The UNESCO Assessment of Global Education
The International Science and Evidence Based Education (ISEE) Assessment
In 2019, 300 scientists and experts from 45 countries embarked on a mission to address the status quo of global Education and re-envisioning its future. This initiative was organized by UNESCO (the Mahatma Gandhi inst. of Education) under 'The International Science and Evidence-based Education Assessment (ISEE)'.
Here we reflect on a few remarks that this initiative concluded for the decision-makers:
The present learner assessments focusing on standardized, time-bound, 'one-size-fits-all' summative learner examinations are not optimal for learning and flourishing.
Educational expenditure requires closer scrutiny of the 'what', 'how', 'when', 'where' and 'for whom' these investments are made to maximize returns on education for human flourishing and ensure equitable outcomes for all.
Cognitive, social-emotional and metacognitive functions need to be mainstreamed in curricula and pedagogy and should be grounded in complex local and global issues related to politics, economics, cultural diversity and environmental sustainability.
Fostering a symbiotic relationship between cognition, metacognition and social-emotional learning in education systems is key to activating and achieving the seven pillars of learning- learning to know, learning to think, learning to do, learning to be, learning to become, learning to live together and learning to live with nature.
Many national curricula emphasize knowledge acquisition and not social and emotional learning. The former is focused on literacy and numeracy using standardized curricula as opposed to focusing on localized curricula addressing existential questions faced in students’ day-to-day life.
A formative and dynamic learner assessment encouraging continuous feedback to acknowledge and increase learner potentiality should be designed and implemented.
