Education For All Research Articles

Digital Open Library Development : A Real Path Towards Sustainable Math Education

After the globally atypical year of 2020, distance cooperation and experimentation with virtual and blended learning opportunities are becoming a standard in all educational levels. Digital teaching/learning materials are at the forefront of this movement, presenting many advantages, since these can be innovative, engaging, interactive, and can even be tailored to meet the students’ and teachers’ needs. In this context, Open Educational Resources (OER) are a powerful concept for sharing the world's resources for the common good, reflecting the international commitment to Education For All (EFA). In the past few years, the development of OER has grown exponentially, however, several are quite “closed” and few have the necessary scientific and pedagogical quality certification as real “educational” resources, particularly in the Mathematics area. This was the main idea behind an Erasmus + Project, that brought together six Higher Education Institutions (HEI) from five European countries. This project, still in development, has emerged from a practical need for hybrid and remote teaching and learning open support. Its main goal is developing an Open Digital Library of Mathematics OER in seven distinct languages, encouraging its open dissemination and use, building a truly sustainable Math education promotor. An overview of the project and its main objectives will be presented, as well as its several operational and progress challenges as well as the results that have been accomplished thus far. This project entails several distinct but complementary features that started with the construction of an OER assessment model, culminating with the development of a multilingual OER bank and its continuous sustainability. This can only be achieved with the future establishment of an OER developer’s community among Math teachers and students from several education levels, that will be engaged in other project programmed activities, as Teachers’ Trainings, Users’ International Challenge and Students’ International Competition. This Project progress and success is largely based on the interaction, input and participation of all stakeholder groups.

Navigating Educational Crossroads: An In-Depth Analysis of the Indigenous Peoples Education (IPED) Program in Santol, La Union, Philippines

This study delves into the heart of indigenous education, unraveling the intricacies of the Indigenous Peoples Education (IPEd) Program in Santol, La Union, Philippines. Grounded in the dynamic global context of education as a fundamental human right and a transformative societal force, this research scrutinizes the successes, challenges, and areas demanding improvement within this focused educational initiative. Recent literature underscores the pivotal role of education in societal development, emphasizing its function as a catalyst for human rights, global sustainability, and the empowerment of marginalized communities. Despite commendable legislative frameworks in the Philippines and global initiatives like the Education for All (EFA) policy, challenges persist for indigenous populations. This research contributes to the ongoing discourse by presenting a meticulous analysis of the IPEd Program's implementation, examining the experiences of Santol, La Union. The findings promise to enrich educational policies and practices, aligning them with the evolving global and national educational landscape. By doing so, this study aspires to pave the way for more effective educational interventions that resonate with the unique cultural context of indigenous communities and foster a holistic approach to education, ensuring that no one is left behind in the pursuit of quality education for all.

Implementation of Inclusive Education Policy for the Attainment of Sustainable Development Goal 4 in Junior Secondary Schools in Rivers State, Nigeria

This study investigated “Implementation of Inclusive Education Policy for the Attainment of Sustainable Development Goal 4 in Junior Secondary Schools in Rivers State, Nigeria.” Three research questions and two null hypotheses guided the study. The study adopted descriptive research design. The population comprised all the 258 principals in the 258 junior secondary schools in Rivers State, Nigeria. Out of these schools, 220 are located in the rural areas while 38 are located in the urban areas. A sample of 161 principals (89 males and 72 females), which represents 62% of the population was drawn using the simple random sampling technique. A checklist and a self-structured questionnaire were instruments used to collect data for the study. The checklist was designed to ascertain the adequacy of educational resources in junior secondary schools in Rivers State. The questionnaire, which was entitled: “Implementation of Inclusive Education Policy Questionnaire (IIEPQ),”was used to elicit information on the variables, and was structured after the four-point modified Likert rating scale. The instruments were duly validated by three experts. The reliability of the instrument was tested using the Cronbach’s Alpha method to establish the internal consistency of the questionnaire items, and coefficients of 0.79 and 0.83 were obtained for the two clusters respectively. Frequency counts, percentages, mean scores and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions while z-test was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed, among others, that the dearth and inadequacy of educational resources that can facilitate inclusive practices show that Rivers State is not yet on track to attaining the SDG 4, which centres on education for all (EFA). Based on the findings, it was recommended, among others, that Rivers State Government should double efforts in ensuring that true inclusion is practised in the junior secondary education system by ensuring that there is adequate human, material and financial resources that will enable the principals to effectively implement inclusive education.

