No abstract

An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org

Motivation: Given the changing nature of work and recent shocks to environmental, health, and economic systems, secondary education in sub-Saharan Africa must prepare youth to be adaptive and resilient as they transition into challenging labour markets. Access to opportunities to develop relevant skills and knowledge through secondary education is critical to ensure girls and other marginalized young people can secure work or create their own entrepreneurial ventures to improve their livelihoods. Yet many girls and marginalized youth either drop out of school or progress through the education system without developing the skills needed to effectively transition into labour markets. Purpose: This article aims to synthesize insights from Mastercard Foundation's portfolio of programming in secondary education and situate these findings in the broader literature on equitable secondary education and preparing youth for the transition to work in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods and approach: This article draws on Mastercard Foundation's portfolio of work in secondary education in sub-Saharan Africa, including its flagship report Secondary education in Africa: Preparing youth for the future of work, the donor collaborative Partnership to Strengthen Innovation and Practice in Secondary Education (PSIPSE), and the Scholars Program in addition to a wider literature and evidence base. It synthesizes key findings from research and programmes focusing on equitable access to and relevant skills development in secondary education. Findings: Three key insights are explored: the importance of targeted financing to expand access, flexible approaches to improve completion, and entrepreneurship programming to develop relevant skills-each critical for promoting secondary education that prepares young women and men for work. Policy implications: A systems-based approach is critical to improving the access and relevance of secondary education. Gender-equitable approaches that account for intersecting barriers are necessary to improve inclusion of disadvantaged youth in education systems and prepare them for work.

Summary Motivation The development of life skills has been increasingly recognized in formal and non‐formal education programmes as critical to enabling young people to flourish in personal relationships, the workplace, and wider society. Recent competency‐based curricular reform reflects a growing consensus on the importance of developing a combination of socioemotional, cognitive, and practical skills to overcome contemporary social, environmental, and economic global challenges. Yet there is limited research examining the pedagogical practices that lead to the effective development of such skills. Purpose This article seeks to fill that gap by drawing on lessons from Rwanda’s 12+ programme, a non‐formal life skills programme for adolescent girls. Examining potential links between pedagogical practices and the programme’s impacts on adolescent girl participants, it enquires into lessons that can be learnt for both formal and non‐formal schooling. Methods and approach Insights from focus groups and interviews with 12+ graduates (ages 15–17) and mentors were triangulated with analysis of project documentation including teaching and learning materials. Findings Five insights are highlighted: structured teaching and learning materials and scaffolded support for mentors; the use of dialogic teaching; experiential learning opportunities; the importance of safe spaces and trusting relationships; and the engagement of mentors as role models. These combined ingredients of effective life skills programming were perceived to have led to the development of adolescent girls' skills, knowledge, and attitudes, including confidence, voice and agency, financial literacy, self‐efficacy, and self‐care. Policy implications Teacher education and ongoing professional development should focus on strengthening teachers' capacity to use learner‐centred, interactive methods, and to foster positive social relationships with and among learners. Sharing of materials and approaches between non‐formal programmes and the formal education system should be encouraged.

Motivation: Young people's futures are at risk. Global crises such as armed conflict, climate change, mass displacement, and public health emergencies are threatening the education and wellbeing of adolescents all over the world. But young people are also resilient and innovative. It is vital that they have opportunities to develop relevant skills and knowledge, to build resilience, and overcome these challenges now and in the future. Purpose: This special issue brings together researchers and practitioners in the field of international education. Its purpose is twofold: to illustrate how current global challenges shape the types of skills needed to build resilience; and to offer possible solutions to supporting young people's development of such skills. Methods and approach: The articles in this special issue draw on both quantitative and qualitative data, including surveys and interviews with students, parents, teachers, school leaders, nonformal education providers, and government officials. Most studies present evidence from sub-Saharan Africa. Findings: The findings presented in this special issue address a range of skills, including foundational literacy and numeracy, hard skills in digital literacy, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship, and soft skills, such as critical thinking, confidence, voice and agency. Policy implications: With the special issue we aim to draw more attention to the need for research and policy that equip youth with relevant skills and that see them not just as subjects of the challenges they encounter, but also as active agents of change. We also highlight the importance of an intersectional lens that addresses not just gender, but also other individual and household characteristics, such as student age, disability status, and poverty to support youth resilience and skills development.