International treaties with relevance to education Universal Declaration of Human Rights Free elementary education International Covenant on Economic, Socail and Cultural Rights Commitment to free education, financial support to families, teachers Convention on the Elimination all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) Rights to all levels of education, incl sports, non- formal and family planning education

Convention on the Rights of the Child Education of the child shall be directed to the development of -the child’s personality, talents, mental & physical abilities… -respect for human rights… -respect for the child’s parents, cultural identity, language and values… -a spirit of understanding, peace, tolerance, equality of sexes, friendship of all peoples… -- respect of the natural environment

World Declaration on Education for All Jomtien 1990 & The Dakar Framework for Action goals

EFA Dakar Goals 1. Expanding and improving comprehensive early childhood care and education, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children.

EFA Dakar Goals 2. Ensuring that by 2015 all children, particularly girls, children in difficult circumstances and those belonging to ethnic minorities have access to complete free and compulsory primary education of good quality.

EFA Dakar Goals 3. Ensuring that the learning needs of all young people and adults are met through equitable access to appropriate learning and life skills programmes

EFA Dakar Goals 4. Achieving a 50 per cent improvement in levels of adult literacy by 2015, especially for women, and equitable access to basic and continuing education for all adults.

EFA Dakar Goals 5. Eliminating gender disparities in primary and secondary education by 2005 and achieving gender equality in education by 2015, with a focus on ensuring girls’ full and equal access to (and achievement in) basic education of good quality.

EFA Dakar Goals 6. Improving all aspects of the quality of education and ensuring excellence of all so that recognized and measurable learning outcomes are achieved by all, especially in literacy, numeracy and essential life skills.

. Millennium Development Goals (8) (MDG) 2000 Goal 2. Achieve universal primary education (UPE) Target 3. Ensure that by 2015 children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling. Goal 3. Promote gender equality and empower women Target 4. Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education, preferably by 2005, and at all levels of education no later than 2015.

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) ESD Decade 2005 – Poverty -Oil dependency -High consumerism -HIV/AIDS -Desertification -Deforestation -Biodiversity -Air pollution -etc

International assessments of cognitive achievement (PS) Europe & North America Surveys -TIMSS: mathematics and science -PIRLS: reading - PISA: Math, science, reading of 15 yr olds ) 59 OECD countries UNESCO-UNICEF Monitoring Learning Achievements (langugae, math, science, life skills) African Regional Surveys (literacy, numeracy, life skills (health, civic, environment, science, technology) Latin American & Caribbean Surveys (language, math) Arab States Surveys (literacy, numeracy, life skills)

Major conclusions from 40 years of international surveys Marked differences between pupil achievement in the industrialized countries and those in less developed countries (LDCs)

Conclusions cont The average level of achievement within a country at the terminal secondary school stage is inversely related to the proportion of the age group enrolled – i.e. the higher proportion of e.g. 16 year-olds are enrolled the higher the achievement

Conclusions cont Student achievement in mathematics, science and French as a foreign language is positively related to the time spent studying the subject at school.

Conclusions cont Student achievement in mathematics, science and French as a foreign language is also positively associated with the time spent on homework.

Conclusions cont The average level of student achievement is positively related to the time spent in class

Conclusions cont The impact of increased textbook use on student learning in LDCs is strong. The same effects are not detected in richer countries

Conclusions cont Measures of the socioeconomic status of pupils’ families are positively related to student achievement in all countries, at all age levels and for all subjects.

Education quality Dakar: -healthy, motivated students -competent teachers using active pedagogies -relevant curricula -good governance -equitable resource allocation

Education quality UNESCO: -Learning to know: learners build their own knowledge (prior knowledge is important) -Learning to do: practical application -Learning to live together: non-discrimination, equal opportunities -Learning to be: skills needed to develop full potential

Education quality UNICEF five dimensions: - learners -environments -contents -processes -outcomes

Education quality Constructivist approach: Acquisition of knowledge and skills require active participation of learners No externally defined curricula Learners construct their own meaning Assessment are used to give learners information & feedback Teacher = facilitator

Education quality Behaviourist approach: Learners have no intrinsic motivation Reward and punishment Standardised, externally defined curricula Rote learning and memorisation Assessment is used to measure behaviour according to set criteria Tests and examinations are central

Education quality Critical approaches: Active particpation of learners Learners design their own learning Curricula and teaching that encourage critical analyses, particularly of social power relations Lead to social change