PAL Network launched the International Common Assessment of Numeracy (ICAN) Report on July 9, 2020. The virtual event brought together 1,842 participants across 42 countries from Africa, the Americas, Asia, Australia, and Europe. The speakers reflected on the journey of citizen-led assessments such as ASER and Uwezo and its evolution to ICAN. The speakers reflected on the journey of citizen-led assessments such as ASER and Uwezo and its evolution to ICAN. The discussion also stressed the utility of the robust yet simple-to-use ICAN tool that is important in measuring foundational numeracy. View the ICAN launch here.
ICAN Report Launched in South Asia Region
On August 10, 2020, the South Asia Hub of the PAL Network, comprising ASER Bangladesh, ASER India, ASER Nepal, and ASER Pakistan, hosted a webinar on “Understanding foundational numeracy: South Asian perspectives on ICAN, a new global tool”. The virtual launch, which brought together 208 participants, featured speakers from Pratham, World Bank, IBCC, GPE, and BRAC who advocated for a common regional tool that is appropriate to diverse contexts (schools, households, refugee camps among other contexts. Watch the webinar here.
ICAN Report Launched in Eastern and Southern Africa Region
On September 8, 2020, the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) Hub of the PAL Network comprising TPC Mozambique, Uwezo Tanzania, Uwezo Uganda, and Zizi Afrique Foundation hosted a webinar on “Monitoring foundational Numeracy: The potential of ICAN for Eastern and Southern Africa.” The webinar brought together 188 participants from 25 countries across Africa, the Americas, and Asia. The launch highlighted the opportunities that ICAN presents, not only to compare data across the countries but also to strengthen our education systems. Watch the webinar here.
KIX+ Project: PAL Network Common Scale Assessment up and Running
Building on ICAN, PAL Network is strengthening and expanding its common assessment via the KIX+ Project in 2020. The Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (KIX)+ Project aims to develop and implement a digitally adaptive common-scale language, literacy, and numeracy assessment that covers pre-school and early grade competencies for children aged 4 to 16 years. GPE KIX Global grant is supporting the numeracy component of the project. The Project Advisory Group-experts from PAL Network, ASER Centre, Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), UNICEF, World Bank had a virtual consultation meeting on 30 September. Field piloting will start in selected project locations by the end of 2020.
Policy Dialogue on Expanding Inclusion of Learning Opportunities
The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) jointly with PAL Network held a Policy Dialogue on September 24 to discuss various ways of reducing the existing gaps in equity and inclusion amidst the COVD-19 pandemic. The dialogue highlighted efforts that need to be put in place by the Ministry of Education to ensure continued learning, especially for learners with special needs and those living in marginalised areas. The recommendations arising from the dialogue were presented to KICD Management. Policy Dialogues is funded by the INCLUDE Platform.
Wave One of ASER India 2020 Completed
With COVID-19 disrupting education systems globally, are children able to access remote learning alternatives? How will this affect their foundational learning levels? The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2020 Survey aims to answer these questions. The survey will be in multiple waves in the same set of households and schools each time at state and national levels targeting 100,000 households across 596 districts in rural India. The first wave, which ended in September 2020, was conducted via the phone. Click here for updates.
MIA Mexico Invents a Different Way to Learn and have Fun
To strengthen basic literacy and numeracy, and to promote socio-emotional skills in children between 6 and 12 years old, Medición Independiente de Aprendizajes (MIA) Mexico rolled out “MIAventura de Verano”, a radio program with 15 sessions that involve: socio-emotional learning, preserving the environment, cooking, science activities, reading, writing, and math. The program was implemented in 12 municipalities in Veracruz (Mexico) during the 2020 summer school break, and it reached 1500 children.Young 1ove, Botswana Low-tech Intervention Results Published in the Center for the Study of African Economies
In the month of August 2020, the Center for the Study of African Economies published the results of the Young 1ove low-tech interventions designed to be simple, scalable, and reach the most disadvantaged children through short message service (SMS) and phone calls during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of the first experimental evidence of the intervention revealed that it was effective at improving learning outcomes. Activities were targeted and tailored to the parent and child’s learning level – reducing innumeracy by up to 52% and increasing parental engagement in children’s learning by up to 17%.Zizi Afrique Foundation, Kenya Adopts a Community-Based Learning Approach
Guided by four principles, i.e. Identify, Enable, Engage and Equalize, Zizi Afrique Foundation adopted a community-based learning approach to support continued learning amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Zizi Afrique Foundation and Usawa Agenda had earlier on conducted surveys, which revealed inequities arising from the remote learning options. The reports revealed that learners’ furthest behind were the hardest hit. The blended approach combines radio, SMS, and study packs and has reached over 6,000 learners.
PAL Network Participates in Education Reimagined Virtual Convening
TEP Centre, Nigeria Launches Report on Learning during a Pandemic
On August 4, 2020, The Education Partnership (TEP) Centre, Nigeria, launched a report dubbed “Learning in a Pandemic.” According to the report, most states across Nigeria responded to the pandemic by providing television (77%) and or radio programmes (75%) for students to continue learning. Additionally, 49% of the states reported that internet-based learning platforms were created for students to learn, and only 4% were pursuing offline learning alternatives. Access the report here.
ITA, Pakistan, and others Launch GEM Report 2020
On July 28, 2020, Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA) and other like-minded organisations organized and co-hosted the virtual launch of the UNESCO’s 2020 GEM Report. The event called on all stakeholders to concentrate on those being left behind and move towards inclusion in education, particularly after COVID-19. Access the webinar here.
PAL Network and ACER hold a Virtual Objective Measurement Workshop
Aligned with its goal to build the capacity of members, PAL Network in partnership with the Australian Council for Educational Research-Centre for Global Education Monitoring (ACER-GEM) conducted a series of 10 virtual workshops on “Objective Measurement” from August 4 – September 3, 2020. The workshops, attended by 45 participants across 15 members of the PAL Network, included sessions on classical test and item response theories and its application in the PAL Network common assessments.
Policy Dialogue: Inclusion of Learners with Special Education Needs
The Ministry of Education together with KICD and PAL Network will hold a second Policy Dialogue on October 13, from 10:00 – 11:30 am EAT. The virtual event will bring together various stakeholders from government agencies, civil society organisations, academia among others, to dialogue on expanding access to remote learning for children living with different disabilities, among other issues. Register for the webinar here. Policy Dialogues is funded by the INCLUDE Platform.
PAL Network to Co-Convene Panel B12 at Africa knows Conference
PAL Network will alongside Eduardo Mondlane University and the African Studies Centre Leiden convene Panel B12 at the upcoming Africa knows Conference. The panel titled “Knowledge Networking within Africa” will bring together various panelists among them members of PAL Network. The virtual event will happen between December 2, 2020, and February 28, 2021, with a focus on how Africa is preparing itself for leapfrogging to innovations.
ALCE Hub set to Launch the ICAN Report
The Latin America Alliance for Education Quality (ALCE) Hub of the PAL Network comprising MIA Mexico and VIdA Nicaragua will launch the ICAN Report between the month of October and December 2020. Connect with us on @palnetworkHQ for more developments.
A house with Corridors By Jackson Biko, Advisory Group Member, Policy Dialogues, PAL Network
