Warm Wishes for New Year 2021 from PAL Network

PAL Network takes this opportunity to thank you for your company during a rather unique and eventful 2020. Indeed, 2020 was full of uncertainties. Yet it had its silver lining – people stayed home, did things differently, and the seeds for innovation were planted. It is a year that affirmed that our choice, of household based assessments and actions, is on the mark. We are hopeful as we look ahead. We look forward to your continued friendship and support. Warm wishes for New Year 2021.

ICAN Featured in the White Paper by Save Our Future

PAL Network’s International Common Assessment of Numeracy (ICAN) was featured prominently in the joint white paper launched by the Save Our Future campaign. The paper, entitled Save Our Future: Averting an Education Catastrophe for the World’s Children was unveiled at UNESCO’s Global Education Meeting on 22 October 2020. Pratham Education Foundation co-authored the background paper with key contributions from Uwezo Uganda and Young 1ove detailing the relevance of simple and rapid assessments and targeted instruction in a post-COVID world.

Expansion of ICAN through the KIX+ Project

Building on ICAN, PAL Network is strengthening and expanding its common assessment via the KIX+ Project. The core workforce of the KIX+ project comprises staff drawn from all participating countries of the network. This team has sampled additional districts for the assessment. The field trial plan to develop and finalise the assessment package has been drafted. The KIX+ pre-numeracy and numeracy assessment framework and a pilot of textbook analysis for language and literacy assessment are under preparation. Connect with us, @palnetworkHQ for more developments.

Online Workshop on ICAN Policy Linking for Measuring Global Learning Outcomes

Thirty teacher panellists, 15 each from Kenya and Nigeria participated in eight 2-hour online workshop sessions to align ICAN to the Global Proficiency Framework (GPF). Panellists also set benchmarks for the score children need to achieve on ICAN to “meet global minimum proficiency” in Grades 2 and 3. Policy Linking is a methodology that links existing assessments to the GPF and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4.1.1.

MIA Mexico Wins the 2020 SUMMA Competition

Medición Independiente de Aprendizajes (MIA) Mexico won the 2020 Innovation Contest for Educational Justice in Latin America with the project, Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) Remedial courses in rural areas. The project seeks to validate a sustainable model for scaling up evidence-based participatory educational innovations aimed at reducing the lag in basic learning in reading and arithmetic among children and adolescents in rural contexts in South-eastern Mexico.

LBOP2 Country Case Analysis Presentations

Teams from Kenya and India (including PAL Network and partner representatives) submitted seven papers and participated in the Learning at the Bottom of the Pyramid (LBOP) second virtual conference on 30 November and 7 and 8 December 2020. The team presented Country Case Analyses with focus on equity for children at the bottom of the pyramid and PAL Network and Pratham Education Foundation participated in panel discussions. Young 1ove and ASER Pakistan also served as commentators. See the presentations here.

Expanding Inclusion of Learning Opportunities: Policy Dialogues in Kenya

The last three months saw the Ministry of Education through the Directorate of Policy, Partnerships, and East African Community Affairs, the Directorate of Special Education Needs, NACONEK and KICD together with PAL Network hold a series of virtual Policy Dialogues. Over 200 education stakeholders discussed the inclusion of children with special education needs and those in marginalised areas amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The dialogues, funded by the INCLUDE Platform, also looked at the emerging of policy gaps within the current education reforms. View the dialogues here.

Facilidade ICDS Shines a Light on Education in Emergencies

Wiixutta Nithweelaka or ‘‘Learning by Playing’’ is a Facilidade ICDS program that will be adapted and implemented in Northern Mozambique, targeting over 400 displaced children. It aims to prepare pre-school age children to enter school and improve their literacy and numeracy skills. The program will also ensure that every displaced child has the fundamental right to education.

Uwezo Tanzania’s Jifunze Program Improves Literacy and Numeracy

A recent reflection meeting organised by Uwezo Tanzania and education stakeholders revealed that the Jifunze (TaRL) program has improved children’s reading and arithmetic skills. Out of the 800 children enrolled in the Jifunze program in five schools, 85 per cent of them improved in literacy and numeracy after 30 days. It shows a closer partnership between parents and teachers in a bid to support learning. Parents also formed accountability committees to hold themselves accountable and ensure children attend school regularly.

Re-entry in Schools Post Nationwide Lockdown in Botswana

After a break of over six months without implementing TaRL in schools, Young 1ove worked with the National Service Program facilitators in Botswana, who had previously been trained to implement TaRL in 19 schools in the North East region of the county. Fifteen days post-implementation, the innumeracy level of the students in the program dropped from 22 per cent to 5 per cent. The overall number of children who learned a new operation stood at 57 per cent.

PAL Network at the Africa Knows Conference

VIdA Nicaragua Shares ICAN with Government Officials

Following the launch of ICAN report in ALCE Hub, VIdA Nicaragua and the Ministry of Education of Nicaragua met to discuss the assessment results in the rural area of the municipality of Matagalpa. In two meetings, participants discussed ICAN results and elaborated a plan to improve children’s learning. Two more meetings are set, one with volunteers/enumerators and the other with companions.

Communities where Zizi Afrique Foundation Works Continue to Thrive

Uncertainty set in in March when schools closed. However, Zizi Afrique Foundation quickly adapted a hybrid implementation approach of the Accelerated Learning Program combining radio, print materials, SMS and household support to ensure continued learning. This has resulted in continued learning for over 6,500 learners to date. Watch the full video here. Besides, the structured community-based camps have benefitted over 2,500 learners, with the first cohort completing their 30 days recently.

How Partnerships Have Enabled Adaptation of TaRL to Thrive in the African Context: A Journey of Learning and Partnership for Quality Education in Kenya and Mozambique

By Armando Ali, Regional Manager, ESA Hub of PAL Network

Building Back Better Requires Capacitating Civil Society Organisations to Hold Actors to Account for Equitable Access to Quality Education 
By Dr Emmanuel Manyasa, Executive Director, Usawa Agenda

From a Data Quality Standards Framework to the International Common Assessment of Numeracy
By Muhammad Usman, Senior Program Officer, PAL Network

Understanding the ICAN Foot Soldiers
By Winny Cherotich, Senior Program Officer, PAL Network