World Bank targets to half the learning poverty by 2030

Kathmandu, Oct. 18

The World Bank on Thursday introduced an ambitious new Learning Target, which aims to cut by at least half the global rate of Learning Poverty by 2030.

Learning Poverty is defined as the percentage of 10-year-olds who cannot read and understand a simple story. 

Using a database developed jointly with UNESCO Institute of Statistics, the WB estimates that 53 percent of children in low- and middle-income countries cannot read and understand a simple story by the end of primary school.

In poor countries, the level is as high as 80 percent. Such high levels of learning poverty are an early warning sign that all global educational goals and other related sustainable development goals are in jeopardy. 

“Success in reaching this learning target is critical to our mission,” World Bank Group President David Malpass said. “Tackling learning poverty will require comprehensive reforms to ensure domestic resources are used effectively. The target points to the urgency of investments in better teaching and better coordination of vital learning priorities.”

This new target aligns with the Human Capital Project’s efforts at building the political commitment for accelerating investment in people. Much of the variation in the Human Capital Index – used to track countries’ progress in health, education, and survival – is due to differences in educational outcomes, said the bank in a statement.

Vice President, Human Development at the WB Annette Dixon said that education was a critical factor in ensuring equality of opportunities.

According to the bank, several developing countries, such as Kenya, Egypt and Vietnam, are showing that accelerated progress is possible through technology-enabled teacher coaching, teacher guides, delivery of textbook, change in curriculum and assessment systems, reforms focused on learning, instead of getting a school credential,  and low absenteeism among students and teachers.

Unfortunately, in many other countries the current pace of improvement is still worryingly slow. Even if countries reduce their learning poverty at the fastest rates seen over the past 20 years, the goal of ending it will not be attained by 2030.

The WB aims at using three pillars of work to help countries reach this target and improve the human capital outcomes. – literacy policy package, refreshed education approach to strengthen entire education system, and ambitious measurement and research agenda.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 19 October 2019.