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The period just after conflict is a time of turmoil when social norms are in a state of flux, donor funds are available and there is often a political will for change. A window of opportunity for reform in public sector institutions can open, offering a chance to “build back better” in health and gender… Read more
The pattern of economic returns to education can help us to understand the poverty-reducing potential of different levels of education. It is commonly believed that labour market returns to education are highest for the primary level of education and lower for subsequent levels. Recent evidence suggests that the pattern is changing. The paper explores the… Read more
Basic education is seen as the best means for improving conditions for poor and rural populations, disadvantaged social groups, and females, in general. One of the agreed goals of the Dakar Framework for Action is to ensure that by 2015 all children, especially girls, children in difficult circumstances, and children from ethnic minorities, have access… Read more
This paper, jointly released by the Education for All Global Monitoring Report (GMR) and the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), shows that global progress in reducing the number of children out of school has come to a virtual standstill. But many countries have made major progress since 2000 and offer examples to follow.
Access to education lies at the core of poverty reduction and is part of the definition of development. An expanded vision of access moves policy dialogue beyond discourse based on enrolment rates. Unpacking access into seven zones of exclusion helps reshape the dialogue, as does recognising the interactions between schools, local authorities, communities, households and… Read more
Tanzania has introduced a mandatory food fortification programme to tackle the country’s high rates of undernutrition. Experience from other countries shows that fortification can add vital micronutrients into commonly eaten foods at a low cost. However, getting food-processing companies to comply with the programme will be a major challenge, and this will be even more… Read more
A good quality education arises from interaction between three enabling environments: policy, the school, and the home and community. Policies aimed at raising the quality of education for disadvantaged learners in sub-Saharan Africa and other low income contexts need to start by identifying key priorities for a specific national or local context. A framework for… Read more
Research using data on 17,000 grade six learners and their teachers in a thousand primary schools across six countries in East and Southern Africa has identified factors both in and out of school affecting pupil scores in reading and maths tests. Key findings: In and out of school factors not only directly affect the scores… Read more
This EdQual’s research project addressed the challenge of how to use Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) in schools to enhance teaching and learning, with a particular focus on science and mathematics in basic education. It centred around the implementation and evaluation of a collaborative professional development programme, working with more than 65 teachers for four years…. Read more
This document constitutes a briefing summary of the case study of a maternal mental health intervention in South Africa, the Philani Mentor Mothers Programme. The case study has been compiled by Professor Mark Tomlinson at Stellenbosch University as a contribution to the Empowerment of Women and Girls theme of the Accountable Grant at the Institute… Read more
Shifts in society, demography, technology and the environment are significantly impacting the global burden of disease, with non-communicable disease (NCD) on the rise. Almost half of all deaths attributable to NCD have nutrition as the predominant risk factor (cardiovascular diseases and diabetes). This briefing provides an overview of policy options that have been or could… Read more