Teachers’ Integration Strategies And Challenges On Inclusion In Selected Public Primary Schools In Lagos, Nigeria

Inclusion aligns with the goals of Education for All (EFA). Therefore, the study identified teachers’ integration strategies and challenges on inclusion in selected public primary schools in Mushin Local Government Area (LGA) of Lagos, Nigeria. Descriptive Survey Research Design was used for the study. 240 teachers in Basic 1-6 formed the sample size who were randomly selected across 24 public primary schools in the LGA. Ten teachers were randomly selected from each school. Three research questions in a 21-item structured questionnaire titled ‘Teachers’ Integration Strategies and Challenges on Inclusion’ (TISACI) was used to elicit information from respondents. The instrument was modified and validated by experts in Early Childhood and Measurement and Evaluation. The reliability instrument coefficient was at 0.798. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency count, percentages and mean. The study found out that that strategies teachers adopt to integrate pupils include differentiation, use of positive technology tools, giving individualized support and collaborative efforts among others. Also, the study outlined challenges teachers face in inclusion such as having to deal with diverse learners with diverse learning needs, lack of resources and support, poor knowledge in special education among others. The study also found that inclusion has positive impact on pupils’ academic performance as it fosters positive classroom climate, provides individualized support and encourages peer tutoring among others. It was therefore recommended that teachers’ professional training should focus more on tenets of special education, use of differentiation, and diversification of assessment strategies for optimal learning outcome in order to accommodate special needs pupils among others.

EXPLORING BARRIERS TO TEACHING SCIENCE TO HEARING IMPAIRED LEARNERS IN LESOTHO SECONDARY SCHOOL

Globally, there is a strong advocacy for including all learners in the education system, irrespective of their disabilities. This initiative, known as Education for All (EFA), is articulated in policy documents across different countries. Lesotho has actively embraced this international protocol by welcoming learners with diverse needs into its educational fold. This inclusivity extends to hearing-impaired learners (HIL), who now have the opportunity to study all subjects, including Science. Science is considered pivotal in cultivating critical skills essential for addressing societal and economic challenges, making it a mandatory subject at the secondary level in most countries among which is Lesotho. However, teaching Science to HIL presents unique challenges.
 Notably, HILs often face language deficiencies, and Science, being an abstract subject, relies on verbal communication for effective learning. This linguistic barrier contributes to suboptimal performance not only among HIL but also among learners without disabilities in various schools. To explore teachers' views on the barriers they experience when teaching science to hearing-impaired learners in Lesotho secondary schools. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four Science teachers. The collected data underwent content analysis, employing both the opportunities to learn and a capabilities framework to understand teachers' difficulties encountered. The study revealed that language is a primary obstacle to the effective teaching of Science to HIL. In response, teachers employ diverse teaching approaches to facilitate learning for HIL, although these strategies often prove time-consuming. In light of these findings, the study recommends comprehensive in-service training for teachers to enhance their preparation for teaching HIL effectively. Additionally, teachers should be equipped with the skills to integrate Information and Communication Technology (ICT) into their teaching methods, allowing HIL to learn at their own pace. Furthermore, encouraging regular teachers to learn sign language can aid in detecting and addressing misconceptions among HIL. It also appeared that sign language interpreters should receive training in science subjects. In conclusion, addressing the language barrier is crucial for creating an accommodative learning environment for HIL in Science.

Education Development Officers as agents for promoting quality education at selected rural schools

Background: The quality of teaching and learning (TL) has been a concern in South Africa and has received attention from global players such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the agenda of the Education for All (EFA) policy. In South Africa, quality teaching and learning (QTL) in secondary schools remains low and compromised despite the implementation of the EFA policy and the use of education development officers (EDOs).Aim: The study sought to investigate the effectiveness of EDOs in promoting QTL at selected schools in the King Williams Town (KWT) district.Setting: The units of analysis are selected schools in the KWT district in the Eastern Cape province, South Africa.Methods: The study employed an interpretivism paradigm with a case study design and a qualitative approach to investigate the role of Education Development Officers (EDOs) in supporting QTL in selected secondary schools in the King Williams Town (KWT) District, while the data was interpreted thematically from the ten participants.Results: Education development officers play a critical role in enabling School Management Teams in South Africa to achieve high-QTL. However, EDOs face a number of challenges such as a lack of human and material resources, teacher resistance, extracurricular activities, student and teacher absenteeism, programme alignment, and work overload.Conclusion: The major conclusion of the study indicates that the challenges faced by EDOs can be overcome by employing four main strategies: stakeholder engagement, leadership, monitoring and evaluation, and training.Contribution: This article has the potential to contribute to theory, concept, policy, and practice regarding the promotion of QTL in schools.

