The Education Crisis: Being in School Is Not the Same as Learning

              This post is a summary of the article published in January 2019 at  https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/immersive-story/2019/01/22/pass-or-fail-how-can-the-world-do-its-homework

              THE NAME OF THE DOG IS PUPPY. This seems like a simple sentence. But did know that in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, three out of four third grade students do not understand it? In rural India, nearly three-quarters of third graders ca not solve a two-digit subtraction problem such as 46 minus 17, and by grade five - half still can not do so. The world is facing a learning crisis. While countries have significantly increased access to education, being in school is not the same thing as learning. Worldwide, hundreds of millions of children reach young adulthood without even the most basic skills like calculating the correct change from a transaction, reading a doctor`s instructions or understanding a bus schedule, let alone building a fulfilling career or educating their children. Delivered well, education - along with the human capital it generates - benefits individuals and societies. For individuals, education raises self-esteem and furthers opportunities for employment and earnings. And for a country, it help strengthen institutions within societies, drives long-term economic growth, reduces poverty, and spurs innovation. Annette Dixon, Vice-President Human Development of World Bank, said, "It`s never too late for young people to have opportunities to learn. Our youth deserve to be equipped with the skills they need to thrive in a increasingly demanding job world. Given that today`s students will be tomorrow`s citizens and leaders, a good and relevant education is essential to turn aspirations into reality."  One big reason the learning crisis persist is that many education systems across the developing world have little information on who is learning and who is not. As a result, it is hard for them to do anything about it. A growing body of evidence suggest the learning crisis is, at its core, a teaching crisis. For students to learn, they need good teachers - but many education systems pay little attention to what teachers know, what they do in the classroom, and in some cases whether they even show up. Fortunately for many students, in every country, there are dedicated and enthusiastic teachers who, despite all challenges, enrich and transform their lives. They are heroes who defy the odds and make learning happen with passion, creativity and determination. One such hero works in the Ecoles Eddahab school in Kenitra, Morocco. In a colorful classroom that she painted herself, she uses creative tools to make sure that every child learns, participates, and has fun. But even heroes need help. We need to be sure that all teachers are motivated to do their best and that they are equipped with what they need to teach effectively.  Rapid technological change is raising the stakes. Technology is already playing a crucial role in providing support to teachers, students, and the learning process more broadly. It can help teachers better manage the classroom and offer different challenges to different students. And technology can allow principals, parents and students to interact seamlessly. Millions of students are benefiting from the effective use of technology, but millions more in the developing world are not. One of the most interesting, large scale educational technology efforts is being led by  EkStep , a philanthropic effort in India. It was created an open digital infrastructure which provides access to learning opportunities for 200 million children, as well as professional development opportunities for 12 million teachers. We know learning happens best when instruction is personalized to meet the needs and strengths of each child, individual progress is tracked, and prompt feedback provided. In a field that is developing at dizzying speeds, innovative solutions to educational challenges are springing up everywhere. Our challenge is to make technology a driver of equity and inclusion and nont a source of greater inequality. Successful education reforms require good policy design, strong political commitment, and effective implementation capacity. Many countries struggle to make efficient use of resources and very often increased education spending does not translate into more learning and improved human capital. Overcoming such challenges involves working at all levels of the system. Change is possible, public schools across Punjab in Pakistan have been part of major reforms over the past few years. Through improved school-level accountability by monitoring and limiting teacher and student absenteeism, and the introduction of a merit-based teacher recruitment system. No change can happen without data. government need to know what their education systems are missing - or what is being done right - to take the right steps to improve. By their nature, the payoffs from investing in education require patience and persistence. In fact, it will take a generation to realize the full benefits of high-quality teachers, effective use of technology, improved management of schools, and engaged and prepared learners. However, global experience shows us that countries that have rapidly accelerated development and prosperity all share the common characteristic of taking education seriously and investing appropriately. The schools of the future must be built today. These are schools where all teachers have the right competencies, where technology empowers them to deliver quality learning, and where all students learn fundamental skills, including socio-emotional, and digital skills. Governments, teachers, parents, and the international community must do their homework to realize the promise of education for all students, in every village, in every city, in every country.