Fixing the Foundation: Teachers and Basic Education in East Asia and Pacific – Cambodia

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Improving Learning Outcomes Key to Achieving Development Aspirations in Middle-Income East Asia and Pacific Countries, World Bank Says

Investing in teachers today can help future generations thrive

Introduction

WASHINGTON, September 20, 2023 – Every year in 22 middle-income East Asia and Pacific countries, around 172 million children are enrolled in primary school. Early investments in education were key to East Asia’s remarkable development. Yet, despite significant advances in school enrollment, children in some countries and parts of some countries are not acquiring basic educational skills, according to a World Bank report, Fixing the Foundation: Teachers and Basic Education in East Asia and Pacific. In all countries covered in the report, the quality of education is much weaker in rural and poorer areas than in urban and richer areas.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

1. Goal 4: Quality Education
2. Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
3. Goal 1: No Poverty

Learning Poverty in East Asia and Pacific Countries

• Learning poverty – defined as whether a 10-year-old can read and understand age-appropriate reading material – is above 50 percent in 14 of the 22 countries, including Indonesia, Myanmar, Cambodia, the Philippines, and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, the report says.
• In upper middle-income Malaysia, learning poverty is above 40 percent.
• In contrast, learning poverty is 3 to 4 percent in Japan, Singapore, and the Republic of Korea.

Impact of Failure to Acquire Foundational Skills

Failure to equip students with foundational skills jeopardizes their ability to acquire more advanced skills that will help them succeed in the labor market and escape poverty. Since learning is cumulative, many of these children will never be able to develop the more advanced skills needed for innovative manufacturing and sophisticated services, the productivity-boosting economic activities that could lift countries from middle-income to high-income status.

The Role of Teachers

While multiple factors influence learning, including family income, health, and access to school materials, once a child enters school, teachers have the largest impact. However, data from several countries in the region indicate that teachers often have limited knowledge of their subject. In Lao PDR only 8 percent of 4th grade teachers scored 80 percent or higher on an assessment of 4th grade math. In Indonesia, similarly, only 8 percent of 4th grade teachers scored 80 percent or higher on an evaluation of their Indonesian language skills. Data suggest that teacher absenteeism is also a problem in several countries in the region. The report, therefore, focuses on teachers and how support for teachers and teaching quality can be strengthened.

Recommendations for Strengthening Teachers’ Capabilities

• Since most existing teachers will likely still be teaching in 2030, the report recommends a focus on strengthening teachers’ capabilities.
• To be effective, trainings should bolster subject knowledge, offer opportunities to practice newfound knowledge among peers, include follow-up coaching and mentoring, and provide career incentives linked to promotion or salary.
• Educational technology (EdTech) also has the potential to transform teaching and learning for students. Research shows that access to pre-recorded lectures by highly rated teachers has improved student scores and has also improved the performance of other teachers. However, EdTech works best when complemented with teachers trained in its use.

Importance of Support and Political Commitment

Support and political commitment from policymakers to raise learning outcomes will be crucial to ensuring that change takes place, the report says. Introducing successful measures to raise teaching quality and improve student learning, including effective training and EdTech, will require more effective spending of existing resources as well as the allocation of additional resources.

Conclusion

“Tackling the problem of learning poverty would brighten the futures of generations of children and the economic prospects of the region,” said World Bank East Asia and Pacific Chief Economist Aaditya Mattoo. “Fixing the educational foundation requires reforms and resources, as well as collaboration between all concerned: the ministries of education and finance, teachers and parents.”

Contact Information

In Washington:
Kym Smithies
+1 202-458-8629
ksmithies@worldbank.org

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. SDG 4: Quality Education

   • Target 4.1: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable, and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes.
   • Target 4.2: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care, and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education.
   • Target 4.3: By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational, and tertiary education, including university.
   • Target 4.4: By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs, and entrepreneurship.
   • Target 4.5: By 2030, eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, and children in vulnerable situations.
   • Target 4.6: By 2030, ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy.
   • Target 4.7: By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including among others through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship, and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development.

2. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • Target 8.2: Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading, and innovation, including through a focus on high-value added and labor-intensive sectors.
   • Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value.

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Source: reliefweb.int

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