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This paper investigates the short and long-term pernicious impact of armed conflicts on education and educational agents (students, teachers and students' parents), using a multivocal review by means of the integration and qualitative analysis of 60 research reports (voices) found in two databases: Web of Science and PROQUEST in the period between 1995 -date of the first founding paper- until 2014. Through the analysis of source data (voices) and taking the "multivocal review" as a method, the voices have been combined in nine categories, namely: a) Refusal and impediments to a return to education; b) Educational infrastructure damaged or destroyed; c) Cuts in or withdrawal of spending on education; d) Loss of the educational and protective functions of the family; e) Loss of the academic community; f) Non-qualified teaching staff; g) Drastic loss of skills; h) Abandoning school (population movements, destruction of networks and social environment); i) Behavioural problems: traumas, pedagogical roles and self-victimization. These categories have highlighted the serious consequences arising from conflicts, infringing as they do the most basic human rights and in particular the right to a sound education during childhood.

Numerous studies in different science fields have examined the various aspects of educational interventions designed to facilitate learning outcomes in students with dyslexia. The aim of this study was to present an overview of empirical research related to interventions aimed at primary school students with dyslexia. Mapping was conducted to identify studies on this topic published from 2015 to 2019 and included in the Scopus database. The descriptive data from 57 studies were analyzed to present a classification scheme of research design, type of educational intervention, implementation of technology in educational interventions, and aim of the intervention. The results indicated an increasing trend in the last 5 years in the publication of papers in researched areas related to educational interventions for students with dyslexia, with uneven representation among countries. The analyzed empirical studies were mostly analytic, using different designs, with a slightly higher prevalence of (quasi) experimental versus descriptive designs. As expected, the goal of most educational interventions was directed toward the development of (pre)reading skills, with a wider prevalence of structured language-based programs, followed by software specialized to support learning, whereas adaptations of instructional materials and innovative information and communication technology (ICT) were less used. Mapping indicated the frequent use of ICT in all educational interventions, and more evidence is needed for complex rigorous experimental designs and interventions related to teaching in the classroom, as well as interventions aimed at facilitating the self-regulation of students with dyslexia.

Today, more than half of the world population is under the age of 25 years and one in four is under age 18. The urgency of expanding access to Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) notably for children and young people in Africa and Asia is greater than ever before. However, many challenges to the implementation and delivery of CSE in resource poor settings have been identified in the literature. CSE's effectiveness could be strongly improved if these challenges were better met. This paper aims to contribute to those much-needed improvements by sharing lessons learned from a decade of implementation of one particular CSE programme, "The World Starts With Me," among various populations in 11 low income countries in Africa and Asia. The aims, content, reach and effectiveness of the programme are described. Next, the challenges for implementation and delivery at student, teacher, school and context level are discussed with reference to the wider knowledge base in this area. Finally, suggestions are provided for ways forward including the increased sensitivity of programmes for normative and practical barriers to sexual health, further advancement towards gender transformativity, a far-reaching expansion of comprehensive forms of teacher training and coaching, and a serious stepping-up of multilevel "whole school" approaches.

This article synthesises findings from two systematic reviews that examined evidence of the link between large-scale assessments (LSAs) and education policy in economically developing countries and in countries of the Asia-Pacific. Analyses summarise evidence of assessment characteristics and policy goals of LSAs that influence education policy, when LSAs are used in the policy-making cycle and types of education policies impacted, and factors that influence the use of LSAs in policy-making. Results show national assessments conducted at both primary and secondary school levels to have an impact on education policy. LSAs are used more often for monitoring education quality and equity purposes followed by accountability purposes. International assessments are more often used to leverage policy priorities than other assessment types. LSAs feature mainly at the monitoring and evaluation stage of the policy cycle. The education policies impacted by LSAs relate considerably more to curricular reforms and performance standards as well as assessment bodies and activities and far less to resource allocation and teaching and learning policies. Finally, whereas the quality of assessment programmes facilitate impact, financial constraints and uncertainty as well as weak assessment bodies hinder the impact of LSAs on education policy.

This article presents the author's response to the six authors in the special issue of "Action, Criticism and Theory for Music Education" concerning her book "Music, Informal Learning and the School: A New Classroom Pedagogy." In this response, the author focuses on some general observations that came to mind whilst reading the valuable set of articles. Many of the contexts outlined by the authors are very different from the context in which the research discussed in the book took place. Between them, they cover a range of teaching and learning practices related to Balinese gamelan, Irish traditional music, jazz, rock, various African contexts, the digital musical culture of information technology, teacher-education, and other areas. The authors have identified aspects of informal music-learning practices that can translate across these different contexts, and each author has made constructive connections between the work discussed in the book, and the work that they and others are doing in related areas. At the same time as acknowledging this translation of concepts across different contexts, however, every context of course has its own specificities. The author suggests that, while teachers can usefully identify overarching concepts, they must also retain the specificities of particular contexts, and the qualities that make one practice or object different from another. In the author's opinion, the authors in the special issue have all succeeded in balancing both sides of the scale.