Lived Experiences of Indigenous People’s Education (IPED) Teachers in Integrating the IPED Curriculum

The IPEd Program aims to provide marginalized ethnic groups with an inclusive curriculum that respects their cultural identity. Department of Education recognizes that access to culture-responsive primary education is a crucial issue that needs to be addressed among Indigenous Peoples, given its significance in achieving the country's Education for All (EFA) targets. This study was conducted to determine the lived experiences of IPED teachers in integrating the IPED curriculum. Participants were assigned from different IPED-implementing schools in the Division of Misamis Occidental. They were selected through purposive sampling. Face-to-face interviews were conducted to gather the data from the participants. The study employed a qualitative research design, and the researcher used the transcendental phenomenological approach. Responses were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic method of data analysis. Findings revealed that IPED teachers faced various challenges in integrating the IPED curriculum, including additional workload, difficulty in Subanen Orthography, limited IPED instructional materials, and disinterest in the Indigenous Program. The participants also gained meaningful opportunities to become IPED teachers, such as understanding the Subanen culture and receiving awards and recognition as IPED teachers. To cope with the mentioned challenges, IPED teachers had to seek assistance from I.P. leaders in the community, attend IPEd seminars and workshops, and observe flexibility and open-mindedness. These suggest that addressing the workload, cascading intensive Subanen Orthography workshop, supplying adequate IPED instructional materials and teaching resources, boosting IPED learners' interests, and increasing I.P. community involvement are essential steps toward improving the educational experience for both teachers and students.

Still in need of confronting: Shadow education and its implications in the sustainable development goals

Recent decades have brought global expansion of private supplementary tutoring, widely known as shadow education, with enrolment rates in some countries and at some grades now exceeding 80%. Shadow education maintains and exacerbates social inequalities despite government efforts through the Education for All (EFA) agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to reduce inequalities. Patterns vary, but in most countries shadow education receives inadequate policy attention in part because governments feel that it is beyond their remit and/or that they lack regulatory capacity. The paper argues for improved data collection for clarity on the extent, nature and implications of shadow education, and for stronger attention to regulations. One component of these regulations should focus on teachers, to specify the circumstances in which teachers may (not) provide tutoring. Another component should focus on commercial providers of shadow education, regulating them not only in the ways that other businesses are regulated but also with specific focus on educational domains.

Women participation in adult literacy programs for sustainable development in Nigeria: implication for national development

This paper examined women participation in adult literacy programmes for sustainable development as it affects national development in Nigeria. Further discussed in the paper are the concepts of women participation, adult literacy programmes and sustainable development, adult literacy programmes and national development, equality of educational opportunity, accessibility and Education for All (EFA). Learning environment, manpower requirement, family responsibility and economic background were some of the factors discussed by the authors as factors militating against women participation in adult literacy progammes. The paper also highlighted some solutions to challenges militating against women participation in adult literacy programmes in Nigeria. Solutions to the challenges were also proffered. Also, x-rayed in the paper is the modernization theory and its implication to women's participation in adult literacy programme for sustainable development. It was concluded among other things, that it is imperative for women to participate in adult literacy programmes because they occupy a sizeable number in the population of the country; as their involvement will result in reasonable sustained national development. Recommendations were finally made for further improvement in women participation in adult literacy programmes in Nigeria

Imbedding Gender Issues in English Materials for University Students

Gender inequality becomes one of the most challenging issues all over the world because it is one of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets and Education for All (EFA) goals to reduce gender inequality in society. Education has a pivotal role in reducing and solving social problems because education through the teaching and learning process and the materials available could shape students’ minds and perspectives. Consequently, selecting good values and vibes in the materials are needed. Most textbooks are concerned with skills and cutting-edge technology issues. One of the illustrations is English textbooks for computer science that focus on how to be a good programmer and game developer but the materials neglect the social values, contexts, and function. The aim of this study is to develop English materials gender-based content for Computer science students as well as to promote gender equality to students. The method of this study is Research and Development (R&D) proposed by Gall, Gall, & Borg. The instruments are classified into two aspects namely questionnaire and interview. It is expected that the materials developed could reduce gender inequality in the academic environment because, through textbooks or materials, teachers are able to change the students’ perspectives and behaviors. The research results show that the students believe that the materials based on gender content can encourage them to learn English and they are enthusiastic to learn the subject.

