtesy of James Lawrie/Save the Children.
Our approach
NEMA reports (8th February 2010) that over 210,000 children are living in areas ‘Affected’ or ‘Extremely Affected’. We approached the task of understanding Dzud’s influence on education in two ways: collecting survey data from School Directors from across the country (to gain a broad understanding of the impact), and conducting case studies in schools and kindergarten’s in affected areas (to capture the intrinsic issues at the school level).
Schools severely challenged - but coping
Through interviews with school leaders, focus groups with staff and children, workshops and observations, we uncovered some fascinating and, at times, unforeseen issues. Despite heavy snow and regular sub-30oC conditions, teachers and children continued to attend school. Although occasionally some schools had to shut for a few days, teaching and learning largely continued throughout the dzud, despite, in one particular case study, the wood-fired heating system breaking, stock piles of fuel running dangerously low, and increased levels of absenteeism due to illness and difficulty travelling. Impossible not to admire the resilience of schools and kindergartens that function in such conditions. It’s likely that the donation of wood and coal from NGOs and UN agencies was, in the end, what enabled many schools to maintain these near normal levels of operation.
Mongolia, 2010. photo courtesy of James Lawrie/Save the Children.
Dormitory children better off
Good schools protect children. In an emergency this is even more important. Outside the capital, schools provide dormitories for the children of herder families. We held focus groups with children staying in dormitories as well as children living in the local community. Free from the ear of their respected teachers they spoke frankly about living through Dzud. We found that the children living in the local community, especially those not with their parents, faced greater hardship. In contrast those in the dormitories reported good food, warmth and adult supervision. Issues common to both groups included few opportunities to wash, limited entertainment, dirty outdoor unisex toilets and great anxiety regarding family livelihoods.
Personal debt tormenting teachers
Through focus groups we consistently found teachers were worried about their often crippling levels of personal debt. Cuts in real earnings (after inflation) combined with the deaths of their livestock have taken their toll. The full extent of this problem along with its likely implications for education in Mongolia is unknown, although we met many teachers who were incredibly anxious about their domestic situation. Worryingly, many of these teachers offered no shortage of insinuation that teaching good lessons was increasingly of secondary importance.
The full report details many other issues including stockpiling of fuel, school budgets, and sector wide issues of preparedness and planning. This was a Needs Assessment conducted during Dzud – further research on internal migration, attendance and exam results will be needed to further understand the impact of Dzud on education in Mongolia.
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