关于COVID-19对教育的长期影响的政策简报：呼吁各方支持一致

ushirikawaMaendeleoyaElimuBaraniAfrika

AssociationfrtheDevelopmentofEducationinAfrica

AssociationpourledéveloppementdeéducationenAfrique

Associa0paraoDesenvoimentodaEducacäoemfrica

KIXObservatoryon

COVID-19Responsesin

Africa'sEducationalSystems

Policy

Brief

ACallforConcertedSupport:September

AfricanCountriesNeedtoMitigatethe2023

Long-TermImpactsofCOVID-19onEducation

GPEKIX

KNOWLEDGEINNOVATIONEXCHANGE

/IDRC·CRDI

canada

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ACallforConcertedSupport:AfricanCountriesNeedtoMitigatetheLong-TermImpactsofCOVID-19onEducation

Keypolicymessages

•Supportschoolre-entryforallout-of-schoolchildren.

•Supportschoolcapacitytostrengthenguidanceandcounselling.

•Supporttrainingofteacherstouseinformationandcommunicationtechnology(ICT).

•Supportschoolstoacquireinfrastructureforlearningcontinuity,suchasICTandwater,sanitation,andhygiene(WASH).

•Investineducationdatasystemsandemergencypreparedness.

Theissue

InAfrica

,closeto300million

learnerswereaffectedbyCOVID-19–relatedschoolclosures,leadingtomassivelearningsetbacks.Thoughallcountriesinsub-SaharanAfricareopenedschools,gapsremainwithregardtounderstandingthepandemic’slong-termimpactsandhoweducationalsystemsinAfricacanmitigatethem.Unfortunately,manylow-incomecountries,includingamajorityofcountriesinAfrica,cannotaffordthehugeinvestmentsassociatedwit

hbuildingresilience

andreversingsomeoftheimpactsofCOVID-19,suchaslearninglossandanincreaseinout-of-schoolchildrenandyouth.

ItisagainstthisbackgroundthattheKIXObservatoryonCOVID-19ResponsesinAfrica’sEducationalSystems1collectedperspectivesofeducationstakeholdersonthepotentiallong-termimpactsofCOVID-19oneducationalsystemsinsevensub-SaharanAfricacountriesofBurkinaFaso,Kenya,Malawi,Mali,Mozambique,Niger,andNigeria.Thefindingsoftheprojectweredocumentedinthereport‘TheLong-TermImpactofCOVID-19onEducationalSystemsinAfrica:PerspectiveofEducationStakeholdersfromsub-SaharanAfrica’.

Thispolicybriefsummarizeskeyfindingsoftheproject.Itisintendedforinternationalandnationaldevelopmentactorswhosupporteducationresearch,programming,andfinancingacrossAfrica,aswellasforthosewhofocusongeneratingevidencetoaddresseducationalchallenges.

1

/en/kix-observatory.

AninitiativebytheGlobalPartnershipforEducation(GPE)underthe

InternationalDevelopmentResearchCentre(IDRC).ItismanagedbytheAssociationfortheDevelopmentofEducationinAfrica(ADEA)inconsortiumwiththeAfricanUnion’sInternationalCentreforGirls’andWomen’sEducationinAfrica(AU/CIEFFA)withtechnicalsupportfromtheAfricanPopulationandHealthResearchCenter(APHRC)andUNESCO

InstituteforStatistics(UIS).

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Itprovidessuggestionsfordonorandresearchinvestmentsintoareasinwhichtheselectedcountriesrequirethemostsupporttorecoverfromthepandemicandbuildresilienteducationalsystems.

Accordingtostakeholdersacrossthesevencountries,thesupporttheyneedincludeseffortstomitigatetheimpactofCOVID-19inthreekeyareas:

1.Supportforlearners:focusesonschoolre-entryprogramsandstrengtheningguidanceandcounsellinginschools,withanemphasisonvulnerablegroups.

2.Supportforteachers:aimstostrengthentheircapacitiestoimplementdistance-learningsolutions,includingmaterialdevelopment,remotedeliveryofinstructions,anddigitalliteracy.

3.Supportforschoolsystems:focusesoninfrastructuraldevelopment,thecreationofstrongeducationdatasystemstoinformdecisions,andsupportforemergencypreparation.

