Monthly Archives: December 2016

The world needs better data on education – and Canada can help

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By Munir A. Sheikh, former Chief Statistician of Canada
This piece was first published by the Ottawa Citizen.

December brings the 15th anniversary of one of Canada’s best-kept secrets: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). When it first opened its doors in Montreal, a handful of staff shared just a few computers. Today, the Institute is the official and trusted source of internationally comparable data on education, science, culture and communication. Continue reading →

Education SDG indicator on learning outcomes gets a major upgrade

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By Luis Benveniste, Practice Manager, Global Engagement and Knowledge at World Bank, and Silvia Montoya, Director of the UNESCO Institute for Statistics

There has been an important shift in the global measurement of learning. The Inter-Agency Expert Group on Sustainable Development Goal Indicators (IAEG-SDGs) has decided to ‘upgrade’ SDG Indicator 4.1.1 on learning outcomes: the proportion of children and young people who achieve at least a minimum proficiency in reading and mathematics. Once a ‘Tier III’ indicator (an indicator that does not yet have established methodologies or standards), 4.1.1 has been upgraded to a ‘Tier II’ indicator for two points of measurement (end of primary and lower secondary), which means it meets methodological criteria although data are available for less than 50% of countries in each region.   Continue reading →

Shortening the journey from information to understanding: The new UIS website goes live

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By Silvia Montoya, Director of the UNESCO Institute for Statistics

This blog was originally published on the World Education Blog

The new UIS website, launched today, offers compelling, innovative ways to find – and use – the best available information on what is happening in education, science, culture and communication worldwide. The new site represents a radical shift in the way we present our data. Rather than sending our visitors to complex databases, the new site zeroes in on the kind of information that people want in the era of the Sustainable Development Goals, packaged in the way that is most useful for them. Continue reading →

Good news for the Global Education 2030 Steering Committee

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By Silvia Montoya, Director of the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, and Dankert Vedeler, Co-Chair of the Global Education 2030 Steering Committee

The members of the Global Education 2030 Steering Committee, gathering in Paris this week, have much to discuss, and also much to celebrate – particularly on the all-important data that will track progress towards the world’s education goals.

So much is happening. The SDG 4 – Education 2030 indicator framework is taking shape. Partnerships spanning countries and international organizations are putting down roots, including the Technical Co-operation Group (TCG) that is building consensus around the framework, ensuring that the monitoring of progress and the creation of baselines will begin in 2017, as noted in a recent blog. Continue reading →