Momentum for Education Beyond 2015: Improving the Quality of Learning Outcomes and Enhancing the Performance of Education Systems in the Gulf Cooperation Council(GCC) Countries

UNESCO Doha Office has received support from the Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) to explore the performance of education systems in the six GCC countries with a focus on enhancing learning outcomes.

The research project was launched in June 2014 and two case studies have already been conducted in Kuwait and Qatar.

Findings from this research will inform Global Education for All dialogue on post-2015 agenda in education. The research project aims to provide a critical analysis of the performance of Education Systems in the GCC, and provide recommendations for improving the quality of learning outcomes to enable evidence-based decision-making. More specifically, the research project targets the following overarching questions:

• How can findings of international assessments on learning outcomes in GCC Countries be employed as a basis for monitoring progress on the six Education for All Goals, and proposing recommendations to respond to emerging education performance issues?
• To what extent can the available data from local, regional, and international learning assessments in GCC Countries enable educational planners to improve the quality of educational systems and learning outcomes in the region?
• How can we strengthen national and regional capacities to enhance the performance of education systems and sustain quality of expected outputs post-2015?

Findings of the research project will be disseminated in various educational platforms and published in a comprehensive report to inform post 2015 initiatives in Qatar and GCC countries.