Contestation and Resistance: A Citizen-Led Movement for Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Rights in the Global South

• In Event: Assessment and social context in mathematics education

Proposal

Foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) refer to the essential skills for more complex learning. The widespread absence of FLN learning outcomes in the Global South is a longstanding issue, predating the COVID-19 pandemic. Our recent study of seven countries (3 in Africa and 4 in South Asia) highlighted that a significant proportion of children failed to reach the minimum proficiency level (MPL) for grade 2 in FLN even before the pandemic.
This paper delves into the role of contestation and resistance in education work through the lens of PAL Network's citizen-led assessments and actions (CLAs) for children's FLN rights. CLAs empower citizens to hold governments accountable for FLN rights through regularly collected evidence on FLN status, but they also face resistance from those benefiting from the status quo. Drawing on experiences from fifteen PAL Network countries in Africa, Asia, and the Americas, who have championed the CLA movement for nearly two decades, we explore how CLAs birthed a citizen movement of accountability. The inception of CLAs has equipped ordinary citizens to hold governments accountable for FLN rights, requiring strategic utilization to overcome resistance and drive meaningful change.
Additionally, this paper presents findings from a recent study that focused on post-pandemic learning losses. The study examined the implementation of the International Common Assessment of Numeracy (ICAN), a cost-effective assessment tool developed by the PAL Network, aligning with SDG 4.1.1(a) to provide comparable, reliable data in low- and middle-income countries. Collaborating with regional organizations, the report focused on select locations from three Sub-Saharan African countries - Kenya, Mozambique, and Nigeria, and four South Asian countries - Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan.
The paper summarises two large-scale implementations of ICAN – the first round in late 2019/early 2020, and second round in late 2022. Despite challenging contexts, most children were enrolled in schools, underscoring the urgency of examining learning outcomes. Results unveiled significant concerns in both reading and mathematics abilities. Across locations, many children struggled with reading at grade-appropriate levels, even in grades 4-6, with minimal gender disparities in most regions except Nigeria, where girls demonstrated a performance advantage. Interestingly, the report explored learning loss during the COVID-19 pandemic, revealing inconsistent patterns. While some locations showed improvement or stability, one showed clear evidence of learning loss. These findings underscore the need for context-specific analysis, recognizing the necessity to address pre-existing FLN issues alongside pandemic-related challenges.
In conclusion, this paper showcases how the PAL Network's citizen-led movement has brought about a transformative approach to tackle the FLN crisis in the Global South. Citizen-led assessments and actions have fostered a sense of accountability and empowerment among ordinary citizens by harnessing contestation, resistance, and compliance. Despite the pandemic's disruptions, this movement reveals the critical importance of continuous efforts to improve FLN outcomes through strategic utilization of citizen-led assessments, enabling equitable access to quality education for children in the Global South.

Authors

• Muhammad Usman, PAL Network

• Armando A Ali, PAL Network