Applicant and Program Director Perceptions Regarding Virtual Interviewing and Signaling [ID: 1373344

INTRODUCTION: In 2020, obstetrics and gynecology residency programs switched to a virtual interview format because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most programs have continued to conduct virtual interviews. In 2022, program signaling was introduced to allow candidates applying to obstetrics and gynecology residencies to indicate interest in specific programs. The objective of this study is to survey medical student residency applicants and program directors about their perceptions of the process. METHODS: Education for All (EFA) developed a validated survey assessing student and residency program director perceptions. This survey was distributed online to all residency applicants and program directors who registered for the 2022 EFA Residency Fair. RESULTS: Five hundred six obstetrics and gynecology residency applicants and 33 program directors responded. 37% applicants indicated that virtual interviews would probably provide enough information to create a rank list, but 36% were not sure. 37% of students and 50% of residency programs indicated the process should continue to be virtual. Ninety-one percent of students indicated they would “definitely” use signaling, and 66% of program directors said signaling “might or might not” improve the application process. In a free-text section, many applicants expressed concern with the virtual interview process. CONCLUSION: Fifty percent of residency programs and the majority of residency applicants are unsure if interviews should continue to be virtual. Nearly all candidates planned to use program signaling, but the majority of program directors were unsure if this would improve the application process. Further study is necessary to determine whether program signaling and virtual interviews should be continued in the future.

Construction of Gender in Linguistic Signs in Selected Kenyan Secondary School English Textbooks

In countries such as Kenya, where textbooks are a core component of classroom experience, the materials have the potential to shape socially enacted identities. Gender representation via linguistic signs in textbooks can have a substantial impact on how students perceive men and women in society. In order to achieve equity in education, which is a key mandate of both the Education for All (EFA) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), gender bias in textbooks must be addressed. The National Policy on Gender and Development (NPGAD) in Kenya sought to enhance equal participation among men, women, girls and boys in education and other thematic areas. This paper contributes to the discourse on gender representation in textbooks by examining gender portrayal in linguistic signs found in selected English secondary school textbooks using Halliday’s (1985, 2014) systemic functional grammar approach. The study applied the explanatory sequential research design (Creswell Plano Clark, 2011). A document analysis guide derived from the model for analyzing linguistic signs by Halliday (1985, 2014) was employed in the analysis of quantitative data from the linguistic signs in four English textbooks. Results showed that in the selected textbooks, masculine representations were more prevalent than those of females. The study also revealed that males were more involved in all the three mood types namely; declarative, interrogative and imperative. Again, more males than females appeared as theme and rheme of clauses. Additionally, it emerged that males engaged more in verbal processes than females did. The study concludes that men are either implicitly or explicitly portrayed as being superior to women in the linguistic signs in the analysed textbooks. The study recommends that Ministry of Education in Kenya initiates measures to alleviate gender disparity by focusing on the issue of gender representation in textbooks. On the other hand, the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) may find these results useful in improving the textbooks evaluation based on gender equality prototypes. Improved evaluation, could be used as a basis to revise textbooks currently in use and guide in the development of new ones.

How Global Institutions Matter: Education for All and the Rise of Education as a Humanitarian Response

This article examines how global institutions contribute to educational change by analyzing the role of Education for All (EFA) in the recent rise of a global field dedicated to education in emergencies (EiE). I build on new sociological insights to argue that global institutions like EFA, commonly critiqued as ineffectual or mere vehicles for powerful interests, can nonetheless provide cultural ingredients and work spaces for the construction of new agendas. I draw on documentary evidence to suggest that the EFA framing of education as a human right provided a powerful cultural frame justifying EiE as an area of need, and that EFA work spaces helped consolidate and legitimate key EiE initiatives and activists, especially early on. The article expands our understanding of how global institutions shape educational change and adds to existing analyses of the rise of EiE as a new global field of intervention.

