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According to the WDR 2018, there are three dimensions of the learning crisis: (1) The level of
learning is low, unevenly distributed and progress in improving outcomes has been slow
progress (2) Schools are failing learners because of a lack of effective teaching, learning focused
inputs, and the skilled management and governance system. (3). Systems are failing schools
whereby political forces often shift the focus of the education system away from learning goals.
The latest GMR 2017 on the other hand maintains that the key to an effective education system
is accountability. Demand-side factors that are key to avoid learning trap include school
readiness, ensuring that children arrive in school prepared to learn i.e. they are not malnutrition,
hungry, sick, and face hostile environments at home. Supply-side factors include well-trained
teachers, non-teaching input shortage and system wide issues such as poor management and
governance and the lack of effective school leaders.
There has been a rapid growth in the number of studies on factors adversely affecting education
quality though such research is often limited for OIC countries. These individual studies relied
on experimental and quasi-experimental methods to evaluate policies and that were funded by
national governments or by international donors or were conducted in collaboration with both.
The individual studies differ greatly in terms of quality, rigor and representative. Therefore a
number of meta-analysis as well as systematic reviews have been conducted in recent years to
examine interventions that seek to improve learning outcomes in developing countries. The
purpose of these reviews is to identify common support in favor of a particular intervention in
varied contexts and therefore common recommendations on what works to improve learning.
Some prominent examples include Glewwe et al. 2014, Kremer, Brannen, and Glennerster 2013,
Krishnaratne, White, and Carpenter 2013, McEwan 2014, and Murnane and Ganimian 2014,
Banerjee, Glewwe., Powers, and Wasserman, 2013) and Masino and Niño-Zarazúa (2016).
These reviews provide support in favor of the WDR 2018 and GMR 2017 recommendations.
However, there is also considerable disagreement in terms of conclusions reached. One review
concludes in favor systematic and sizable effects of interventions involving ICTs (McEwan
2014), another emphasizes pedagogical reforms as well as the incentives associated with hiring
contract teachers (Kremer, Brannen, & Glennerster 2013). Another review of the evidence
stresses on the impact of human capacity (e.g. teacher knowledge), accountability (teacher
absenteeism) and physical resources (e.g. the availability of student desks on student learning)
(Glewwe et al. 2014). Krishnaratne, White, & Carpenter (2013) underline the importance of
learning materials. Some reviewers interpret the evidence strongly in favor of better provision
of information on school quality and the economic benefit of education (Murnane and Ganimian
2014). A relatively recent review concludes that supply-side interventions per se are less
effective than when combined with community participation or incentives that shift behaviors
of students and teachers (Masino and Niño-Zarazúa 2016). According to another recent
systematic review, pedagogical interventions that align teaching to student learning levels are
effective at improving student test scores. This involves both teacher-led (repeated teacher
training interventions) as well as facilitated by ICT (computer-assisted learning). Also important
are improving accountability through contracts or performance incentives (Evans and Popova,
2016).
Another comprehensive systematic review on education effectiveness spanning 52 developing
countries synthesized evidence on the effects of 21 different types of education interventions
(3IE 2016). Impact was assessed on children’s school enrolment, attendance, completion and
learning achievement (scores on cognitive, language andmathematics tests). While the evidence
indicates that there are no ‘silver bullets’ to ensure high-quality education for all, a number of
important lessons emerged from the review.