Data Collection Plays Key Role in African Education

Data are essential to provide a better understanding of the educational contexts in Africa, according to an article on the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) blog. This, in turn, helps make the system more innovative and effective in identifying trends and possibilities.

The article notes that the number of students enrolled in African education systems at the primary and higher levels has more than doubled over the past 20 years. This massive increase requires effective data in order to guide and manage education and training systems.

According to the article, data play a key role in the following areas: formation of education and training policies, implementation of those policies, measuring progress over a given period, and determining whether a policy should be maintained or a new policy developed. The article calls for the following steps to improve the collection and processing of data:

Modernize education monitoring information systems (EMISs),

• Build the capacity of participants in the statistics value chain by providing adequate training,
• Build the capacity of the data production structures by providing them with adequate resources,
• Establish stable and permanent EMISs, and
• Develop harmonized and complementary partnerships with organizations that have expertise in EMIS at the global and continental levels.

To learn more, read the full article.