Webinar TALENT-IICBA on Assessment during times of schools closure

In response to the health crisis caused by the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, governments around the world have taken drastic measures to safeguard the health of populations. As a result, the world is facing a series of school closures that threaten the continuity of learning. This situation has prompted international organizations to reflect on emergency solutions to mitigate the loss of learning while ensuring the continuity of quality learning.

Given the importance of learning assessments as a key instrument for ensuring equity and quality in education, it is in this context that UNESCO-IICBA, TALENT and ADEA organized two webinars (in English and French) on 6 and 13 May 2020 on the theme "Conducting Learning Assessments during School Closures", with a view to sharing information on how governments support teachers to continue to assess learning during school closures. In addition, the webinars shared information and experiences on distance learning assessment options used (or that could be used) by primary and secondary school teachers during school closures.

Overall, different experts from UNESCO and sub-Saharan African countries stressed that there is no universal recipe for assessment when schools are closed. While many countries in the region have decided to reopen schools for examination years, formative assessment and support to students through distance education have proven more difficult, especially in the early years.

Limited access to the Internet, lack of computer training for teachers, lack of infrastructure for students and teachers are among the common challenges in evaluating distance education. The role of parents and self-evaluation is an example of some of the solutions and emergency measures employed by countries.