admin As part of a novel initiative, the World Bank and Britain have collaborated with one of the leading global educational expert groups to construct an advisory panel of experts to suggest the most cost-effective ways of promoting higher education in vulnerable countries. The Building Evidence in Education Global Group has been instrumental in devising this strategy that will transform education for millions of children around the world. The very first report of this advisory panel was released to highlight its key objectives and planned courses of action. A virtual event was hosted to mark this celebratory day. Building Evidence in Education Global Group brought together 12 leading education experts from around the world to be a part of the Advisory Panel. The co-chair of the panel was Abhijit Banerjee -renowned Nobel Laureate in economics and MIT professor -and Sylvia Shmelkes- Provost of the Universidad Iberoamericana of Mexico. This initiative is a result of the recently held World Bank-IMF Annual Meeting that identified the problem areas in education.
Learning Crisis
The advisory panel has forwarded the best forms of investments to boost the quality of education in developing countries. These investments do not really produce hefty returns but are deemed essential to provide an antidote to the current global learning crisis. This initiative and report arrive at an important historical juncture. The Covid-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc throughout the world, adversely impacting several sectors of global economies. The education sector and most importantly its beneficiaries and stakeholders have suffered an unprecedented setback. As the students and teachers around the world try to adapt to this new normal of remote classes and e-learning, the global inequalities have to be addressed and potent solutions distilled.
Mari Pangestu, World Bank Managing Director of Development Policy and Partnerships was quoted saying, ‘Now, more than ever, it will be critical to bridge research and policy, theory and implementation in our collective work, in order to turn development knowledge into development outcomes and particularly to support those hit hardest by this unprecedented crisis. The education field was lacking this bridge between academia and policymaking. This initiative tries to fill this gap.’
Recommendations of the Report
Some ‘best buys’ indicated by the report include the need to increase investments in pre-primary education. This will reduce the learning disparities visible between higher and lower-income households up to the age of 5. Merit-based scholarships will also enhance the possibility of students from disadvantaged sections to continue their educational journeys. Teaching has to be customised according to learning ability and not in accordance with age or grade. The report indicated the need to improve teaching quality through training and monitoring. They also recommended a programme to educate parents about the need to send their children to schools. The British government and the World Bank are already collaborating on several educational initiatives around the world to provide cost-effective models of education in vulnerable regions.
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