Sub-Saharan Africa is affected by a massive learning crisis with nine out of ten children not able to read and understand an age-appropriate text by age 10. Evidence-based policymaking can contribute to improving the performance of education systems, while also making those systems more resilient and inclusive. But for this to be the case, data must be available and analyzed. Efforts are needed to improve both data generation/availability, strengthen data analysis, and promote data and evidence utilization.

To address these challenges and opportunities, a KIX Continental Symposium will be held on October 3-5, 2023, in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, ahead of 2024 as the African Union’s Year of Education. The theme of the symposium will be "Strengthening Data Generation and Analysis for Resilient, Inclusive, and Better Performing Education Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa" and will feature evidence-based presentations on:

• Creating robust data systems for policy and for monitoring and evaluation;
   
• Building capacity in using education system data;
   
• Understanding emerging trends and technologies including artificial intelligence and predictive analytics;
   
• Ensuring resilience in data practices for education in emergencies and other challenges
   
• Ensuring data protection and privacy, including legal aspects on the use of data;
   
• Understanding or demonstrating the value of quantitative or qualitative data to inform policy, including, among others, household surveys, student assessments, beneficiary assessments, evaluations, labour market data, tracer and employer data, and data on the political economy of reforms;
   
• Utilizing qualitative and quantitative data on different types of schools (e.g., public, private, faith-based).

Read about the Symposium objectives and expected outcomes