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Education is crucial for the cultivation of successful individuals, healthy communities, robust societies, strong economies, and a healing planet. Yet, while most available education measures show impressive improvement in access in low- and middle-income countries over recent decades, there remains a heartbreaking gap in educational outcomes between and within countries. While there are many attempts to address low learning outcomes around the world, many efforts abide by a short-term project mindset, limited funding, and a focus on proof-of-concept pilots. However, small-scale efforts cannot solve the challenges within education systems today. Addressing contemporary educational challenges requires coordinated action among stakeholders, ongoing evidence of impact, and an emphasis on expanding and deepening the impact of any single intervention so it reaches more learners and changes whole systems. In a word, it requires "scaling." The term "scaling" represents a range of approaches--from deliberate replication to organic diffusion to integration into national systems--that expand and deepen impact, leading to lasting improvements in people's lives. This report examines the scaling journeys of 14 regional and global education initiatives that are attempting to scale within 30 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The report presents empirical reflections and offers relevant guidance. [This project is supported by the Global Partnership for Education Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (KIX), a joint partnership between the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC).]

Despite significant progress in improving primary enrollment and attainment for girls in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in recent years, gender disparities in education persist and hinder opportunities for girls. Educational attainment for girls has plateaued in numerous countries, with only a few making significant strides in narrowing the gender gap. Moreover, attainment alone does not always translate to improved learning. Gender-related barriers such as school environments that are not conducive to learning and the experience of violence, early and forced marriage, and early childbearing, as well as a lack of support for girls' education impede attainment and learning. The Population Council's GIRL Center was commissioned by a private grantmaking foundation to conduct a scoping review and analysis to identify investment opportunities in East and Southern Africa and Latin America. The aim was to identify countries with both a need to advance girls' education and skills and existing traction with potential for significant systemic progress in a five-year period. This brief contains profiles of seven East and Southern African countries (Kenya, Ethiopia, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia) and summarizes insights on key education indicators, school environment, gender-related barriers to education, and policies related to education.

The COVID-19 pandemic transformed internet connectivity from an important asset to an essential piece of infrastructure. Yet two thirds of the world's school-aged children still have no fixed internet connection at home. This lack of connectivity limits their ability to go online; prevents them from participating and competing in the modern economy; and risks isolating them from the world. This research brief presents new data on children's internet access in five countries in Eastern and Southern Africa. It provides estimates of the frequency with which children use the internet and assesses the most common barriers they face. Finally, it explores the potential consequences of leaving these bottlenecks unaddressed. [This publication was financially supported by The Saudi Esports Federation.]

Joint efforts by the Government of Nepal, development partners and key stakeholders to achieve SDG 4 by 2030 have improved education access, participation and retention. However, learning outcomes in Nepal remain stagnant. What resources and contextual factors are associated with good school performance in Nepal? By merging and analyzing existing administrative datasets in Nepal, this report helps to identify positive deviant schools -- those that outperform other schools despite sharing similar contexts and resources. Data Must Speak -- a global initiative implemented since 2014 -- aims to address the evidence gaps to mitigate the learning crisis using existing data. The DMS Positive Deviance Research is co-created and co-implemented with Ministries of Education and key partners. DMS research relies on mixed methods and innovative approaches (i.e., positive deviance approach, behavioural sciences, implementation research and scaling science) to generate knowledge and practical lessons about 'what works', 'why' and 'how' to scale grassroots solutions for national policymakers and the broader international community of education stakeholders. DMS research is currently being implemented in 14 countries: Brazil, Burkina Faso, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Madagascar, Mali, Nepal, Niger, the United Republic of Tanzania, Togo and Zambia. [The Data Must Speak (DMS) Positive Deviance research in Nepal is a collaborative effort made possible by the commitment of the Nepal Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST), UNICEF Nepal, UNICEF Office of Research - Innocenti and key partners from Nepal's education sector.]

