Examining the Sustainability of Donor-Funded Education Programmes on Learning Outcomes: A Case Study of Selected Public Schools in Chongwe District

This study examined the influence and sustainability of donor-funded education programmes on teaching and learning outcomes in selected public schools in Chongwe District, Zambia. The study was aimed to (i) examine the sustainability of donor-funded education programmes in public schools (ii) evaluate their influence on student learning outcomes and (iii) investigate factors affecting their sustainability after donor withdrawal. The study adopted a mixed-methods approach involving quantitative and qualitative data collection from 50 respondents comprising teachers, learners, parents, head teachers, standards officers, deputy head teachers and District Education Board Secretary officials. Quantitative data were analysed using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS), while qualitative information was analysed thematically. The findings revealed that donor-funded programmes had made important contributions to education, although their sustainability remained moderate and uneven. Regarding the first objective, only 40% of respondents indicated that donor-funded activities were sustained to a great or very great extent, while 30% reported moderate sustainability, 26% low sustainability and 4% no sustainability. Although 62% agreed that school management supported continuation, only 42% perceived that government had integrated donor initiatives into its systems, while 34% reported community support for continuation. Regarding the second objective, 64% of respondents rated the overall influence of donor-funded programmes on learner performance as high or very high. Learner participation recorded the highest improvement at 74%, followed by literacy at 68%, teacher effectiveness at 62%, attendance and examination results at 56% each, and numeracy at 52%. Furthermore, 80% agreed or strongly agreed that donor programmes improved teaching quality. Concerning the third objective, limited monitoring and accountability was the leading sustainability challenge at 22%, followed by inadequate government funding and limited learning materials and equipment at 18% each, insufficient teacher training and follow-up at 16%, poor infrastructure maintenance at 14%, and weak community participation at 12%. Lastly, the study concludes that donor-funded education programmes have positively influenced teaching and learning outcomes, but their long-term benefits are constrained by inadequate institutionalisation, financing, monitoring, maintenance and local ownership. The study recommends stronger government financing, institutional integration, continuous teacher development, effective monitoring and enhanced community participation to sustain programme benefits beyond donor withdrawal.