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Education ministers commit to increased funding and a broader scope for RAMAA
During a side event that took place as part of the International Literacy Day 2022 celebrations in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, on 9 September, 11 ministers of education adopted the , which underlines the relevance of the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning-led programme Action Research: Measuring Literacy Programme Participants’ Learning Outcomes (RAMAA). The aim of RAMAA is to build the capacities of education stakeholders in 12 French-speaking African countries to evaluate and monitor the quality of youth and adult literacy programmes.
In adopting the declaration, the ministers acknowledged that, despite the progress that has been made, their countries still lack the relevant data which literacy policy development is built upon – and they consider RAMAA key to addressing this. The ministers therefore committed to allocating the necessary funds to increase the implementation of RAMAA and agreed to mobilize additional funds.
Participants at the meeting in Abidjan also agreed to broaden the scope of RAMAA by considering educational alternatives, rechristening the initiative ‘Action Research on Measuring Literacy Learning and Educational Alternatives’ (RAMAED). Finally, ministers called for a strengthening of the collaboration between the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) and the Conference of the Ministers of Education of French-speaking Countries (CONFEMEN) to adapt the measurement tools intended for the evaluation of educational alternatives and basic vocational training in the countries concerned.
Background
The purpose of is to develop national capacities to evaluate and monitor the quality of literacy programmes, and to inform policy-makers and development partners about the return on investment in literacy programmes by measuring the real level of literacy acquired. RAMAA is based on a methodological framework that takes into account cultural, educational and linguistic specificities as well as the knowledge and capacities of national experts from the participating countries in order to design, manage and implement programmes locally. RAMAA’s measurement tools are therefore constructed by the participating countries in partnership with UIL, relevant UNESCO field offices, researchers and consultants.
