This research aimed to help two project countries (Malawi and Lesotho) increase access to learning for students living in high HIV prevalence areas who were at risk of grade repetition or school drop-out, through (i) complementing classroom teaching with self-study learner guides to provide more open, distance and flexible delivery of the curriculum and (ii) strengthening community support for learning. The research objectives were: (1) To increase understanding of how open, distance and flexible learning (ODFL) can be used to address the factors that disrupt schooling by conducting research with school teachers and community members; (2) To design and implement an intervention in primary schools (Grade 6) in Malawi and Junior secondary schools (Grade B) in Lesotho over one school year (January to November 2009); (3)To evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention in reducing student absenteeism, drop-out and grade-repetition using an experimental design; (4) To disseminate the new knowledge gained to enable appropriate, evidence informed policy development to better integrate and more open and flexible curriculum delivery into schools and strengthen community support for vulnerable learners. ODFL initiatives, structures and networks that are already in place to implement HIV/AIDS policies were firstly identified through analyses of secondary data. Case studies were developed in contrasting communities severely affected by HIV and AIDS to identify contextual factors that can lead to exclusion from conventional schooling and dropping out. The case studies are complemented by data collected using a range of approaches such as semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, informal discussions with family members, participatory activities and observation. Based on this formative research, a pilot intervention will then be made through secondary schools to identify and trial a small-scale ODFL intervention package designed to overcome the barriers to conventional schooling identified in the case studies. The intervention will be evaluated qualitatively and also quantitatively using an experimental design. The impact was evaluated in a randomized controlled trial. In each country there were 20 schools in the intervention group and 20 schools in the control group. Data to evaluate the impact of the programme on school attendance, drop-out and grade repetition were collected before and after the intervention. Student achievement was assessed by testing children in Mathematics and English before and after the intervention. The study was conducted in 4 stages: (1) Sampling and randomization of schools; (2) Intervention design (informed by synthesizing existing knowledge, generating new knowledge and inviting critical comment from all stakeholders); (3) Intervention implementation; (4) Intervention evaluation. This study aimed to increase access to education and learning for young people living in high HIV prevalence areas in Malawi and Lesotho, by developing a new, more flexible model of education that uses open, distance and flexible learning (ODFL) to complement and enrich conventional schooling. The findings showed that in Malawi, the programme reduced overall student drop-out by 42% (OR=0.58). This effect was not significantly different among at-risk children targeted by the program and those not targeted in their class suggesting the intervention had spillover effects beyond the intended beneficiaries. There were improvements in mathematics scores for at risk students and a history of grade repetition was a better predictor of future drop-out than orphan-hood. In Lesotho the intervention reduced absenteeism and improved Mathematics and English scores. These findings suggest that the intervention reached the most vulnerable and was effective in increasing access to education and learning.

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