Are we achieving equitable learning? Results from the Foundational Learning module in MICS

unicef

WCA (10)

Sierra Leone

Togo

DRC

Ghana

Chad

Gambia

Guinea-Bissau

CAR

Sao Tome and Principe

Benin

= datasets publicly available with FLS

surveys in 2017-2019

Multiple Indicators Cluster Survey 6 in 58 countries, 2017-20

EAP (10)

DPRK

Lao PDR

Mongolia

Kiribati

Nauru

Samoa

Thailand

Tonga

Tuvalu

Fiji

SA (3)

Pakistan

Bangladesh

Nepal

ECA (12)

Kyrgyzstan

Georgia

Montenegro

North Macedonia

Belarus

Kosovo

Servia

Turkmenistan

Uzbekistan

Azerbaijan

Kazakhstan

Bosnia and Herzegovina

MENA (7)

Iraq

Tunisia

Algeria

Lebanon

State of Palestine

Sudan

Yemen

ESA (5)

Lesotho

Madagascar

Eswatini

Malawi

Zimbabwe

LAC (12)

Costa Rica

Suriname

Argentina

Cuba

Dominican Republic

Guyana

Honduras

Trinidad and Tobago

Turks and Caicos Islands

Jamaica

Saint Lucia

El Salvador

Foundational Learning Skills data by late 2019(planned)

• 17 countries and 2 Pakistani provinces will have Foundational Learning skills data (4.1.1.a)

http://mics.unicef.org/surveys

Region Country/SurveyECARO BelarusECARO KyrgyzstanEAPRO KiribatiEAPRO Korea, DPREAPRO MongoliaESARO LesothoESARO MadagascarLACRO SurinameLACRO Guyana

MENAROTunisia

ROSA Bangladesh

ROSA Pakistan (Punjab)ROSA Pakistan (Sindh)

WCARO Congo, Democratic Republic of theWCARO GambiaWCARO GhanaWCARO Guinea-BissauWCARO Sierra LeoneWCARO Togo

4

MICS Countries SSA

Central African Republic*Chad*Democratic Republic of the Congo*GambiaGhanaGuinea-BissauLesothoMadagascar*Malawi*Sao Tome and PrincipeSierra LeoneTogoZimbabwe*

Benin Botswana Cameroon*Cote d’lvoireEquatorial GuineaEswatiniKenya*Nigeria *Sudan

Data availability in early grades reading with MICS (SDG4.1.1.a)

• 22 countries out of 49 in SSA will be covered by MICS in the next three years

• 9 emergency countries will have comparable learning data out of 22 countries by HAC list

Countries that have not yet included FLS module

Foundational Learning Module

• SDG Indicator: SDG4.1.1.(a) i (reading) and ii (mathematics)

• Data collected: children aged 7-14 years old, in and out of school

• Reading: story to read, followed by 5 questions (3 literal questions and 2 inferential questions), vocabulary found in grade 2 textbook

• Numeracy: 4 sets of questions• Number recognition (reading numbers)

• Number discrimination (which one is bigger?)

• Addition

• Pattern recognition (missing number e.g., 2 – 4 - ? – 8)

• Those who correctly answer all questions have foundational reading and numeracy skills

Features of the Foundational Learning module

• Comparable (across countries and languages)

• Contextualized (by referring to the grade 2 textbook)

• Universal/Inclusion (in more countries; data collected in the household, not at school)

• Linkages (can be linked to other modules in MICS)

• Equity (various analyses of household inequities)

Comparability/contextualization

98

80

42

68

39

7984

99

76

32

42

21

53

74

97

67

27

41

20

58

72

95

58

23

33

16

47

66

DPRK Kyrgyzstan Madagascar Pakistan(Punjab)

Sierra Leone Suriname Tunisia

Foundational reading skills (7-14 years), by country

Read 90% of words in a story Three literal Two inferential Foundational reading skills

Universality: reaching more countries... Inclusion: ...and all children

0 1 4

8 14

27

43

60 65

86

Grade1

Grade2

Grade3

Grade4

Grade5

Grade6

Grade1

Grade2

Grade3

out-of-school

Primary Lower secondary

Foundation reading skills (7-14 years), Sierra Leone

56

23

43

51

64

72

79 80

88 91

Grade1

Grade2

Grade3

Grade4

Grade5

Grade6

Grade1

Grade2

Grade3

out-of-school

Primary Lower secondary

Foundational reading skills (7-14 years), Tunisia

Linkages: multiple disadvantages… and potentially, synergies between sectors

• Children involved in child labor have lower foundational skills than their peers

• Other cross-sectoral analysis are possible:• Child marriage

• Child discipline

• Parental involvement

• Child functioning

20%

14%

11% 10%

Reading Numeracy

Foundational skills in reading and math at grades 2/3 by child labor, Sierra Leone

No child labor Child labor

Equity:More, better data on social inequities

• Strong inequalities affected by socioeconomic status, location, disabilities etc

• Inequities in learning are partly due to a) access, b) quality of education

58

67

54

42

59

53 52 53

60

77

Urban Rural Yes No Poorest Second Middle Fourth Richest

Total Area Disabilities Wealth index quintile

Foundational reading skills (7-14 years), Kyrgyzstan

Thank you!