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Opportunity EduFinance
Level 18, 100 Bishopsgate, London EC2M 1GT

Telephone: +44 (0) 7768599834

© 2024 Opportunity International Education Finance functions under its US and UK affiliates. Opportunity International United Kingdom is registered as a charity in England and Wales (1107713) and in Scotland (SCO39692). Opportunity International United Statesis a 501(c)3 nonprofit.

Latest Blog

Teachers training Teachers in Kenya: Teacher Mentor Professional Development

by Catherine O’Shea

It is best practice for teachers to have regular access to ongoing professional development opportunities. In Kenya, with the rollout of the competency-based curriculum (CBC) in 2018, teacher professional development was key to equipping teachers with the skills needed to deliver the new curriculum. Yet for many affordable non-state schools this training has been out of reach, leaving teachers less equipped to deliver child-centered quality instruction that achieves the learning outcomes intended…

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Opportunity EduFinance in Nigeria: Past, present, and future

by Catherine O’Shea, Maham Khuhro and Wiktoria Gucia

Nigeria has more children currently out of school than anywhere else in the world, with an estimated 13.2 million not currently in any form of education. Transition rates from primary to secondary level reveal that less than half of children at this age - only 43% - have the opportunity to continue their education. With a national fertility rate of 5.3, the demand for education access in Nigeria will only continue to grow, increasing pressure on the current system already challenged to meet the existing…

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What are Teacher Mentors saying after a year of Professional Development?

by Catherine O'Shea

Ongoing professional development is critical to many careers, including teaching. And yet for many school leaders and teachers in the affordable non-state schools Opportunity EduFinance partners with, opportunities for ongoing professional development are limited. Research has found that interventions addressing teacher pedagogy and classroom instruction through teacher professional development and coaching shows evidence of improved student learning.[1] The EduQuality program of Opportunity EduFinance…

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Financing Technical and Vocational Training in India: Partnership with the National Skill Development Corporation

by Sakshi Sodhi

Opportunity EduFinance and the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) have formed a partnership which takes an important step towards expanding meaningful income generating opportunities for young people in India. Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is on the development agenda for many countries. Vocational, or skill-based education, is very important as many employers expect their new employees to have practical, applicable skills and experience rather than just academic…

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Pakistan Education Specialists Spotlight: Opportunities to impact children’s education in Pakistan

by Catherine O'Shea

  If you track global education trends at all, you likely know that Pakistan is among countries with the highest numbers of out-of-school children. And as UNICEF highlights, boys outnumber girls at every stage of education. Opportunity EduFinance is committed to working in countries with the highest need to create more school seats and give more children – including girls – the opportunity at a quality education. That means we see the need in Pakistan as a massive opportunity for impact by linking…

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2021 EduQuality Awards Colombia

by Opportunity EduFinance

In March 2022, Opportunity International EduFinance announced the winners of the 2021 Education Quality Awards in Colombia. Read the full Awards Report here! Colombia is currently one of 8 countries where EduFinance delivers the EduQuality program, which focuses on improving the quality of education learners receive through the Pathways to Excellence for school improvement planning tool, and school leadership professional development training. In a ceremony that celebrated the success of all our…

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In the Classroom: establishing a baseline for quality improvements

by Karri DeSelm

In Part 1 of our Classroom Observation series, we shared the framework and development process of Opportunity EduFinance’s new Classroom Observation tool.  In Part 2 of our series, the Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) team has analyzed baseline data from 468 classroom observations conducted in late 2020 – early 2021 across four countries: Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda and Zambia. In this blog we summarize our key findings from this baseline data, accompanied by a more detailed Key Insight publication. Baseline…

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‘When you educate a girl, you educate the whole community’ - International Women’s Day 2022

by Catherine O'Shea

  ‘Time to break the bias’ is the theme of International Women’s Day 2022. This year we are putting a spotlight on one of the many inspiring female leaders we have the privilege to work with. In this profile interview we discuss the many challenges faced in empowering girls to learn and push back against stereotypes by involving the whole community in the education of girls. Helen Musyoka is the proud owner and school leader of Mountain View Academy in Machakos County, located 30km outside…

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EduFinance Ghana: Building on Progress

by Catherine O'Shea

  Some of EduFinance’s earliest market research and technical assistance work started in Ghana. Around 2008, Opportunity International’s long-time financial institution partners in Ghana started recognizing that low-fee schools and parents were already borrowing for education related needs, despite not having dedicated EduFinance products to offer them. That early work with our Ghana partners to design, pilot and redesign dedicated loan products for school improvement and school fees would ultimately…

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'Healing Voices of Teachers: Conversations with our Inner Power' - Teacher Workshops in Colombia

by Andrea del Pilar Alvarado Camacho and Catherine O'Shea

UNESCO estimates that in addition to the 1.29 billion learners impacted at the height of the pandemic, nearly 60.2 million teachers around the world have also been affected by school closures due to the global pandemic. In Colombia, the entire education system has been impacted and teachers, students and families have had to adjust to in-person school closures, online learning and hybrid instruction with students returning to different learning environments. Although most lessons are now back in…

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