Acallforsupport

Supportforlearners

Schoolre-entry:

Childrenandyouthfrommarginalizedcommunitiesshouldnotbeexcludedfromeducation.Yet,learnersfromlow-incomehouseholds,thoselivingwithdisabilities,theonesinIDPcampsandinrefugeecommunities,andthosewhoareexposedtochildlabouraremoreatriskofadverseimpactsontheireducationresultingfromtheCOVID-19pandemic.Unfortunately,afterschoolsreopenedfollowingCOVID-19–relatedschoolclosures,manyschoolchildrenandyouth,especiallyadolescentgirls,didnotreturntoschool.Comparedtothepre-pandemicera,girlshad

twicetherisk

ofbecomingpregnantbeforecompletingtheirsecondaryschool.Ifleftunaddressed,thisphenomenonislikelytoculminateinanincreaseinout-of-schoolchildrenandyouth(OOSCY)fromthe

105million

whoexistedpre-pandemic.

Educationstakeholdersproposedseveralinterventionstosupportlearners’re-entryintoschools,ashighlightedinaninterviewwiththeeducationstakeholderfromKenya,whostated,

“Wealsoneedmoreincentivesinthehostileareas.Ofcourse,ourteachersgetahardshipallowance,butthechildrenalsoneedmoreincentives.Ifwewouldmakethoseschoolsfromhostileareasboardingschools,thenwewouldretainsomanyofourchildren.”

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Therefore,internationalandnationaldevelopmentpartnersshouldworkwithgovernmentstosupporttheschoolre-entryofallout-of-schoolchildrenandyouth(OOSCY).Thiscanbedonethroughprogramsandstrategiessuchasschoolfeedingandtuitionwaivers,includinginformaltrainingprogramstosupportskillsdevelopmentforOOSCY.

Schoolre-entryandretentionstrategieswillmakeAfricaneducationalsystemsmoreinclusiveandhelpmeettheAfricanUnion’sContinentalEducationStrategyforAfrica2016-2025strategicobjectiveonpromotinggenderparityandequity,aswellastheglobalSustainableDevelopmentGoal4,whichemphasizestheprincipleof“leavenoonebehind.”

Schoolcapacityforguidanceandcounselling:

Goal3oftheAfricanUnion’sAgenda2063promoteshealthyandwell-nourishedcitizens.Yet,pervasivepsychosocialissues,arisingfromtensionsinthehome,financialconstraints,sexualandgender-basedviolence,loneliness,substanceabuse,andthesignificantlossoflifeduringthepandemicheightenedanxietyamonglearners.ThiswasexplicitlyevidencedfromeducationstakeholderperspectivesinKenyaandNigeria.

Inresponse,stakeholdersproposedseveralinterventionstowardsstrengtheningcapacityinschoolstosupportlearnerandteachermentalhealth.InKenya,forexample,stakeholdersilluminatedtheneedtostartstrengtheningguidanceandcounsellingprogramsatvariouslevels,includinginschools,athome,andinworkplaces.

Therefore,developmentpartnersshouldsupportschoolcapacitytostrengthenguidanceandcounselling.Suchsupportmaybeintheformofschool-basedcapacitystrengtheningamongteacherstoensurethatanadequatenumberofteachershavetherelevantskills,aswellaspromotingpeer-to-peercounsellingamonglearners.Thisshouldgohandinhandwithmappingthelocationsofqualifiedcounsellorstolinkthemtothedemandforcounsellingservicesinschools.

Suchactionislikelytopositivelyaffectvulnerablechildren,suchasthoseinIDPcamps,thoselivingwithdisabilities,andthosefromlowsocioeconomichouseholds.Itwillclosegapsregardingaccesstoqualityschooling,implyingbetterfutureeducationaloutcomesforvulnerablechildrenandyouth.

Photo:Masked-uppupilsadaptingtotheCOVID-19guidelinesthatrequiredsocialdistancing.

Supportforteachers

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Informationandcommunicationstechnology(ICT)skillsareinevitableforinstructionaldelivery,especiallyforvirtualclassrooms.Unfortunately,notallteachersinAfricaareICTliterate.Furthermore,thedesignofonlineteachingandlearningmaterialsdiffersfromthatoftraditionalon-sitematerials.EducationstakeholdersfromKenyailluminatedthecriticalroleofICTinlearningcontinuitythroughsupportingteachingandlearningaswellasadministrativetasks.TheyalsoarguedinfavourofmakingitacompulsorysubjectinteachertrainingcollegesandprovidingschoolswithICTequipment.

Globaltrendsemphasizeknowledge-drivensocialandeconomicsystems.

