Scaling and sustaining private innovations in public education systems

Group Submission Type: Formal Panel Session

Proposal

Session overview

This session will explore how non-state actors can provide innovations that improve access and quality of education in low- and middle-income countries and ensure that these models are scaled and sustained in public education systems.
The presentations will be based on insights gained from a working group on Private Support to Public Education Systems, comprising education funders, investors, implementers, and researchers, with diverse experiences of collaborating and scaling through government collaboration.

Rationale

Non-state actors play a crucial role in supporting public education systems in low- and middle-income countries, educating more than 350 million children globally according to the 2021/2 Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report. Moreover, non-state actors play a significant role through provision of ancillary services, such as private supplementary tuition, textbook supply, education technology, teacher training, and after school activities.
Non-state actors play a particularly important role in bringing innovative approaches to education. They can introduce new teaching methods, curricula, and technologies that enhance learning outcomes and address specific educational challenges. However, innovations by non-state actors can be difficult to scale and sustain in public education systems because of difficulties in accessing governments, procurement challenges, and limited available public financing. To facilitate the integration of innovations into public education systems, it is crucial to gain a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities related to scalability and sustainability.
The urgency and intensity of today's problems have led to polarised public debates, making it difficult to have constructive discussions and work together to make changes that bridge our differences. In an effort to foster collaboration in an ever-polarized environment, a community of practice of non-state actors in education engages with its members to facilitate partnerships between private and public actors with the aim of reducing the divides and differences, with the ultimate goal of creating high-quality and inclusive education systems for all learners.

Session content

To improve the understanding of the challenges and opportunities around integrating innovations into public education systems, the community of practice initiated a working group in November 2022. The objective of this group was to share experiences and insights that facilitate uptake, scale, and sustainability of non-state innovations in public education systems across the world.
In this session, the key considerations emerging through the working group will be presented, along with in-depth presentations around some of the models shared in the group.

Sub Unit

• General Pool

Organizer

• Jenny Berg, Opportunity International

Chair

• INES GONCALVES CHARRO, Dalberg

Individual Presentations

• Case studies of ancillary services innovations - INES GONCALVES CHARRO, Dalberg

• How non-state actors can ensure sustainability and scalability of innovations in ancillary service delivery - Raymond Chipfakacha, Higherlife Foundation

• Lee Conmigo: Improving reading skills through community reading circles in El Salvador - Karla Segovia, FUSAL

• A Radio Math Instruction Program Improves Learning Outcomes for Preschool Students in Peru - Sarah Kabay, Innovations For Poverty Action; Juan Manuel Hernandez Agramonte Caballero, Innovations for Poverty Action

Discussant

• INES GONCALVES CHARRO, Dalberg