The crisis of education: being in school is not the same thing as learning

The name of the dog is puppy. It looks like a simple sentence. But did you know that in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, three out of three students in third grade do not understand it? In rural India, nearly three-quarters of third-grade students can not solve a two-digit subtraction problem, such as 46 minus 17, and in fifth grade, half still can not.

The world is facing a learning crisis. Although countries have significantly expanded access to education, being in school is not the same as learning: worldwide, hundreds of Millions of children reach adulthood without even the most basic skills, such as calculating change. Correct a transaction, read a doctor's instructions or understand the schedules of a bus, let yourself even less build a satisfying career or educate your kids.

Education is at the center of building human capital. The latest World Bank study shows that the productivity of 56% of children in the world will be less than half of what it could be if they had complete education and total health.

If delivered well, education, as well as the human capital it generates, benefits individuals and societies, increasing self-esteem and promoting employment and income opportunities. And for a country, it helps strengthen institutions within societies, promote long-term economic growth, reduce poverty and stimulate innovation.

"It's never too late for young people to have the opportunity to learn.Our young people deserve the skills to thrive in an increasingly demanding world of work." and uncertain, because the students of today will be the citizens and the leaders of the world, tomorrow a quality and relevant education is essential to realize the aspirations ".

Annette Dixon

Vice President of Human Development, World Bank

A global crisis of learning

The learning crisis persists, in part because many education systems in developing countries have little information about learners and those who are not. It is therefore difficult for them to take action. And given the uncertainty about the types of skills required by future jobs, schools and teachers must prepare students for skills other than basic reading and writing skills. Students must be able to interpret information, form opinions, be creative, communicate well, collaborate and be resilient.

The World Bank's vision is for all children and young people to acquire the skills they need to become productive, realized and involved citizens, workers and workers. Our approach is to help teachers at all levels to more effectively facilitate learning, to improve learning technologies, to strengthen school and systems management, while ensuring that All ages, from kindergarten to adulthood, are equipped to succeed.

Change begins with a great teacher

More and more evidence suggests that the learning crisis is, in essence, a crisis in education. In order for students to learn, they need good teachers, but many education systems pay little attention to what teachers know, what they do in clbad and, in some cases, to what they do. exhibit.

Fortunately for many students in all countries, there are dedicated and enthusiastic teachers who, despite all the challenges, enrich and transform their lives. They are heroes who challenge obstacles and make learning happen with pbadion, creativity and determination.

"Given their essential role, the learning crisis requires the support of teachers, who are the most important factor in determining the volume of student learning at school." Jlove Saavedra. Senior Director, Global Education Practice, World Bank

But even the heroes need help. We need to make sure that all teachers are motivated to do their best and that they are equipped with what they need to teach effectively.

To help countries reform teachers, the World Bank is launching "Successful Teachers, Successful Students". This global platform for teachers addresses the main challenges of the efficiency of all teachers, to teach an attractive and respectable profession through effective personnel policies and to ensure that teachers possess appropriate skills and knowledge prior to training. enter the clbad and then support them throughout their careers.

Technology offers new opportunities for teaching and learning

Rapid technological change increases the stakes. Technology is already playing a crucial role in supporting teachers, students and the wider learning process. This can help teachers better manage the clbadroom and offer different challenges to different students. And technology can enable principals, parents, and students to interact seamlessly. The effective use of technology benefits millions of students, but not millions of others in developing countries.

One of the most interesting large-scale educational technology initiatives is led by EkStep, a philanthropic initiative in India. EkStep has created an open digital infrastructure providing access to learning opportunities for 200 million children, as well as a professional development of 12 million teachers and 4.5 million Heads of school. Teachers and children have access to content ranging from instructional materials to instructional videos to interactive content, stories, worksheets and formative badessments. By monitoring what content is used more frequently and more advantageously, it is possible to make informed decisions about future content.

In the Dominican Republic, a pilot study funded by the World Bank shows how adaptation technologies can be of great interest to 21st century students and a way to support learning and education for future generations.

Yudeisy, a sixth-grade student who participates in the study, says that what she prefers the most during the day is watching videos and tutorials on her computer and her mobile phone. Taking the curiosity of childhood as a starting point, the study aimed to orientate it towards the learning of mathematics in a way that interested Yudeisy and his clbadmates.

We know that it is better to learn when the instruction is adapted to the needs and strengths of each child, that individual progress is tracked and that we react quickly by using an adaptive technology to badess the initial level of learning. children. The students will then guide them through the math exercises in a dynamic and personalized manner, based on artificial intelligence and what the student is ready to learn. After three months, students with the lowest initial performance achieved substantial improvements. This shows the potential of technology to increase learning outcomes, especially among students lagging behind their peers.

In an area that is growing at breakneck speed, innovative solutions are emerging to meet the challenges of education. Our challenge is to make technology an engine of equity and inclusion and not a source of increased inequality of opportunity. We work with partners around the world to support the effective and appropriate use of educational technologies to reinforce learning.

When schools and education systems are well managed, learning takes place

To provide quality education, it is necessary to put in place systems that offer daily learning in thousands of schools and to millions of students. A successful education reform requires good design. policies, strong political commitment and effective implementation capacity. Of course, it is extremely difficult. Many countries struggle to use their resources effectively and often, higher education expenditures do not translate into more learning and better human capital. Overcoming such challenges involves working at all levels of the system.

At the central level, ministries of education should use the best experts to design and implement programs based on factual and country-specific data. District or regional offices need the capacity and tools to learn and support schools. At the school level, principals need to be trained and prepared for school management and management, from resource planning to supervising and training their teachers.

As difficult as it may be, change is possible. Supported by the World Bank, public schools in Punjab, Pakistan, have undergone major reforms in recent years to address these challenges. Through better accountability at the school level by monitoring and limiting absenteeism of teachers and students, and introducing a merit-based teacher recruitment system in which only the most talented and motivated teachers were selected, they were able to enroll and retain students and significantly improve the quality of education. "Public schools have become very good, even better than private schools," said Ahmed, a villager in the area.

No changes can occur without data. Governments need to know what is missing in their education systems or what is well done to take the appropriate steps to improve. The World Bank, in collaboration with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the UK Department for International Development, is establishing the Global Education Policy Group. This new initiative will provide governments with a system to monitor the functioning of their education systems, from data learning to action plans, so that they can make timely and evidence-based decisions. evidence.

Education Reform: The long game is worth it

By nature, the benefits of investing in education require patience and perseverance. In fact, it will take a generation to take full advantage of the benefits offered by quality teachers, effective use of technology, improved management of committed and prepared students. However, the global experience shows that countries that have rapidly accelerated their development and prosperity share the common characteristic of taking education seriously and investing properly.

As we celebrate the first International Education Day on January 24, we must do everything in our power to give our youth the skills they need to continue learning, to adapt to new realities and to thrive. in an increasingly competitive and globalized global economy. in quick change. working.

Schools of the future are being built today. There are schools where all teachers have the appropriate skills and motivation, where technology allows them to provide quality learning and where all students acquire fundamental skills, including skills. social-emotional and digital. These schools are safe and affordable for all and are places where children and young people learn with joy, rigor and determination.

Governments, teachers, parents and the international community must do their part to keep the promise of education for all students in every village, town and country.