आजको शिक्षा संवाददाता
In the realm of education, a fundamental question that continues to persist is: How well are our children mastering the building blocks of learning? The ability to read, write, recognize numbers, and perform basic mathematical operations lays the cornerstone for a lifetime of knowledge acquisition. It is upon this bedrock of foundational literacy and numeracy that future academic achievements are constructed, and life opportunities are realized. In this article, we embark on a journey to explore the importance of measuring and assessing these critical skills, delving into the methods, significance, and implications of understanding where our learners stand in their educational journey.
Street Child is an international charity based in the United Kingdom that aims to create avenues for out-of-school children to access education through an integrated approach that strengthens the capacity of teachers, schools, and communities to sustain their investment in the education for the children. Street Child believes that all children should be safe, in-school and learning.
At the forefront of their efforts is the ambitious program known as the “South Asian Assessment Alliance: Communicating and Collaborating for Change.” Funded through the Global Partnership for Education’s Education Out Loud window, this initiative is run with the objectives of supporting civil society to be active and influential in shaping education policy to better meet the needs of communities, especially of vulnerable and marginalized populations. Education Out Loud aims to enhance civil society capacities to engage in education sector planning, policy dialogue and monitoring and to promote transparency and accountability of national education sector policy. This project convenes a network of international and national organizations to, i) create capacity to conduct citizen-led assessments and gather and generate evidence on learning levels; ii) strengthen and support citizen advocacy for equitable, quality education for most marginalized groups; iii) create an accountability apparatus to track progress against transnational, regional and national commitments in the Education 2030 Framework for Action and SDG 4 with its alliance members in four countries. ASER Nepal hosted by Galli-Galli is the alliance lead for Nepal.
Why Citizen-led approach?
A citizen-led approach allows for assessment in under- reached, under-resourced areas, and assures assessments can be accessed and analyzed at all levels. Citizen-Led Assessments (CLAs) are household- based evaluations (one-on-one assessments) of children within their homes. CLAs enlist volunteers to reach the most marginalized children, families, often in remote areas. Local organizations, employing local personnel, conduct these assessments to assess foundational reading and numeracy skills in children aged 5-16. The resulting evidence on learning outcomes underscores the significance of addressing educational disparities and implementing on-the- ground interventions for quality education. This adaptability ensures that no child is left behind. As part of this project, Street Child with partners ASER ASER Process
Nepal conducted assessments in five local Governments of Karnali province, Nepal. The findings of the assessments are alarming because it notes that a significant number of children within the age group of 5-
16 are struggling to grasp foundational literacy and numeracy skills. Shockingly, recent data reveals that only 6 out of 10 children from grade three and above were able to read grade two level story in Nepali. Children studying at grade three and above, only 3 out of 10 children were at Paragraph level and only 1 out of 10 children was able to read a grade two level story in English whereas only 8 out of 10 children from grade three and above were able to recognize two-digit numbers and children studying in grade three to twelve, only 1 out 10 children was able to solve grade two level division (dividing 2 digits by 1 digit). This startling data shows that a staggering proportion of children aged 5-16 face a learning crisis, unable to read grade-appropriate material or solve basic arithmetic problems.
“Governments and other CSOs usually tend to focus on a top-down approach for advocacy. Ours was quite the opposite” -ASER Nepal Team
One of the most informative ways to gather information about learning is by conducting learning assessments. Most of the current methods are standardized assessments conducted within schools, typically involving pen-and-paper tests. These standardized assessments assume that a child can already read and write. However, considering the social context and available data, it’s clear that a significant number of children in many countries in the global south are either not attending school or have irregular attendance. This means that school-based assessments have a bias towards those who are already in school and do not account for the realities faced by many children in these countries.
The findings from this project indicate that citizen-led assessments, such as ASER, can be a valuable tool for evaluating the effectiveness of foundational literacy programs. These assessments focus on low-stakes testing, which means that there are no significant consequences for students. This encourages teachers and educators to pay more attention to foundational literacy levels rather than strictly adhering to grade-based curriculums. The absence of inclusive assessment programs has excluded millions of children from discussions about the learning crisis. The findings from citizen-led assessments emphasize the need for a more comprehensive approach to measuring the success of foundational literacy programs in Nepal. By utilizing community-led assessment tools and involving local communities, we can gather valuable data and insights into the impact of literacy interventions, ultimately leading to improved outcomes for students.
“After CLA and its learning result, parents and community people were more curious on what to do further for quality learning and teachers were equally enthusiast. Even local government officers were positive about implementation of CLA and planning according to its findings as such assessment was never conducted in our municipality before.”
– Topendra Kumar Shah, Shiwalaya Rural Municipality-05, Jagarkot, Karnali Province
We wholeheartedly invite your support to join us on this transformative journey, one that has the potential to profoundly impact the lives of these children. Our efforts encompass a spectrum of actions, from engaging local communities in educational initiatives and fostering advocacy with educational authorities, to advocating for policy changes at the provincial and national levels. We also emphasize knowledge sharing and collaboration with like-minded organizations in the education sector and are committed to enhancing capacity through training programs. By joining this initiative, you play a pivotal role in empowering teachers, improving learning outcomes, and ultimately shaping a brighter future for these children.
