The global learning crisis has been deepened by the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing learning poverty by a third in low- and middle-income countries. In South Asia, around 78% of children at the end-of-primary-school-age are estimated to be unable to read and understand a simple text, up from 60% pre-pandemic. In Sub-Saharan Africa, this figure stands at an alarming 89%. This generation of students stand to lose trillions of dollars in potential lifetime earnings, and with it, the opportunity to break out of the intergenerational web of poverty. The World Bank predicts that even if countries reduce learning poverty at the fastest rate seen in the past 20 years, the goal of ending learning poverty will still not be achieved by 2030- the timeline for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Transformative change is therefore needed quickly, and it is needed at scale. 

Policy interventions in education that are seen to succeed in small-scale pilots often fail to achieve systemwide and sustained improvements when implemented at scale. Success at scale requires coordinated efforts from all different actors (teachers, parents, bureaucrats, politicians) and institutions (schools, curriculum boards, education ministry) within an education system, united by the pursuit of a common set of learning goals. However, education systems are often misaligned in defining learning goals and clarifying the roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders in achieving those goals. Compounding the issue, education systems also often lack the data required to support transformative reforms at scale, further hindering progress.

Coherence is Critical for Success

Coherence across system elements is the cornerstone of successful, systemwide transformation. All parts of an education system must not only work simultaneously toward agreed upon goals, but work well together to avoid potential breakdowns in implementation. Piecemeal reforms rarely produce the kind of results needed to move the needle at scale. For example, if a country has decided to prioritise 21st century skills in students, reforming the curriculum alone will not yield significant change. Teachers in the system also need to be trained to deliver the new curriculum with fidelity. Simultaneously, implementation data need to be collected and monitored to ensure continuous improvements in the curriculum design, delivery, and learning of students. Therefore, aligning the various parts of the education system coherently towards learning outcomes and building the capacity of each of these parts for optimal performance are key investments a government can make toward rapidly improving educational outcomes.

NewGlobe’s Solution: Designed for Scale and Sustainability

Over the past 15 years, NewGlobe has established itself as a global leader in transforming public education systems, and is known for its strategic partnerships with governments to improve learning outcomes for students at scale. Combining educational science with technology, NewGlobe has driven local education system reforms across seven countries in Africa and Asia.

Leveraging the structured pedagogy approach, which has been endorsed by entities such as the Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel (GEEAP), NewGlobe’s solution addresses all critical challenges in an education system, leading to dramatic and rapid improvements in learning outcomes of students. Its effectiveness is driven by the simultaneous deployment of-

1. Scientifically-based Learning Materials including digital and printed resources such as detailed teacher guides, learner textbooks, assessments, and supplemental content aligned with the national/local curriculum.
2. Systemic Capacity Building including in-person induction training and data-driven coaching and professional development of teachers, head teachers, and government support personnel such as zonal education officers and bureaucrats.
3. Technology-driven Monitoring and Reporting including digital tools for real-time monitoring of key performance indicators and data-driven updates to academic content. Field-based inspection teams further facilitate digital transparency in the system.
4. 360-degree Technological and Operational Services including provision of an innovative cloud-based platform, end-to-end hardware support,  dedicated field-based teams for IT support, centralised data operations, and programme management support.

NewGlobe’s innovative technological platform, which is specifically designed for low-resource environments, ensures that teaching and learning resources reach all teachers, students and schools in a timely and uniform manner irrespective of their location. Additionally, technology-enabled data systems ensure that high-quality data is generated everyday at the classroom, school, and systems levels, which is then used by stakeholders operating at these different levels to make data-driven decisions for continuous improvement. This strategic use of technology, combined with world-class learning materials and systemic capacity building lead to unprecedented outcomes at scale, enabling students in NewGlobe’s partner states to leapfrog grade levels and progress toward actualising their full potential. 

Rigorous studies have demonstrated that students in NewGlobe-supported schools achieve learning gains nearly twice as fast as their peers in traditional settings. In just four months, NewGlobe-supported programmes have shown a 3x improvement in literacy, and within three years, the programmes empower lower-income countries to transcend their peers and perform like middle-income countries. These results directly correlate to improvements in gross domestic product to the tune of billions of dollars over time, and improved social well-being.

Achieving sustainable education reform at scale requires not just ambition and willingness, but a unified, data-driven approach to implementation. NewGlobe’s solution exemplifies how strategic alignment and coherent, comprehensive action can turn aspirations into tangible outcomes. In a world where 70% of 10-year-olds in low- and middle-income countries grapple with learning poverty, NewGlobe’s solution provides a proven pathway to unlocking human potential, fostering economic growth, and fulfilling the promise of quality education for all.