Reading the latest news of the challenges faced by Nigeria’s higher education system made me think about the old chicken and egg question: Which comes first, the conditions for learning or the learning itself? In reality, we know the answer is a mixture of both. Schooling can’t be about teaching without teachers, learning cannot happen with discouraged learners and countries cannot develop their economies without an educated workforce. Developing a functioning education system requires many ingredients and no two countries are exactly alike in how they go about doing it. At the FTI partnership, we understand that this uniqueness of experiences is reflected in many ways: From the way an education sector plan articulates a vision for the country’s future to the myriad of languages  and populations seeking to obtain access to a quality basic education for all.

To be able to deliver quality education in a context of decreasing donor resources and exploding youth populations, we also need to be creative and dare to explore the obvious but also not so obvious solutions.  From alternative forms of content delivery to better design for textbooks and ancillary materials; from innovative teaching approaches to better ways to measure learning, there are a variety of initiatives that countries are undertaking to address the Quality Question. However, if a tree falls in the forest, will others who are not nearby be able to hear it? Can innovation and best practices happen in isolation? Clearly, the time has come to set up an FTI-wide knowledge management strategy to allow all partners to exchange, extract and share quickly and cost effectively what can work for them in a manner that is consistent with their own education goals.

When I was growing up in my corner of Guatemala City, me and my friends were limited in our understanding of the world beyond and had little idea of the lives of others even within our own borders. Nowadays, an ever growing proportion of humanity grows up in places where it is inconceivable not to be in contact with the world beyond. Information and communication technology have put knowledge-sharing at a new level. People have a thirst to know, to learn and to seek ways to engage others. Education is one of the keys that can provide the new generations with the tools to be bold and to dare to be what they want to be. That’s part of the reason why we believe that educating all is an essential part of our common journey. That’s a big part of the reason why I am here writing these lines. Yes, there are a lot of difficulties ahead. None said this was going to be easy or simple. Lots of questions remain: For instance, can we find better ways to monitor learning outcomes in a way that partners can understand and use? Will we be able to be there for those countries that might not fulfill the MDG commitment by 2015? And what about after basic education? How can we find ways to support youth as they leave the basic education cycle and begin to look towards their economically active years? As we look towards 2015 we know that we will do our utmost to achieve the MDG’s and that the responsibility to achieve them needs to be shared equitably and simultaneously by all partners. The children whose lives can be transformed by a quality basic education deserve no less from us. Let’s make sure we deliver for them.

Read More:

Nigeria: Various Changes Depreciated Standards (All Africa, April 7, 2011)