A Global Compact on Learning - Brookings Institution

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Girls must be encouraged to take scientific and technical courses, families must be educated about the importance of so-called STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education for both girls and boys, role models of women scientists and engineers must be promoted, and negative attitudes must be confronted that prevent girls and young women from pursuing ICT education. In addition to ICT, proficiency in an international language, such as English, can also be important in expanding employment opportunities. 211 Financial literacy is another important skill, particularly for girls and young women. Financial management can be taught through experiential learning, such as through offering actual savings accounts to young people. 212 The education sector also offers a currently untapped opportunity to combat climate change and the risks associated with it (see box 4.6). Box 4.6. Combating Climate Change through Quality Education The education sector offers an untapped opportunity to combat climate change and the associated risks. The way that people are educated and the content of education provide communities with the knowledge and skills needed for making informed decisions about how to adapt individual lives and livelihoods in a changing environment. <strong>Global</strong> experience shows that investments in climate change education, including disaster risk reduction, can change human perceptions and patterns of behavior that reduce the risks and costs of disasters. For example, schools can implement school disaster management involving students, teachers, and community members in practicing early warning, simulation drills, and evacuation for expected and recurring disasters. At an individual level, this requires relevant education content, such as climate literacy, environmental education, green technical and vocational training, and disaster risk reduction, as well as critical thinking skills to equip learners with the necessary skills to deal with future uncertainty. Sources: A. Anderson, Combating Climate Change through Quality Education (Washington: Brookings, 2011); Plan International, Education Strategy 2010–2013: Children and Young People’s Right to Education (New York: Plan International, 2010). The third needed action is to facilitate school-towork and school-to-higher education transitions. Linking post-primary education directly to local work and educational opportunities is necessary to improve graduates’ employment and higher education prospects. Traditional apprenticeships and on-the-job training are often the most successful route to skills development, especially to prepare young people for work in the informal economy. In Benin, Togo, and Mali, apprenticeships have been restructured as part of a partnership between the national authorities and trade organizations and includes three important elements: (1) young apprentices acquire a certain level of theory and practice so that they can receive recognized certification at the end of their apprenticeship; (2) trades people who teach or take on apprentices have the opportunity for upgrading their skills; and (3) all training providers—public, private, formal, nonformal—are integrated into a comprehensive vocational training systems. 213 The use of role models and business mentors can be another effective strategy to help young people find work, especially female mentors for girls. Students often need more information on how to translate learning and skills acquired into remunerative employment and how to navigate different workforce challenges that girls and boys may face. Possible strategies include career counseling or communitybased seminars on livelihood options, including in the informal sector; creating business networks; mainstreaming entrepreneurial education in the school curriculum; and expanding access to financial services. 214 In Latin America, Entra 21 prepares disadvantaged youth for jobs requiring ICT by offering technical and life skills training as well as job placement services, internships, and advice in developing self-employment initiatives. Forty percent of the targeted youth were placed in jobs, and the employment rate in six Entra 21 projects rose from 15 percent at the start to 54 percent after six to twelve months. 215 Skills certification systems are also needed for graduates to signal their skills and competencies to potential employers or institutions of higher learning. A <strong>Global</strong> Compa c t on Learning: Taking Action on Educat i o n in Developing Countries C e n t e r for Universal Educat i o n at Brookings 40
It is important to note that improving the relevance of education is necessary but not sufficient for increasing employment opportunities for youth. Many low-income countries are plagued by small formal markets and few job opportunities. Although outside the scope of this report, broad-based economic growth is essential. Additional research is also needed to identify effective interventions to address constraints faced by young people in entering the labor market. This includes examining labor market policies to address gender disparities, including the need to increase young female entrepreneurs’ access to investment resources, suppliers, and customers. Although the gender gap in education is closing, the gender gap in labor force participation is not. 216 This warrants closer inspection and highlights the need to address larger social and cultural discrimination in labor practices. A <strong>Global</strong> Compa c t on Learning: Taking Action on Educat i o n in Developing Countries C e n t e r for Universal Educat i o n at Brookings 41
Page 2 and 3: A GLOBAL COMPACT ON LEARNING TAKING
Page 4 and 5: ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This report was wr
Page 6 and 7: put in place the national education
Page 8 and 9: which are necessary but not suffici
Page 10 and 11: competencies, both cognitive and no
Page 12 and 13: hundreds of millions of young peopl
Page 14 and 15: Figure 1.1. Disparities Related to
Page 16 and 17: parity in enrollment may not be an
Page 18 and 19: need for their future lives and liv
Page 20 and 21: Specific actions to advance learnin
Page 22 and 23: oys, which are detailed in this cha
Page 24 and 25: planning and finance—working on i
Page 26 and 27: The first needed action is to encou
Page 28 and 29: Figure 3.1. Strategies and Actions
Page 30 and 31: how children learn to read and mani
Page 32 and 33: important for girls, who often have
Page 34 and 35: 4 PRIORITY 3: Providing post-primar
Page 36 and 37: Strategy 3A: Reduce Barriers That P
Page 38 and 39: Box 4.2. Lower and Upper Secondary
Page 40 and 41: do not necessarily translate into h
Page 42 and 43: learning facilities. For example, i
Page 46 and 47: 5 Strategies common to all three pr
Page 48 and 49: teaching; and focus on specific ski
Page 50 and 51: location, disability, and gender, a
Page 52 and 53: 6 Conclusions and Policy RECOMMENDA
Page 54 and 55: y supporting promising and proven a
Page 56 and 57: donors spent at least 60 percent of
Page 58 and 59: APPENDIX A: CHART SUMMARIZING PRIOR
Page 60 and 61: 26 Save the Children, “Last in Li
Page 62 and 63: 87 M. A. Rihani, Keeping the Promis
Page 64 and 65: 144 R. Dumatog and D. Dekker, “Fi
Page 66 and 67: 212 Shell communication, March 10,
Page 68 and 69: BIBLIOGRAPHY Abadzi, H. Absenteeism
Page 70 and 71: Crouch, L., M. Korda, and D. Mumo.
Page 72 and 73: Holter, Ø.,et al. Gender Equality
Page 74 and 75: Lonigan, C. J., and T. Shanahan. Ex
Page 76 and 77: Sabates, R., et al. School Drop Out
Page 78 and 79: ———. “Partnership, Particip

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