[Report] 2023 GEM Report just out ~ read it here!

The sixth Global Education Monitoring Report, Technology in education: A tool on whose terms? has been released alongside 20 background papers and more than 200 PEER country profiles on laws and policies on technology in education.

The report states that regulations for technology set outside of the education sector will not necessarily cover education’s needs. The focus should be on learning outcomes, not digital inputs. To help improve learning, digital technology should be not a substitute for but a complement to face-to-face interaction with teachers.

It is released alongside a #TechOnOurTerms campaign, calling for decisions about technology in education to prioritize learner needs after assessing whether its application would be appropriate, equitable, evidence-based and sustainable.

[Project] Reducing violence in schools – CARING project kicks off in Bucharest

Following the successful completion of the REVIS – REsponding to VIolence against children in Schools and adjacent settings project, the work on reducing violence in schools continues in a new project: CARING – Challenging social and gender norms to reduce violence against children in school.

The CARING project, running from 1 May 2023 to 30 April 2025, is co-funded by the European Union, and is coordinated by Terre des Hommes Romania.

The project’s overall ambition is to decrease gender-based violence (GBV) in the 32 participating schools in Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania and Greece.

This is to be achieved by equipping around 1200 facilitators, school staff and management, parents, as well as youth with increased awareness of harmful social and gender norms and behaviors, as well as knowledge on how to challenge them and to promote positive ones.

Follow the project and its progress on the ChildHub website.

[Podcast] Behind the Pages interview with EENET’s Su Lyn Corcoran

Behind the Pages is a podcast from the INEE-NYU Journal on Education in Emergencies (JEiE) and features interviews with authors about innovative approaches and the progress and challenges of delivering education to some of the world’s most underrepresented populations.

On this episode of Behind the Pages, Su Lyn Corcoran and Jean-Benoît Falisse discuss takeaways from their research for education policy, including insights on teachers’ pay and working conditions, programming to support students with disabilities, and remote learning during COVID-19 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Syria. Both pieces of research were published in JEiE Vol. 8, No. 3 – Special Issue on Education in Pandemics (December 2022).

Behind the Pages is available on the INEE website and wherever you get your podcasts.

[Report] Arabic translation of EENET’s research article on home learning in DRC and Syria

It’s here!

The Arabic translation of our very own research article, “Home Learning for Children in Low-Income Contexts during a Pandemic: An Analysis of 2020 Survey Results from Syria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.” is now available for download.

During the school closures of COVID-19, EENET and Norwegian Association of Disabled developed guidance materials for all learners that encouraged appropriate, achievable, and low-stress learning activities in easy-to-read and visual formats, which are now available in online and printed formats. These materials were informed by an online survey that captured a snapshot of the extent to which home learning support and resources were provided, and recorded the perspectives of parents, families, and education professionals about learners’ situations in 27 countries in the months leading up to July 2020.

In this article, we focus on survey responses from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and northern Syria describing the inclusive home learning provision available during the COVID-19 school closures. We compared these findings with responses from other countries and identified four key areas of learning that emphasize the importance of localized approaches to inclusive education, drawing on community networks, and positioning teachers and parents as important community resources for education in emergencies.

Feel free to share the articles in Arabic, English, and French with your personal and professional networks!

 

**Deadline expired** [Webinar] Leaving no girl behind: Education pathways beyond formal schooling ~ 19 Sept 2023

Save the date for this webinar on girls education.

Date: Tuesday 19 September

Time: 11am-12pm

Hear from the Independent Evaluator of the Girls Education Challenge and the Fund Manager on how programmes have supported marginalised girls to:

  • Mitigate barriers that the most marginalised adolescent girls face in education.
  • Learn and/or transition to formal schooling and/or work opportunities.
  • Exercise choice and agency in education and beyond.

Register your interest on their website.

[Report] GEC Independent evaluation: Educating girls with disabilities

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) launched the Girls’ Education Challenge (GEC) in 2012 and since then has added a Phase II of the programme which covers the period 2017-2025.

Phase II focuses on 41 projects operating in 17 countries.  The two expected outcomes overall are:
• Improved learning outcomes for marginalised girls; and
• Increased transition through key stages of education, training, or employment.

The Independent Evaluation of Phase II is the latest report from the GEC, launched this month.

It has a thematic focus on disability and looks at the ways GEC projects have supported girls with disabilities and the impact on these girls, their teachers, families and communities.

Read the full report for information about the evaluation and its conclusions.

**Deadline expired** [Webinar] What interventions support better learning outcomes for girls with disabilities?~ 20th July 2023

 Date: Thursday 20th July 2023

Time: 12pm – 1pm (online)

This webinar will discuss findings of the recently launched report of the independent evaluation into learning outcomes for girls with disabilities.

The discussion will centre around two main questions:

  • To what extent did GEC II projects support girls with disabilities through interventions and what factors influenced these decisions?
  • What are the perceived and observed effects of the interventions for girls with disabilities, their teachers, families/caregivers and communities?

Register your attendance on the webpage.

[UK Report] The National Autistic Society – why aren’t easy changes being made?

It’s the little things, being able to use a quiet room, not having to wear a uniform that feels uncomfortable or being able to use an exit pass to leave the classroom when you’re too overwhelmed to speak.  These simple things can change now and can make such a difference.

This recent Education Report from the National Autistic Society (UK) is full of examples that demonstrate the power that small adjustments can make to the lives of autistic children and young people. The report includes recommendations such as allowing students to use exit passes and fidget toys in class. Changes like these could be made tomorrow, and drastically change the experience of autistic pupils.

Read the full report for more recommendations.

 

[Report] How ‘smart buys’ can improve learning in low- and middle-income countries

The Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel (GEEAP) is an independent interdisciplinary panel of leading global education experts that provides guidance on cost-effective approaches to improving learning for low- and middle-income countries.

The latest report, just launched, is 2023 Cost-Effective Approaches to Improve Global Learning – What does recent evidence tell us are ‘Smart Buys’ for improving learning in low- and middle-income countries?

Great buys include:

  • Investing in parent-directed early childhood development interventions, which coach parents in how to provide early childhood stimulation.
  • Support teachers with structured pedagogy programs including structured lesson plans, learning materials, and ongoing teacher support.
  • Target teaching instruction by learning level instead of by grade.
  • Provide quality pre-primary education also yields large long-term economic benefits in countries at all levels of income.

Read more about the history of the report and the recommendations they make going forward.

[Advocacy] Malala Fund Girls’ education report cards – track the progress of 120 countries

In 2015, world leaders enshrined their commitment to girls’ education in Sustainable Development Goal 4: Achieve universal quality education for all by 2030.  Yet high-level pledges have too rarely translated into good policies and strong investment. The result: millions of girls shut out of classrooms, dropping out early or left behind in learning.

Malala Fund’s report cards are for advocates who want to understand the world’s slow progress on girls’ education—and demand action to remedy it.

Examine the current status of girls’ education in 120 low and middle income countries using official government data (SDG scores) on progress and assessment of policy frameworks (policy scores) against ones proven to help girls complete school and realise their ambitions.

Track donor countries’ progress on their commitments and prioritisation of girls’ education within their Overseas Development Assistance (donor score).

Girls can’t wait any longer to see their dreams become reality.