Interest in scaling promising innovations to effect systemic change in education around the world has grown over the last decade. The work of scaling education innovations (up, out, down, and into deep and lasting impact) has always required nimble attention to the unpredictability of implementation. Much has been written about the need for adaptive mindsets, planning for scale at the beginning, enlisting allies and champions, and embedding continuous improvement loops into the whole process (Al-Ubaydli, List, & Suskind, 2019; Gargani & McLean, 2019; Perlman Robinson, Curtiss, & Hannahan, 2020). As challenging as scaling is under ordinary 21st-century circumstances, it has become downright arduous over the last two years due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. This first annual brief reflects on scaling insights from different scaling teams across many low- and middle-income countries to jointly learn and share best practices related to scaling in education. Effective scaling is not just about designing and delivering promising innovations for use but also embedding them in thoughtful, mutifaceted ways to ensure that they grow, deepen, and have lasting impact. This brief discusses how several teams went about this work during the difficult last year. [This project is supported by the Global Partnership for Education Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (KIX), a joint partnership between the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC).]

This paper presents a new estimate that pre-primary school closures in 2020 may cost today's young children US$ 1.6 trillion in lost earnings over their lifetimes. However, most low-and-middle income countries are leaving pre-primary education out of their responses to COVID-19. This paper also draws lessons from accelerated, bridging, and remedial programmes on how introducing or expanding these transition programmes in the early years can mitigate the long-term impact on learning from pre-primary school closures.

The UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) has launched a new publication, "Integrated Approaches to Literacy and Skills Development: Examples of Best Practice in Adult Learning Programmes." This new compilation showcases 21 adult education programmes that demonstrate promising approaches to integrating literacy, life skills and vocational skills in various country contexts around the world. Such integrated approaches have great potential to enhance the relevance and quality of adult education programmes and increase adult learners' motivation in enrolling in such programmes. The programmes featured offer new pathways for adult learners to develop and practise new skills in context, improve job prospects, and contribute to a change in the trajectory of their professional and personal lives. The compilation also offers insights into how integrated learning programmes can be designed and implemented. Lessons drawn from these programmes can be adapted for different country contexts by adult educators and programme providers around the world, particularly now in the post-pandemic recovery and resilience-building phases.

For marginalized girls in developing countries whose life outcomes are threatened by poverty and gender-based discrimination, life skills education can arm them with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to rewrite their futures. Oftentimes, their only access to education is through non-formal spaces provided by non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Therefore, understanding how non-formal actors can better design and deliver life skills programming for such populations is especially important. In this study, the authors conducted (1) a comprehensive literature review of non-formal life skills programs for girls in developing countries; and (2) a cross-national study of the landscape, design, alignment, and intended outcomes of 103 life skills programs in Ethiopia, Lebanon, and Tanzania. Specifically, they asked who these programs serve, what skills are targeted, what approaches are used, whether there is alignment between what programs offer and what girls need, and what outcomes programs aim to help girls achieve. Key takeaways and policy implications: (1) programs try to teach a breadth of skills, but there is a definition issue to address in program design; (2) there are gaps in what life skills programs measure; (3) life skills practitioners may be missing a key opportunity to inform evidence-based policy and scale programs; and (4) formal and non-formal education stakeholders can learn from each other to improve girls' opportunities for life skills development. [The report is co-written with the Chr. Michelsen Institute (CMI).]

This report presents the results of RTI International Education's study on teachers' guides across 13 countries and 19 projects. Using quantitative and qualitative methods, we examine how teachers' guides across the projects differ and find substantial variation in the design and structure of the documents. We develop a scripting index so that the scripting levels of the guides can be compared across projects. The impact results of the programs that use teachers' guides show significant impacts on learning outcomes, associated with approximately an additional half year of learning, showing that structured teachers' guides contribute to improved learning outcomes. During observations, we find that teachers make a variety of changes in their classroom instruction from how the guides are written, showing that the utilization of structured teachers' guides do not create robotic teachers unable to use their own professional skills to teach children. Unfortunately, many changes that teachers make reduce the amount of group work and interactivity that was described in the guides, suggesting that programs should encourage teachers to more heavily utilize the instructional routines designed in the guide. The report includes a set of research-based guidelines that material developers can use to develop teachers' guides that will support effective instructional practices and help improve learning outcomes. The key takeaway from the report is that structured teachers' guides improve learning outcomes, but that overly scripted teachers' guides are somewhat less effective than simplified teachers' guides that give specific guidance to the teacher but are not written word for word for each lesson in the guide.

