PAL Network Biennial Conference Set for November 2021
Greetings from the PAL Network. We hope you are keeping safe. We are pleased to announce that the PAL Network biennial conference is scheduled for 2nd-4th November 2021. The virtual conference themed “Building Better: Ensuring Learning Continuity for All” will bring together various stakeholders in education to discuss progress, challenges and opportunities towards children’s foundational learning. Follow us on @palnetworkHQ for regular updates on the conference.
3rd Annual General Meeting Held Virtually
On the 25th of March, PAL Network held its third Annual General Meeting. The virtual meeting approved the Annual Narrative Report and audited financial statements for the year ended 31st December 2020. Members also endorsed the renewal of five Board of Directors and agreed to review the current constitution that has governed the network for five years.
PAL Network Chief Executive Officer Appointed as the Chief Administrative Secretary – Ministry of Education, Kenya
On the 17th of February 2021, His Excellency the President of Kenya, Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta appointed PAL Network CEO, Dr. Sara Ruto to serve in the Ministry of Education. Dr. Sara will serve in the newly created State Department for the Implementation of Curriculum Reforms in charge of rolling out the new education system dubbed the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC). The CBC was officially launched in Kenya in August 2019 and promises to nurture every learner’s potential.
PAL Network Introduces the Monthly Spotlight
We have introduced a Monthly Spotlight on Mailchimp to shine a light on PAL Network members and their work. Each month, one member will be featured through the Spotlight. The Spotlight offers our members an opportunity to share their work, initiatives and achievements with other members and the external audience. Our first spotlight, which will be circulated in April, features Uwezo Tanzania led by the Executive Director, Ms. Zaida Mgalla.
ASER India Back to the Field
The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) April 2021 is underway. The survey is being conducted using regular ASER methodology and tools in selected states in India. Additional questions on COVID-19-related norms and resources will be put to schools and households. The national workshop was held virtually from the 18th-22nd of March, followed by volunteer training at state and district level. Follow @asercentre for regular updates. Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi Pakistan Wins Big at Karachi Awards
On the 7th of April, 2021, Pakistan’s largest private electric supply company K-Electric (KE) awarded Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA) and Children’s Literature Festival (CLF) for their outstanding work in education, heritage and culture in Karachi. The awards acknowledged ITAs continuous efforts in addressing the profound crisis of education in Pakistan through action and policy research, service delivery and advocacy. ITA is the only organisation that bagged two awards out of 34 entries. Follow @itacecorg for more.
ASER Pakistan 2021 – Measuring Learning Quality in Katchi Abadis
ITA and the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) Pakistan teams mapped over 300 Katchi Abadis (informal urban settlements) in Lahore and Karachi and conducted preliminary fieldwork as the first step in understanding the education status and learning quality in these settlements. This comprehensive mapping process is the first of its kind in Pakistan which will not only facilitate the ASER survey process but will also allow future researchers to explore Katchi Abadis in depth. Usawa Agenda Kenya Participates in a Consultative Workshop on Responding to School Unrests
Usawa Agenda in collaboration with the National Parents Association, experts from Kenya and representatives from international organisations had a consultative workshop on addressing the upsurge of incidents of unrest in secondary schools in Kenya. The workshop which took place on 19 February 2021 at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), aimed at identifying short- and long-term solutions to the ongoing unrest in schools. Read more here.DUCE Students Express Interest in Using Uwezo Tanzania Data
Uwezo Tanzania in collaboration with Dar-es-salaam University College of Education (DUCE) held a seminar on evidence-based policy analysis and influence to improve the performance of the education sector on 2nd March 2021. During this event, over 25 master’s programme students expressed interest in using Uwezo Tanzania assessment findings in their academic papers and research reports, citing its robustness and relevance. Uwezo Tanzania Executive Director, Ms. Zaida Mgalla welcomed the idea.
Uwezo Uganda Set to Conduct Post COVID-19 Learning Assessment
In preparation for its forthcoming national learning assessment to be conducted in June 2021, Uwezo Uganda convened a test development workshop to come up with tasks for the assessment. This will be the first assessment of its kind in Uganda since the closure of schools in March 2020, providing an opportunity to measure any ‘learning losses’ as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Click here for further details on the assessment.