Exploring the perceptions of lecturers and final year students about the infusion of inclusion in initial teacher education programmes in South Africa

IntroductionSouth Africa embraced the move to inclusive education after the political transformation in 1994 by partaking in and subscribing to the international Education for All (EFA) drive initiated in 1990 at the Jomtien World Conference on Education for All, which declared that all children, youth and adults should receive a basic education. Furthermore, the Salamanca Statement of 1994 the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) of 2006 and the Sustainable Development Goal 4 are internationally regarded as the most important influence on the transformation of education systems to become more inclusive and consequently continue to have an important influence on education policies and practices in South Africa. The key policy driving inclusive education in South Africa is Education White Paper 6 (EWP6). EWP6 affirms that teachers play a central role in implementing an inclusive education system. Therefore, training is emphasized as a key strategy to enable educators to become more inclusive in their teaching practices. The focus of this article is on Initial Teacher Education (ITE) for inclusion. Influenced by international developments to transform ITE programmes and the national endorsement of inclusive education the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) embarked on a project called the Teaching and Learning Capacity Development Improvement Project (TLCDIP). The project reported on in this article was one facet of the TLCDIP and focused specifically on teacher education for inclusion in the Foundation (Reception to Grade 3) and Intermediate Phases (Grade 4 to 6) of the Baccalaureus Educationis (B Ed) programme.MethodsThe primary research aim was: To explore the perceptions of final year students and their lecturers in ITE programmes regarding the preparation of pre-service teachers for teaching in inclusive and diverse learning environments. A qualitative research approach was employed to gain in-depth and rich data. Purposive sampling was used including final year students and their lecturers. Open questionnaires and group interviews were employed as data generation strategies.ResultsAn inductive thematic analysis showed that the following themes were identified by the participants as critical to be considered in the development and implementation of ITE programmes: Understanding inclusive education, which is also linked to knowledge; the disconnect between theory and practice, the lack of knowledge and practical experience regarding inclusive teaching strategies and how inclusion is addressed in the B Ed curriculum.

Ensuring All Children Learn: Lessons from the South on What Works in Equity and Inclusion ed. by Ishmael Munene

Reviewed by: Ensuring All Children Learn: Lessons from the South on What Works in Equity and Inclusion ed. by Ishmael Munene Gretchen McAllister Munene, Ishmael, ed. Ensuring All Children Learn: Lessons from the South on What Works in Equity and Inclusion. London: Lexington Books, 2021. Ensuring All Children Learn: Lessons from the South on What Works in Equity and Inclusion brings together voices of practitioners, researchers, and policy makers from Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Ishmael Munene is ideal in his role as the editor as a representative of the Global South and a well-known author of comparative education leadership and higher education, as well as years of experience as an academic involved in supporting projects to increase learning access. The genesis of this book comes from the 2019 People's Action for Learning Network (PAL Network) conference in Kathmandu in Nepal. The focus of this conference was threefold and frames the purposes of this book: to explore underresearched equity and inclusion issues of marginalized populations, to use locally based data to assess educational interventions, and to connect key researchers, practitioners, policy makers, and civil society actors across the Global South. The book, through a regional focus (Africa, Asia, and Latin America) and also a comparative lens, offers the reader a series of studies that examine the effectiveness of interventions, pedagogical and structurally, to address learning acquisition, usually in mathematics and literacy, among vulnerable populations, such as girls, low-income and out-of-school students, as well as others. What Munene does well with this volume is to frame the book through a critical lens as he provides a critique of "colonialist actions" of Western influenced organizations such as the World Bank, UNESCO, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), who have capitalized on the business of development and have played a role in shaping the requirements, inputs, and strategies to [End Page 218] address the Education for All (EFA) goals of basic education. He writes, "EFA activities have simply translated into creating additional space for these [excluded] groups while ensuring that the business [of education] goes on uninterrupted. There has been minimal change in the content taught, how it is taught, the resources in the teaching, the way it is assessed" (262). This frame is well supported by each chapter across the three regions as they illustrate the power of localized assessment of educational interventions that serve as a counter to the neoliberal development complex. Nico Vromant et al.'s chapter challenges the typical metric of attendance. They state that "attending school does not guarantee that children are learning" and further critique the inputs [offered by NGOs and other world governing bodies] such as "textbooks and teachers do not significantly increase learning" (101). This raises questions regarding the placement of resources from international communities and national funds to raise access. Reinterpretation of development goals and practices can be seen in Velasquez Duran et al.'s chapter that counters the notion of scaling up educational innovations, which usually is interpreted as standardizing some intervention and then applying it across multiple contexts. These authors state, "Scaling up does not consist of replicas, but rather of adaptations" (194). Saman Vergara Lope et al. in their chapter further point to the need to examine learning among students within the changing local context. Even when similar interventions are applied in different countries, context is key. In a particularly strong chapter, Vromant et al. measure the effectiveness of the Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL), originally derived in India, but known locally in Zambia as "Catch UP." They find that by adapting TaRL to the Zambian needs and context, they were able to see similar success with this model as their colleagues in India. This type of exploration of application and sharing of interventions, one of the goals of the PAL Network, points to the power of giving space to those in the Global South to collect and analyze their own data and then make decisions about policies and interventions. Though three regions are represented, the diversity of geographic voices was not always present. For example, the Latin American section relies on all Mexican contexts and authors. Adding in the voices of Colombia and Nicaragua, who were...