How can young women in developing countries best be prepared for success in their lives and livelihoods? Life preparation requires learning different types of knowledge and skills in formal, non-formal, and informal learning contexts. Since the advent of the Education for All initiative in 1990, the international community has recognized that in addition to academic knowledge like basic literacy and mathematics skills, young people need to learn so-called "life skills" (UNESCO 2004 & 2012; UNICEF 2012). Life skills are the combination of skills (what one has), knowledge (what one knows), and attitudes (what one believes and values) that constitute a set of competencies (what one can do) that enable youth to adapt to, function and thrive in society. They enable individuals to translate knowledge, skills, and attitudes into specific behaviors to cope with, navigate, or transform life's challenges (Kwauk and Braga 2017). To successfully function as adults in society and to navigate the social, economic, and political challenges of the 21st century, young people must be able to think critically, participate politically, live peaceful and healthy lives, create and pursue economic opportunities, navigate and use new technologies, and process information in ways that translate into positive individual and societal development. Four appendices are included. [This report was co-written with the Chr. Michelsen Institute (CMI). References are included in separate sections of the report.]

A new UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) publication, "Promoting lifelong learning for all: The experiences of Ethiopia, Kenya, Namibia, Rwanda and the United Republic of Tanzania," marks a significant outcome of a project to promote lifelong learning for all in selected African countries. The report highlights the progress made by the five aforementioned countries since 2014, when UIL proposed 10 recommendations for developing lifelong learning strategies for sustainable development in a document entitled Key issues and policy considerations in promoting lifelong learning in selected African countries: Ethiopia, Kenya, Namibia, Rwanda and Tanzania. For the current publication, extensive desk research and consultations with the participating countries provide a comprehensive assessment of the present types of lifelong learning policies, strategies and programmes. More specifically, the new publication looks at the origin, essence and benefits of lifelong learning and comprises a compendium of good practices in promoting lifelong learning for all in the five countries. Reflections on how progress can be accelerated in the region as well as potential collaboration opportunities with UIL are also outlined. Importantly, the publication demonstrates the significance of lifelong learning for the African region and advocates its wider adoption in light of the global agenda for sustainable development. The five African countries have made notable progress in implementing lifelong learning as per UIL's 2014 recommendations and their various initiatives embrace Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4, which urges countries to 'ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all'. UIL hopes that the information contained in the report will contribute to the capacity of policy-makers and researchers to develop national policies and strategies to establish lifelong learning systems in Africa.

The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) is the only multilateral partnership and fund dedicated exclusively to education in the world's poorest countries. The partnership includes developing country partners, donor countries, multilateral agencies, civil society, teachers, philanthropic foundations and the private sector. GPE brings together and amplifies the skills and mobilizes the resources of many to help developing countries to deliver results in education. GPE works to expand inclusive and equitable quality learning by helping low- and lower middle-income countries build stronger education systems. These are the goals of the 5-year strategic plan, GPE 2020. It includes a comprehensive results framework with 37 indicators, disaggregated by gender. The indicators also track comparative progress in countries affected by fragility and conflict. The results framework enables, for the first time, mutual accountability for all partners working in education. This document presents information on investing with GPE.