ABACOenRed (VIdA) Nicaragua Welcomes New Member of Staff
ÁBACOenRed (VIdA) is excited to announce the addition of a new member to the team. Winnie José Narváez Herrera has a keen interest in process, complexity, art and multidisciplinary. She studied visual arts, sociology and a master’s degree in “space and society” in Belgium. Winnie values the need to understand national realities. Working with cooperatives, she is interested in educational research and popular alternative education from a vision of genuine cooperation.
Zizi Afrique Foundation Kenya Committed to Sustaining Learning Gains
Zizi Afrique Foundation through the Accelerated Learning Program (ALP) is strengthening a culture of reading through community libraries established in 2020, as they shift from ‘learning to read’ to ‘reading to learn’. Advisory groups have been established at the county levels to manage the libraries and coordinate the communities’ access to the facilities. A blended approach to learning camps combining low-tech (radio) and community-based camps to complement school-based sessions is ongoing.
PAL Network Participates in Education Reimagined Virtual Convening
The Education Equity Research Initiative and PAL Network collaboratively organised a virtual learning session on Thursday, 21 January 2021. The session focused on the conceptualisation of equity, existing evidence in PAL countries and beyond, and integrating equity into programme design. The presenters encouraged PAL Network to continue taking action towards Education 2030 through their work. For more click here.
Zizi Afrique Foundation Partners with RELI to Launch the ALiVE Project
On the 17th of February 2021, Zizi Afrique Foundation together with other Regional Educational Learning Initiative (RELI) members virtually launched the Assessment of Life Skills and Values in East Africa – ALiVE project. This is a three-year initiative that intends to create the first locally developed East African open-source life skills assessment tools. It targets adolescents aged 13 to 17 years in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The initiative focuses on four competencies: Self-awareness, Collaboration, Problem-solving and Respect. Read more.
The Chief Minister of the Lumbini Province, Mr. Shankar Pokhrel launched the ASER Nepal 2019 Municipality Report on 18 February 2021. The municipality-level school-based assessment was conducted by local partners in Dang District between August and September 2019. The report release was delayed due to the ongoing global pandemic. ASER Nepal supported the designing of the assessment model as well as the development of the assessment tools and processes. The assessment was fully funded by the municipality.
Policy Dialogue on Expanding Inclusion of Learning Opportunities held
Ms. Mumina Gallo Bonaya, the Chief Administrative Secretary, State Departments for Early Learning and Basic Education and University Education and Research at the Kenya Ministry of Education alongside PAL Network hosted a virtual Policy Dialogue on 18 February 2021. The dialogue highlighted efforts the Ministry of Education needs to put in place to expand learning opportunities for teen mothers and young boys who undergo circumcision. Policy Dialogues are funded by the INCLUDE Platform. Plans to scale up the dialogues to five countries are underway.
TEP Centre, Nigeria Managing Director Participates in a World Bank Event
On the 23rd of March 2021, The Education Partnership (TEP) Centre Managing Director, Dr. Modupe Adefeso-Olateju presented at a World Bank event. The event, titled “Supporting Teachers in the Age of the Pandemic” focused on progress towards ensuring every child is taught by a competent teacher and how best to support teachers during and after the pandemic. View the recording here.
PAL Network @ CIES 2021
Representatives from the PAL Network will make presentations in various sessions in the upcoming virtual 2021 Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) Conference scheduled for April 25th-May 2nd. The theme of the Conference is Social Responsibility within Changing Contexts. Follow @palnetworkHQ for more updates.
Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report 2021-22
ASER Pakistan is working on the Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report 2021-22 titled “Non-State Actors in Education”. The report explores in detail the emergence and prevalence of non-state actors at different levels of education in Pakistan. The report focuses on the provision, regulation, financing and management of education.
It is time to return to learning By Rafael de Hoyos, Center for Economic Research (ITAM) and Jaime Saavedra, Global Director, Education Global Practice, World Bank
