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In July 2024, UNESCO launched the FA1 Learning Series to bridge gaps between information, policy, and practice throughout the education policy cycle. This series is one of the activities of Functional Area 1 (FA1) under the SDG4-Education 2030 High-Level Steering Committee (HLSC), aiming to strengthen evidence-based policy formulation, planning and implementation and accelerate progress toward achieving SDG4. The third edition, held on 30 October 2024, focused on the unique educational challenges in Africa, highlighting the importance of data-driven reforms.

Panelists: 

• Guillaume HUSSON, Chief of Education, UNESCO Multisectoral Regional Office for West Africa in Dakar, Senegal

Sonia Guerriero, Programme Specialist at UNESCO, kicked off the meeting highlighting two key broken links in use of data and evidence for education policies and practices: the gap between researchers and policymakers, and the divide between global and local perspectives. She emphasized the need for better mechanisms to bridge these divides, ensuring that evidence can be effectively used to shape education policies at all levels, in which FA1 plays a vital role.

“In Africa, progress has been made in aligning evidence with policy goals.” Guillaume Husson, Chief of Education at the UNESCO Multisectoral Regional Office for West Africa in Dakar, noted that 72% of African countries have established national SDG 4 benchmarks. Ali-Mohamed Sinane, Programme Specialist at the UNESCO Multisectoral Regional Office for West Africa in Dakar, shared findings from the first Continental Report on SDG 4 & the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA) 2016-2025, that used systematic data collection, analysis and quality assurance processes which revealed that children in rural areas, girls, and children with disabilities face persistent barriers to education. These findings are guiding efforts to develop targeted solutions based on robust data, with the second Continental Report currently under development.

A key takeaway from the session was the role of local data in shaping policies that are both relevant and effective. Soukeyna Diallo from the Consortium pour la recherche é���DzԴdz�����ܱ� et sociale in Senegal highlighted how data from national education reports, household surveys, and teacher evaluations have informed policies aimed at improving educational access and quality. Senegal’s "bridge classes" for out-of-school children and its widespread implementation of remedial programs in over 82% of schools are concrete examples of how evidence-driven approaches can directly address challenges such as low enrollment, inadequate learning outcomes, and resource limitations.

Linda Jones, Chief of Education at UNICEF’s Innocenti Global Office of Research and Foresight, also shared valuable insights from research across 33 African countries. Their study, which involved data from over 167,000 schools and more than 30,000 stakeholders, demonstrated the importance of using locally grounded data to tailor educational policies to the specific needs of each country. The research further highlighted that directing educational investments toward high-impact areas and detecting high student repetition rates were key issues, suggesting that flexible learning pathways could be a critical solution to keeping students on track and preventing them from falling behind.

From Nigeria’s experience, Matthews Nganjiozor, Deputy Director of Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, discussed how the country is using its Education Management Information System (NEMIS) to track key education indicators such as enrollment rates, gender parity, and classroom infrastructure. NEMIS helps ensure that policies are informed by reliable, real-time data, enabling the country to monitor progress and make adjustments as needed.

A central question raised during the webinar was: How can data and evidence be more effectively translated into policy and practice? Panelists identified several key strategies for ensuring that evidence leads to meaningful action: 

• Building capacity: Policymakers need the skills to interpret and act on available data, ensuring that it is not only collected but also understood and utilized effectively.
• Collaboration: Effective policy reform requires collaboration between governments, researchers, and other stakeholders to ensure that data is used to its full potential.
• Use of proxy indicators: Proxy data can be a useful tool to fill gaps in available information, allowing policymakers to make informed decisions even when comprehensive data is lacking.

The final edition of the 2024 FA1 Learning Series is a joint session with the OECD to explore how research evidence can be used to develop practical policy solutions. Panelists will speak about the human resources, governance structures, and mechanisms needed to ensure that research is effectively translated into policy and practice. Representatives of EdLabs in Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire will share their experiences putting these mechanisms into practice.