Therefore,supportisneededfromdevelopmentpartnersintrainingteacherstouseICTtosupportteachingandlearning,withanemphasisonvulnerablelearners.OnewaytoachievethisistomakeICTacorecourseinteacherpre-servicetrainingprograms.ThepushforICTliteracyiswell-alignedtotheAfricanUnion’sAgenda2063(Goal2),whichaspirestoproducewell-educatedcitizensandaskillsrevolutionunderpinnedbyscience,technology,andinnovation.

Supportforschoolsystems

Aneducationaltechnology(EdTech)environment:

Closelyrelatedtoteachers’capacityinICTistheneedforschoolchildrentoaccessequallearningopportunitiesregardlessoftheircircumstances,suchasgeographicallocation.SuchopportunitiesincludeaccesstoICTinfrastructureandclassroomsthatenhancelearningcontinuityduringemergenciesaswellasmitigatinglearninglossandalleviatingthegrowin

gdigitaldivide

forInternetaccess.Thisnotwithstanding,stakeholderperspectivesshowedthatthemajorityofchildrendidnothaveaccesstoICTservicesduringCOVID-19schoolclosuresduetocostsand/oraccesstoICTinfrastructureordigitaldevicesassociatedwithconnectivity.ICTinfrastructuregoeshandinhandwithpowersupply.

WASHfacilities:

Also,water,sanitation,andhygiene(WASH)facilitiesimprovehygiene,whichis

acritical

factor

forchildren’swell-being.AvailableclassroomsandWASHfacilitieswereinadequateduetolimitedresources.Fromthestakeholders’perspectives,low-costprivateschoolsfoundWASHfacilitiesexpensive,largelybecauseoftheschools’meagreincomesandunreliablerevenuesources.StakeholdersalsoexplainedthatcountriesneedsupportininstitutionalizingWASHinschoolsinawaythatissustainable.

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Therefore,privateinvestorsinICTandpowersupplyinfrastructureandEdTechinnovators,workingcloselywithrelevantgovernmentministries,shouldexpandeducationtechnologyandaccesstoICTservicesandmakeInternetservicesmoreaffordable.Expansionofdigitaltechnologyshouldgohandinhandwithcapacitystrengtheningamongteachersandstudentstoensuremaximumutilization.Also,theimportanceofprovidingappropriateWASHfacilitiescannotbeoveremphasized.Thiscallforsupportfrominternationalandnationalorganizationsaimstomakeschoolsmoresuccessfulinlearningcontinuityduringcrises.

Ifthisisdone,schoolchildrenarelikelytoexperiencelesslearninglossintimesofcrises.

Datasystems:

Qualitydata,particularlyintermsofrelevanceandtimeliness,isnotalwaysavailable.However,dataanddatasystemsarecriticalingredientsforeffectiveplanning,includingforfutureemergencyresponses.Stakeholdersarticulatedthisbyhighlightingthechallengesexperiencedindatamanagement,includinglackofcapacity,lowqualityofdata,andlackofdata.

Therefore,researchinstitutionssuchasAPHRCanduniversitiesinAfrica,aswellasregionalpolicybodiessuchasADEA,shouldjoinforceswithdecisionmakers(policyactors)toco-designeducationsystemsthatprovidequalitydataandco-generateevidencetomitigatethelong-termimpactsofCOVID-19.Suchcollaborationshouldalsoincluderesearch-and/ordata-generationfunderslikeIDRCandGPEandevidenceconsumerssuchasministriesofeducation.

Thiswillharnessthepowerofevidence-informeddecisionmakingineducationpractice.

Emergencypreparedness:

Educationalsystemsthatarewellequippedwitheffectivestrategiesandreadytorespondtocrisesenhancelearningcontinuity.However,educationalsystemsinAfricademonstrateunpreparednessforemergencies.InmanyAfricancountries,protocolsaswellasemergencybudgetaryallocationsarelargelyabsent.StakeholderswithineducationinAfricathereforerecommendedtheneedforsupporttowardsplanningandbudgetingtoaddressemergencypreparednessgaps.Stakeholdersfeltthereisaneedforpreparednessonhowtohandleeducationwithinemergencieslikeapandemic.

Toaddressthis,developmentpartners,suchasWorldBankandGPE,shouldfacilitateemergencypreparednessthroughsupportinglocalcapacitytodeveloppoliciesandprogranmesatbothmacro(government/ministry),meso,aswellasmicro(school)levelsformanagingcrises/emergenciessuchasCOVID-19.

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Thiskindofsupportenhanceseducationalsystemresilience,includingcushioningthesystemincaseofemergencies.

Resourcemobilization:

Cushioningvulnerablepopulationsagainstlong-termimpactsofCOVID-19improvest