This series of articles summarizes discussions from the Second World Conference on Cooperative Education. Topics include "Cooperative Education: A Powerful Instrument for Development and Peace;""Human Resources: An International Concern for Developing Countries;""Human Resources: A Continuing International Concern for Developed Countries;" and discussion panels from developing and developed nations. (SK)

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Insufficient water availability will threaten the survival of humans in a region. Countries in Africa are known to be barren and have extremely hot climates. The ongoing clean water crisis has taken a huge toll. The Indonesian government in collaboration with all countries should have a role in unraveling this problem. One of the solutions offered is legal protection and the development of clean water infrastructure and facilities by building waqf wells. This research intends to examine the management of waqf wells, the condition of water scarcity in African countries, and how the role of the government and waqf institutions in Indonesia and around the world to overcome the scarcity of clean water in Africa. The research method used is qualitative. As a result, we found one humanitarian agency (Aksi Cepat Tanggap), which is quite active in implementing the waqf well program in several countries in Africa. In general, the program has received a positive response from the beneficiaries of the waqf wells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The International Code of Marketing of Breast‐milk Substitutes (the Code) adopted by the World Health Assembly (WHA) in 1981 and regularly updated through subsequent WHA resolutions, represents the international policy framework for protecting breastfeeding against inappropriate marketing practices. By March 2016, at least 135 countries had some measures covering provisions of the Code in their legislation. The translation of the International Code into national measures was investigated in the context of the advocacy efforts undertaken by the Alive & Thrive (A&T) initiative with UNICEF and partners. A real‐time evaluation was carried out over 22 months in seven Southeast Asian countries (Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic Republic [Lao PDR], Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, and Timor‐Leste) and two African countries (Burkina Faso and Ethiopia). Drivers of policy change and progress were examined. Two theory‐based approaches were used: developmental evaluation and contribution analysis. Data collection methods included participant observation, key informant meetings, in‐depth interviews, reflective practice, and desk review. Overall, countries made significant progress in translating the International Code into national measures and in moving forward throughout the policy cycle. The main driver of policy change was the creation of a strategic group, which engaged key relevant actors and supported the government in the performance of 15 critical tasks, which the analysis reveals is a second driver. Those critical tasks are described in this paper and could help public health advocates to anticipate the stages and challenges of policy change and develop more effective strategies to translate the Code into their legal framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main objectives of this study are to map and compare patterns of Internet use in poor contexts and to enhance the understanding of social gains from Internet access. The term ‘utility gap’ is introduced, defined as a divergence between optimal benefits and real social profit from regular Internet use at a specific site. Internet cafés are the most common venues for accessing the Internet in poor countries, and this research is based on a survey of customers in such cafés in two countries. The selected cities of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and Yogyakarta in Indonesia represent typical poor African and Asian contexts for Internet use, which are worthy of comparing. At both locations, usage frequency tends to increase with higher individual competence and capacities. Type of use is influenced by age and gender, as well as by competence, capacities, and usage frequency. A high percentage of users utilise their Web access for socially gainful activities, and limited time is spent on games and gambling. Use patterns are quite similar in the two cities. However, the utility gap appears to be bigger in the Tanzanian than in the Indonesian context. Indonesians use access to the Web from Internet cafés primarily for instrumental purposes, like seeking information, while Tanzanians spend more resources for online recreation. The paper concludes that education and Internet experience are important for enhanced social gains from public Internet access. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Whereas the sample composition biases of web surveys have been discussed extensively for developed countries, studies for developing countries are scarce. This article helps to fill that gap by comparing similar non-probability-based web surveys (WEB) and probability-based face-to-face (F2F) surveys both to each other and to the labor force. An analysis of WageIndicator data on work and wages derived from surveys held in 2009–2013 in 10 developing countries (WEB-sampleN = 9135; F2F-sampleN = 14,659), shows that F2F samples resemble the labor force to a larger extent than web samples do. In both cases, individuals in their 20s and early 30s are overrepresented, and younger and older respondents are underrepresented. This trend is more pronounced in WEB than in F2F samples. However, the differences converge in countries with higher Internet usage. A comparison of the WEB and F2F samples shows that compositions differ greatly, with web respondents being younger, more often male, more often living alone, and higher educated, although these differences are smaller in countries with higher Internet usage. Given the cost differences between the two survey modes, one should nevertheless consider the potential of web surveys as an instrument to gain explorative insights, specifically when searching for individuals with particular characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the evidence of relationship among household structures, the institutions that shapes them and the human capital accumulation in China, Indonesia, Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana. It discusses the analysis on the role of polygamous household to the capital accumulation based on the income, age and education of the head of the family members. Moreover, the study on the extended family has also been conducted in which according to the author had manifested that households which accommodate inactive members of the extended kin group are wealthier than other, comparable households.