Monitoring educational quality

The performance of the education system is a key element in economic development

Demand for educational quality is increasing
Governments view the relative performance of their education systems as strategic. Enormous expenditure is devoted to education. Hence, there is a growing demand for increased monitoring and accountability to improve educational quality.

There are three main challenges to achieving successful monitoring of quality

• Research must be based on high technical standards - so that decisions are based on valid data.
• Monitoring should be conducted as part of a dialogue between the key educational actors - so that planning is based on useful information.
• Educational planners must be technically skilled, but also be able to act as 'information brokers', providing relevant policy-related syntheses.

Joining forces with ministries of education to address these challenges
Current IIEP activities include:

• research into modern computer-based techniques - studying new methodologies, and reviewing and updating software;
• workshops to train planners for informed policy-making, using specific information skills;
• support of consortia of ministries of education: IIEP is providing technical support to SACMEQ (Southern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality). In turn, SACMEQ data archives are being used for research and training. Ministries of education from several regions of the world have shown interest in replicating the SACMEQ experience.