Facing Forward : Schooling for Learning in Africa / Sajitha Bashir.

While everybody recognizes the development challenges facing Sub-Saharan Africa, few have puttogether coherent plans that offer real hope for any feasible and general improvement. FacingForward combines an evidence-based plan that not only recognizes the deep problems butprovides specific prescriptions for dealing with the problems. In the simplest version, focuson the skills of the people and do it in a rational and achievable manner." Eric Hanushek, Paul and Jean Hanna Senior Fellow, Hoover Institute, Stanford UniversityThis book offers a clear perspective on how to improve learning in basic education in Sub-Saharan Africa, based on extremely rigorous and exhaustive analysis of a large volume of data.The authors shine a light on the low levels of learning and on the contributory factors. They havenot hesitated to raise difficult issues, such as the need to implement a consistent policy on thelanguage of instruction, which is essential to ensuring the foundations of learning for all children.Using the framework of "From Science to Service Delivery"? the book urges policy makers tolook at the entire chain from policy design, informed by knowledge adapted to the local context,to implementation. Facing Forward: Schooling for Learning in Africa is a unique addition to theliterature that is relevant for African policy makers and stakeholders." Professor Hassana Alidou, Ambassador of the Republic of Niger to the United States and CanadaAs the continent gears itself up to provide universal basic education to all its children by 2030, ithas to squarely address the challenge of how to improve learning. Facing Forward helps countriesto benchmark themselves against each other and to identify concrete lines of action. It forcespolicy makers to think "where do I go from here?" "what do I do differently?" and to examinethe hierarchy of interventions that can boost learning. It rightly urges Ministries of Education tobuild capacity through learning by doing and continuous adaptation of new knowledge to thelocal context. Facing Forward will unleash frank conversations about the profound reforms that arerequired in education policy and service delivery to ensure learning for every child on the continent." Dr. Fred Matiang'I, Cabinet Secretary for the Interior and Coordination of National Government,Government of Kenya (former Cabinet Secretary for Education)Facing Forward couldn't have come at a more opportune time as countries in the region,including Mauritius, focus more on learning outcomes rather than simply on inputs and processesin education systems. The book underscores the important point that African countries need notexclusively model themselves on high-performing education systems in the world. Much can aswell be learnt from other countries at the same level of development, or lower, by virtue of thechallenges they have faced and successfully overcome. This presents opportunities for greaterpeer-sharing and networking with these countries. Indeed a number of key focus areas arehighlighted in the book that demonstrate good practices worthy of being emulated. These coverdomains as diverse as enabling factors leading to improved student progression, strengthenedteacher capacity, increased budgetary allocation with a focus on quality, as well as improvedtechnical capacity of implementing agencies in the region." Hon. (Mrs.) Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun, Minister of Education and Human Resources,Tertiary Education and Scientific Research, Republic of Mauritius.

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