A national qualifications framework (NQF) is an instrument used to classify a country's qualifications at different levels. Each level is defined by a set of learning outcomes expected at that level. NQFs can be useful tools in education and training reforms and are vital reference points for lifelong learning and comparing qualifications across borders. The "Global Inventory of Regional and National Qualifications frameworks 2017, Volume II: National and regional cases" gives an update on the national and regional qualification frameworks of 99 countries around the world. For each country, the NQF has been analysed based on the policy objectives, the levels and use of learning outcomes, stakeholder involvement and institutional arrangements, the recognition of non-formal and informal learning as well as whether references are made to existing regional frameworks. In addition, this volume also outlines existing regional frameworks in Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, the Gulf region, the Pacific, Southern Africa and the Commonwealth States. This third edition (the first two editions appeared in 2013 and 2015) of the "Global Inventory of Regional and National Qualifications Frameworks" is published at a time when the attention being paid to qualifications frameworks is rising, as evidenced by the UN's Education 2030 Framework for Action and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4, which calls on countries to promote inclusive and equitable education and lifelong learning opportunities for all. Outcomes-based qualifications frameworks can contribute directly to achieving this goal. The "Global Inventory of Regional and National Qualifications Frameworks 2017, Volume II" is the result of collaborative work developed by the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop), the European Training Foundation (ETF), UNESCO and the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL). [The thematic chapters, and national and regional cases were drafted by: Jens Bjørnåvold, Slava Pevec Grm, Ernesto Villalba and George Kostakis, Anastasia Pouliou and Andreea Rusu (Cedefop); Michael Graham and Arjen Dej and all members of the qualifications team (ETF); Borhene Chakroun and Katerina Ananiadou (UNESCO); and Madhu Singh (UIL). For Volume I: Thematic Chapters, see ED604734.]

The fundamental study of physics has played a crucial role in helping to understand natural phenomena and biological processes throughout history. However, physics as a discipline has not advanced at an equal pace around the globe. In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), physics research faces major challenges including gaps in human capital, infrastructural deficits, weaker support systems for innovation and barriers to international collaboration. As a response to this gap, a prospective multi-year programme has the potential to improve physics training, research, infrastructure and collaboration in SSA with the overall objective of supporting the SSA physics community to produce world-class research and contribute to developmental priorities. The nine SSA partner countries for the proposed programme are: Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda. Preceding the design of the Programme proposal, an in-depth, participatory feasibility study was commissioned to investigate current challenges and identify strategic opportunities for intervention. Within the study, capacity was specifically appraised using the following dimensions: (1) availability and qualifications of academic and research staff; (2) quality of the physics training and education pipeline; (3) level of gender inclusivity; (4) availability and quality of research infrastructure; (5) strength of R&D and innovation platforms; and (6) the presence and strength of collaborations and networks. This report presents findings, challenges and opportunities for each of these dimensions in order. The final section discusses the participation potential of partner countries and concludes with a summary of strategic interventions identified through the study. [This report was co-produced by the the Institute of Physics (IOP) and funded by the UK Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS).]

This cross-national study focuses on key issues and policy considerations in promoting lifelong learning in Ethiopia, Kenya, Namibia, Rwanda, and Tanzania (the five African countries that took part in a pilot workshop on "Developing Capacity for Establishing Lifelong Learning Systems in UNESCO Member States: at the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning in 2010". The methodology used in the study is inspired by grounded theory which involves the use of systematized data collection and analysis procedures to generate, develop and derive inductively contextualized theory about a phenomenon. Through desk research and field work, the study team has selected examples of lifelong learning policy and programmes in the five participating countries. The report reflects on the porous boundaries that exist between the sectors and highlights six key issues that affect the operationalization of lifelong learning, namely: (1) conceptual understandings of lifelong learning; (2) recognition of learning achievements; (3) the role of counselling and guidance; (4) teachers and facilitators; (5) financial resources, and infrastructure; and (6) coordination among stakeholders. The lessons learned from the study are summarized in ten concrete recommendations for further action and reform. If adapted to local contexts, these recommendations can be implemented fully or partly in many other countries. Appended are: (1) List of Interviewees; and (2) Semi-Structured Questions for the Fieldwork. A bibliography is also provided.

Learning analytics is a domain that has been constantly evolving throughout recent years due to the acknowledgement of its importance by those using intelligent data, learner-produced data, and analysis models to discover information and social connections for predicting and advising people's learning [1]. Learning analytics may be applied in a variety of different cases, but their role in understanding the multilingual requirements of users of learning portals is of an outstanding significance. As the adaptation of existing portals in multilingual environments is a cost- and time-consuming aspect of the development of a portal, the outcomes of learning analytics may provide the requirements on which further multilingual services of a portal will be built, ensuring their efficiency. This paper aims to identify and interpret the behavior of users from developing countries in a multilingual learning portal using the log files of the portal by applying the methodology defined in a previous work by Stoitsis et al. [2] The paper also aims to identify the aspects that should be studied by future related works by focusing on specific regions and countries that exhibit special interest for further adaptation of the portal to additional multilingual environments.

