Accra: The Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel (GEEAP) has launched a new report to offer evidence-based solutions to address the global literacy crisis among children. The report, titled ‘Effective Reading Instruction in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: What the Evidence Shows,’ identifies the key skills pupils must learn and what teachers must learn to teach in order to effectively support the acquisition of literacy.
According to Ghana News Agency, the report was launched on Thursday at this year’s Triennale Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA Triennale) in Ghana. The event focused on the theme: ‘Strengthening the Resilience of Africa’s Educational Systems: Advancing Towards Ending Learning Poverty by 2025 with a Well-Educated and Skilled Workforce for the Continent and Beyond.’ The report draws on evidence from around 120 studies, including 50 conducted in African countries, on effective reading instruction across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. It encompasses over 170 languages, with 22 specific to the African region.
A 2022 World Bank State of Global Learning Poverty report indicated that 70% of children in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) cannot read and understand simple, age-appropriate text, with the situation being more severe in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the learning poverty rate is estimated at 89%. A study analyzing early grade reading assessments from over 500,000 students across 48 LMICs revealed that after three years of schooling, over 90% of students can’t identify letter names or sounds or read simple words at expected levels.
The report emphasizes the failure to use evidence-based approaches to instruction as a main cause of the literacy crisis, suggesting that improving teaching methods could alter this trajectory. It recommends investing in proven reading methods during children’s early school years to potentially reduce the need for expensive remedial programs, decrease grade repetition, and lower dropout rates.
Ms Pia Rebello Britto, UNICEF Global Director of Education and Adolescent Development, highlighted the importance of literacy in shaping a child’s learning trajectory and future opportunities. She noted the necessity of key investments by African governments to turn commitments into action for children, emphasizing that investing in early years is essential for developing the necessary reading skills of decoding and language comprehension.
Ms Nompumelelo Mohohlwane, co-author of the literacy report, reiterated the importance of explicit teaching from consensus to identifying specific skills for all languages, including African languages, to improve literacy practices. Dr Luis Benveniste, World Bank Global Director for Education and Skills, emphasized that literacy is fundamental to education, lifelong skills, and meaningful employment, urging education policymakers to promote evidence-based instruction.
Mr Nathanael Bevan, Deputy Director Research at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), announced that an accompanying how-to guide would be released in November, along with translated versions of the report and language briefs. He encouraged countries to visit the Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel webpage for more details on the report.
The GEEAP is an independent, multidisciplinary panel of global experts in education evidence and policymaking, co-hosted by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), UNICEF, and the World Bank.