UNICEF partnership learning passport

Introduction to the Learning Passport Overview of the initiative JANUARY, 2020

387M

Number of primary school-level children who will not achieve minimum proficiency levels in reading and math

Despite ongoing expansion of schooling, research shows that schooling does not always result in learning • Many children, even if in school, are not learning fundamental skills required for proficiency As a result, many children are experiencing learning poverty1 – 53% of children in developing countries and 80% of those in poor countries

1. Defined as % of children who cannot read and understand a simple story by age 10 Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics, World Bank Group: Education Image source: Janutal Mawa (2014)

2

Learners, facilitators, and education providers face numerous challenges in receiving and providing education Examples

Learners • Low time on task • Lack of quality learning materials • No learning record • Language challenges • Limited access to school – e.g., due to financial or cultural barriers

Facilitators • • • •

Inadequate materials Multiple learner languages Inconsistent attendance Limited professional development • Challenges fostering learner psychosocial wellbeing

Image sources: Anmar (2019), CRC Amman (2019), UNHCR (2019)

Education providers • Lack of quality learning materials • Lack of ed facilities and infrastructure • Lack of qualified facilitators • Difficulties with learner enrollment

​There is a critical need for better access to quality education and improved learning pathways

3

As a new product designed to close the learning poverty gap, the Learning Passport is a tech platform enabling high quality, flexible learning Educational content

• Local digital teaching & learning materials, assessments • Global supplementary materials available as needed

Curriculum framework

• E.g., Math: grade 3, Literacy: grade 1 Science: grade 2, English: grade 3

Technology platform

• Digital record of learning • Teacher & learner interface • Available online & offline

Supportive environment

• Psychosocial support • SEL support system • Peer support

Strong alignment between curriculum framework, content, pedagogy, and assessment to drive learning outcome improvement Learning Passport is a supplementary tool to support both formal and non-formal education programs, and will be aligned with education sector plans

SEL = Social and emotional learning Note: In some instances, the LP may need to be deployed in non-tech settings, but the initial business plan has been designed with the offline tech deployment as the base case

4

Learning Passport is designed to meet the needs of all primary school-level children, enabling continuous access to education to enhance learning outcomes

Our mission is to enable continuous access to education for all children and adolescents wherever they are in the world

Provision of quality education

–and drive improved learning outcomes through high quality, portable education to support their entry into other education

Enablement of learning mobility

or opportunity pathways, including formal education 5

Collaboration and combined expertise among partners enables high quality, credibility, and a path to scale Expertise in children and adolescents

Expertise in education

Global network with field office presence in 128 countries

Strong credibility around curriculum frameworks and tools for use by education providers

Potential to encourage at scale adoption of Learning Passport

Future additional partners

Expertise in technology Ability to develop at-scale tech platform Expertise to provide facilitator support and ensure recording and verifying of education

Others

Complementary expertise through partners E.g., local NGOs, governments, other UN agencies

​Providing support in go-to-market strategy and business plan

6

The Learning Passport's value proposition has five parts

Key outcomes

• Enabled continuous access to education • Improved learning outcomes 1

Value prop components

Geography & audience Source: UNICEF, BCG analysis

2

Expertdeveloped curriculum framework & curated content

3

Locally relevant content

4

Improved facilitator & learner experience

5

Digital record of learning & portability

External credibility

All vulnerable children in the world – initial focus is primary school-level children in developing countries with UNICEF country office presence 7

The Learning Passport meets needs across target audiences

Learners

Facilitators & Ed providers

Governments

Limited quality education hinders learning outcomes and proficiency levels

Lack of quality curriculum and learning materials, and resources to support provision of quality education

Lack of resources and tools to assess and place children within formal education pathways

Pathway to continue learning using high quality materials and producing a record of a child's learning

Curriculum framework with curated content and teaching instructions to support the provision of quality education

Provides resources and tools to support in providing ed pathways for all vulnerable children

Additional value for funders & donors lies in providing scalable solution to fund, providing significant socioeconomic returns

8

Investing in additional years of learning creates significant socioeconomic returns

10% increase in individual earnings

50% increase in child survival when mother can read

0.5% growth in GDP

10-20% increase in women's earnings

171M people could be lifted out of poverty if all students in low-income countries left school with elementary reading skills This would translate into a 12%

7% reduction in fertility rates

Source: Global Partnership for Education, UNESCO

Higher vaccination and nutrition rates

cut in global poverty

9

• Government schools

Formal

• Qualified and trained teachers with ongoing support and development • Materials fully localized and curated to national curricula

Three ways to reach target children

• Learning centers (NGO-sponsored)

Non-formal: Existing ed providers

• Facilitators with different qualifications and backgrounds with ongoing support • Materials are localized; may use national curricula or other relevant frameworks

• Homes, community centers, religious centers

Non-formal: Prospective ed providers

• Any form of full-time adult supervision and support with one-time training; rest mostly self-guided • Materials are localized; may use national curricula or other relevant frameworks 109

The Learning Passport initiative has clear short and long-term goals to enhance education pathways for all vulnerable children

16M

3M children reached

children reached

Where do we want to be in 5 years?

Where do we want to be by 2021?

Where are we now?

• Learning Passport is a best practice in portable education

• LP prototyped in Kenya, Bangladesh, and additional set of early-adopter countries

• Technology (and curriculum framework where relevant) adopted by education providers

• Tech platform developed with initial set of functionalities

• Feedback and evidence gathered from early adopters and synthesize as input for further development

• Business plan defined for go-to-market approach

• Preparations to scale up LP within and across countries finalized

• Improved access to education, learning outcomes, and digital literacy – especially among marginalized children

• Initial set of open source teaching and learning materials in English curated onto platform

• Additional partners and long term funding secured

• Curriculum framework completed

x

# of children reached (M, cumulative)

11

Rob Jenkins

Want to find out more or get involved?

Chief of Education rjenkins@unicef.org

Linda Jones Senior Advisor, Education in Emergencies ljones@unicef.org

Website www.UNICEF.org/education

12

On behalf of the Learning Passport team and our partners

Thank you 13