Youth literacy and life skills, especially for vulnerable youth who have left school or never received a formal education, should be a policy priority to secure the full participation of young people in society and to ensure peaceful and sustainable development. This document assesses the complex challenge of designing policy for vulnerable youth. It emphasizes the importance of including input from youth and other stakeholders in the decision-making process. It also provides detailed examples of policies and programmes that meet the particular needs of vulnerable youth in an effective manner.

The aim of the paper is to discuss the system of double-shift schooling and assess it from economic, social and educational angles referring to different cases from Sub-Saharan African countries. The paper makes an attempt to prove that despite certain challenges that it faces, the system of double-shift schooling is the best solution for poor countries to achieve the millennium goal of Education for All with limited resources, and an optimum strategy for rich countries to use resources more efficiently. Thus, if wisely implemented and managed, double-shift schools can be the best way to achieve the goal of universal education in both poor and rich countries. (Contains 1 footnote.)

Basic education is commonly regarded as a state responsibility. However, in reality, non-state providers (NSPs) have always been involved in basic education service delivery, and there is often a blurring of boundaries between state and non-state roles with respect to financing, ownership, management, and regulation. In recent years, the focus on the role of non-state providers (NSPs) has intensified within the context of the move towards achieving Education for All (EFA). The paper considers this shift, with particular attention towards service delivery to "underserved groups", defined as those for whom access to affordable government services of appropriate quality is most problematic. In some cases, this refers to particular sub-groups of a population within a country. In other cases (notably fragile states), it can refer to large sections of the country's population. The paper indicates the wide range of NSPs that exist to serve different underserved groups. It notes that NSPs are commonly viewed as having a comparative advantage over state provision--in terms of quality, cost-effectiveness, choice, accountability to citizens etc. However, in reality there is very limited robust analysis to support some of these claims. The paper then considers the ways in which non-state providers engage with the state in education service delivery, including with respect to contracting, policy dialogue, and regulation--and the role that donors play in this relationship. The paper concludes that relations between NSPs and the state are not straightforward given the range of different providers involved in education service delivery, with those serving the better-off tending to dominate engagement with government. This can be at the expense of smaller-scale, informal providers aiming to support those otherwise under-served by government provision. As such, the paper argues that there is a need for greater, and more constructive, engagement between NSPs and the state to ensure collaboration benefits the underserved, and so assists in moving towards the achievement of Education for All. Selected education indicators are appended. (Contains 15 footnotes, 1 figure, 6 tables, and 6 boxes.) [Abstract modified to meet ERIC guidelines. This paper was commissioned by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) Policy Division as part of a study on non-state providers in the water, sanitation, education and health sectors.]

Growing recognition of the harmful effects of child marriage has placed its elimination on the global and national agenda. To address this problem, the authors reviewed the global state of evidence on what works to prevent child marriage. Their research focuses exclusively on rigorously evaluated interventions, defined as interventions evaluated as part of a randomized controlled trial (RCT), quasi-experimental study, or a natural experiment, and incorporates new results not included in previous reviews. In total, 22 interventions across 13 low- and middle-income countries met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. The study documented the types of child-marriage interventions and approaches used, assessed what works best (and what does not work) to reduce child marriage, investigated the impact of interventions on other aspects of girls' well-being, and reported the costs of implementing these interventions. Study findings suggest that interventions incorporating an empowerment approach, either as the sole approach or in conjunction with another approach, demonstrated the greatest success in reducing child marriage. [The Mark A. Walker Fellowship Program provided additional funding for this report.]

National Evaluation Societies (NES) are situated at the intersection between Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) supply and demand. To date, little research has explored NES and their potential for strengthening national M&E. This study addresses this gap, examining perceived NES performance relevant to organizational and policy-oriented goals while identifying factors related to that performance. The study draws upon data from a survey of 40 NES in 37 low- and middle-income countries. Qualitative Comparative Analysis identifies multiple pathways to well-performing NES and focuses on the interplay between the context in which evaluation societies operate and their organizational characteristics. The findings underline the importance of political openness while also demonstrating that some NES manage to perform well even in challenging political environments.