Street Level Bureaucracy and Institutional Alienation Implementation of National Policy on Education for All: A Study of Cambodia

The purpose of this research has identified unexpected outcomes from the implementation of Cambodia National Policy on Education for All (NPEA) from 2000 until 2015 where the poor and vulnerable have shown negative reaction to their right for Education for All (EFA) from Cambodian Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS) in reconstructing human capital and alleviating poverty toward the attainment of developed country in 2050. A mixed method study was conducted in two phases in which surveys and focus-group discussions with participants such as students, parents and officers in charge several communities and all districts across Phnom Penh; the capital city of Cambodia. It has found that there were production of institutional alienation practices performing by street-level bureaucrats during the 15 years periods of EFA implication which had provoked adverse outcomes in socio-economic disparity and inequity to different income groups assessment. Suggestions for policy makers and changes in practice for sustainable framework have also been addressed for continuing EFA policy implementation in Cambodia toward Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

Desirability of Incorporating Environmental Literacy Education into The Global Efa Agenda with Focus on Developing Countries

The global Advocacy for Education for All (EFA) has its origin in Article 26 of the 1948 Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations (UN). The Advocacy has gone through phases with limited success in the achievement of the cardinal objective of global inclusive education for humanity’s survival and socio-economic development. The present (2015-2030) phase is anchored on 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and targets African and other countries facing special developmental challenges. It has been observed that environmental literacy is at the heart of the SDGs. The purpose of this paper is to review the objectives and achievement levels of the various phases of the global EFA Advocacy and expound the desirability of incorporating Environmental Literacy Education (ELE) into the ongoing EFA Agenda, especially in developing countries. After a research-based exposé of the developmental benefits of integrating the competences offered by ELE with those provided by UNESCO in its Guidelines for achieving the SDGs, the paper concludes that incorporating ELE into the ongoing global EFA Agenda is highly desirable and goes on to suggest modalities for the incorporation.

Strategies for Inculcating Gender Equity in Mathematics Classrooms for Enhancement of Learners’ Problem-Solving Skills.

The report released in 2022 by United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) shows that globally, female enrolment is at least 88% at primary and secondary school levels. The 88% is an indicator of good progress in gender equality in education. Of concern, however, is gender equity in Mathematics classrooms. Internationally set goals, Education For All (EFA) Goal 5, Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) Goal 3 and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Goal 4, all focus on gender equity. This study aims to raise awareness about strategies and practices for gender equity in teaching and learning Mathematics. The study uses inclusion and exclusion criteria, a literature review, and empirical data analysis. Evidence suggests that gender equity in Mathematics improves critical thinking skills and increases gender balance in Mathematics education. The researchers recommend further study on strategies for integrating gender equity in Mathematics classrooms.

The effects of free primary education in the Democratic Republic of Congo: A difference‐in‐differences approach

AbstractFollowing the Millennium Development Goals and the Dakar Framework for Action, many African countries instituted free primary education policies in 2000 to achieve universal primary education by 2015. However, the impact of free education policies remains understudied, particularly for late‐adopters. This paper estimates the short‐term effects of free primary education on enrollment in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the policy was implemented as a trial in only two provinces in 2010. We exploit the spatial variations in adopting the policies using difference‐in‐differences with propensity score matching and show that free primary education policies significantly increase enrollment. We find large heterogeneity in the effects depending on the school management types. Catholic conventional school accounts for most of the enrollment due to the perceived quality, level of teacher knowledge, school infrastructure, and better service delivery.

Female Primary School Teachers Problems in 21st Century: A Case of Southern Punjab

The 21st century revolutionized primary education across the globe in terms of universal primary education (UPE) and education for all (EFL), but in 3rd world countries, primary school teachers, especially female primary school teachers, are facing a lot of problems. The current study focused on the female primary school teachers' problems in the 21st century and set an objective of the study to find out the problems of female teachers working at primary schools. The sample of the study consists of female primary school teachers (270)through a simple random sampling technique. A questionnaire was used as a data collection tool, and statistical techniques of frequency and means scores were calculated. The study concluded that the administrative behavioral issues create problems for female primary school teachers as the rigid behavior of the head mistress and lack of discipline and management at primary schools. The study may recommend leadership and management trainings for headmistresses.