Reimagining secondary education: catalysing a coalition for change

Group Submission Type: Pre-conference Workshop

Description of Session

Adolescence is a unique window of opportunity; it is a stage of accelerated cognitive, physical and socio-emotional development. It is the moment when young people benefit most from an education which develops their skills and widens their opportunities. It is the time when girls stand to benefit most from an education. For most young people, secondary education is the last formal stage of education before entering the labour market, starting a family and participating in democracy.

Yet, today secondary education is neither relevant nor in reach for millions of adolescents globally. In a 2018 PISA-D assessment across a number of countries in the Global South, only 6% of 15-year olds were reaching minimum level of proficiency in reading and mathematics. Whether individual adolescents can seize the opportunities of tomorrow depends on whether they can access high-quality, relevant secondary education today.

Although we are committed to formal secondary schooling, we are also pragmatic. We understand that the transformation of secondary schooling will take time and there are currently millions of out of school adolescents who urgently need to build skills to go on to lead happy and fulfilling lives. Due to the failures of the formal secondary school system to reach the most marginalised and to deliver relevant knowledge and skills, there is a patchwork of non-formal education and skilling programmes and pathways across the continent.

As we re-imagine secondary schools, we must also re-imagine the entire secondary education system. As we strive towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, secondary schools will only be one part (an important part) of the wider puzzle to ensure that all adolescents are equipped with the skills and knowledge then need to be successful. We must understand how formal and non-formal education pathways can work more effectively together and be integrated to ensure that every adolescent gets an education to set them up for life.

We believe that the time for a revolution in secondary schooling is now. We want to use this workshop session to catalyse a broader conversation around how secondary education can work better.

In particular, our objectives for this workshop are to:
1. share insights from formal and non-formal secondary experts, youth and governments on the case for educating adolescents and the purpose of secondary education
2. share global evidence on what is currently working well and not working well in the secondary education sector
3. discuss the case for secondary schooling and how secondary schools can work effectively alongside non-formal channels to educate adolescents

This will be delivered through a:
• 30 minute session led by PEAS that spotlight perspectives from SSA on the case for educating adolescents and purpose of secondary education
• 30 minute session led by Transform schools on evidence from its programmes and beyond secondary education.
• 90 minute facilitated co-design workshop on how to reimagine secondary education
• 30 minute wrap up, sharing key headlines from the workshop and discussing how best to convene a group of stakeholders to catalyse this secondary revolution

Sub Unit

• Pre-Conference Workshops, Book launches, and Visual Art Exhibits / Pre-Conference Workshop

Chair

• Daniel Omaya, Promoting Equality in African Schools PEAS

Workshop Organizer

• Jenny Groot, Promoting Equality in African Schools PEAS

Presenting author

• Pankaj Vinayak Sharma, Transform Schools, People For Action

• Jenny Groot, Promoting Equality in African Schools PEAS