GEM Report UNESCO

Remember Priscilla, one of our Spotlight Children from #Ghana 🇬🇭? We went back this year to see how her learning journey is going. Now in Basic 3, she is improving in many subjects, including maths. To learn well, students need quality learning materials. And to teach for understanding, teachers require proper guides. The 2024 Spotlight Report, Learning Counts, by #GEMReport, Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA), and African Union, shows that textbooks and teacher guides are often lacking, misaligned with the curriculum, or not of sufficient quality to support teaching. This affects many children who complete primary school without basic literacy or numeracy skills. Like all children, Priscilla is #BornToLearn! Let's ensure we provide adequate support for all children and their teachers! 📚✨ Follow Priscilla’s journey 👉 https://bit.ly/4cMoYMr #SpotlightSaturday

The #2024GenderReport, "Technology on her terms," highlights both progress and challenges in achieving gender parity in education. While girls' and young women's participation has grown worldwide, #SubSaharanAfrica still lags, especially at higher education levels. In 2020, for every 100 enrolled males, there were only 96 females in primary, 91 in lower secondary, 87 in upper secondary, and 80 in tertiary education. This region also has more out-of-school girls than boys, with numbers rising. Enrolment is just a stepping stone to completion. The report examines whether starting school on time affects girls' chances of finishing their education. It turns out, it matters a lot. 🔴 If girls start school on time and don't repeat grades, they are almost as likely as boys to complete lower secondary school. But if they start late or repeat grades, reaching age 15 without finishing lower secondary school, they are more likely to drop out. Remedial education plays a key role in helping girls avoid repeating grades and dropping out. The 2024 Spotlight on Africa report by #GEMReport, Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) and African Union shows many countries providing remedial education, from Uganda offering up to 10 hours a week to Chad training teachers. Senegal’s expanded remedial program after 2018 improved reading skills by 25% and math proficiency by 40% in assessments. Such examples should inspire others to adopt similar policies, ensuring all children, regardless of gender, background, or identity, can complete a quality education. ➡️ Explore more in the latest #WorldEducationBlog: https://bit.ly/4f7CmMO #BornToLearn

📚Assessments for Minimum Proficiency Levels (AMPL) is a great tool to measure learning levels! It's quick, cost-efficient & provides valuable data for teachers & policymakers. 🌍 AMPL is active in eight Sub-Saharan countries and empowers these nations to report against SDG indicator 4.1.1a. The development of AMPL is an important step forward and has the potential to align national and cross-national assessment programs to a single set of global standards in mathematics and reading, as articulated in SDG 4.1.1. Check out how #Zambia and other sub-Saharan countries are implementing it ➡ https://lnkd.in/e58Ah4uD GEM Report UNESCO #SDG4

On #MandelaDay, we honor Nelson Mandela's vision for education. 📚 He believed education could change the world, breaking barriers and fostering understanding. #Africa’s complex past has an impact on its education system challenges. The Spotlight on Africa report by #GEMReport, Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) and African Union provides recommendations to help find solutions that work: https://lnkd.in/e7vEQyNy #BorntoLearn

In the early 2000s, projects like One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) promised to revolutionize education by providing low-cost laptops loaded with learning materials to students in low- and middle-income countries. Optimism was high, but reality has taught us some tough lessons. Peru, for instance, distributed over 900,000 laptops to rural students. Yet, after 15 months, studies showed no significant improvement in math and language scores. Only 40% of students took their laptops home, and without internet access, their potential was limited. The laptops were often used just to copy texts from the blackboard, missing the mark on innovative learning. In Southeast Asia, Thailand's One Tablet Per Child project faced similar issues. Despite distributing 800,000 tablets, the lack of contextual content and inadequate teacher training meant the devices were often used for playing games rather than learning. Contrast this with Singapore’s approach. The National Digital Literacy Programme didn't just hand out devices; it provided robust support, including technical assistance and comprehensive teacher training. By 2020, 90% of students had access to personal learning devices, with the program expanding to ensure free or subsidized devices for all secondary school students. Our #2023GEMReport highlights a clear lesson: Simply providing devices isn't enough. Effective technology integration requires contextualized content, well-designed resources, and strong teacher support. Let’s prioritize thoughtful implementation over mere distribution to truly unlock the transformative power of technology in education! ➡️ Explore more in the latest #WorldEducationBlog: https://bit.ly/4fa44IH #TechOnOurTerms

Digitizing textbooks offers numerous benefits: ✅ It significantly reduces production and distribution costs. ✅ It increases student access to content outside school hours. ✅ It enhances inclusiveness and accessibility for minorities and people with disabilities. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated this trend, with Malaysia and Korea at the forefront of digital textbook initiatives. However, commercial publishers face challenges in adapting their business models. Printed textbooks remain profitable, and digital infrastructure limitations and government policies can hinder the shift to digital formats. Sustainable models require collaboration between governments and publishers. France’s Sesamath platform exemplifies how partnerships can support digital textbook production. In higher education, digital textbooks are more common, with major publishers like Pearson and McGraw Hill generating significant revenue. Yet, this shift raises regulatory and ethical concerns, particularly around data usage and market exclusivity. Open Educational Resources (OER) provide a free and accessible alternative, offering high-quality learning materials to a broad audience. Technology has the power to vastly improve access to educational content, breaking down barriers related to language, cost, and entry requirements. While digital textbooks won’t replace printed materials, their potential to reach and engage learners is undeniable. Explore more in the #WorldEducationBlog by Camila Lima De Moraes, Senior Project Officer (Research), #GEMReport: https://bit.ly/3zJKhzK #TechOnOurTerms #2023GEMReport

Today is World Youth Skills Day! To create a more peaceful and sustainable future, it is crucial that youth have the skills they need. Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) are pivotal for shaping this future and achieving the 2030 Agenda's education goals. They provide affordable, quality education that equips youth with essential skills for employment, entrepreneurship, and self-employment. TVET also helps reduce gender disparity, supports vulnerable groups, and fosters sustainable economic growth by addressing societal skill demands. Through work-based learning and certification, TVET ensures that skills gained are recognized and accessible, offering crucial opportunities for low-skilled, unemployed, and out-of-school youth. Explore more about TVET impact 👉 #YouthSkillsDay #WYSD #Education #UN #GEMReport #Youth #TVET #SDG4

On this International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms, we highlight the climate crisis impacting sub-Saharan Africa that is also taking a toll on children’s education. Sukie Yang and Kai Feng, doctoral students at the University of Pennsylvania and #2023GEMReport fellows, delve into the complex relationship between climate anomalies and educational attainment. Key Insights: 1️⃣ Climate change amplifies education crises across the region. 2️⃣ Children exposed to prolonged climate anomalies face higher risks of primary school dropout. 3️⃣ Better-educated mothers mitigate adverse impacts of climate change on children's education. This #WorldEducationBlog post sheds light on the critical intersection of climate change and education, offering insights for comprehensive policy responses: https://bit.ly/3HG97B5 #ClimateChange #EducationForAll #SubSaharanAfric #SDSDay

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Today, we celebrate Malala Day, honoring Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai and her commitment to #EducationForAll. ✨ Inspired by her example, let's ensure that every child’s right to education is protected and realized! 📰 Read our latest report on girls' education #2024GenderReport: https://lnkd.in/dRFbRNcz #Malala #MalalaDay Malala Fund