“Great Buys” in Education: Maximizing learning in low and middle-income countries

In this episode, we are featuring Benjamin Piper, the Director of Global Education at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Ben sheds light on the groundbreaking work of the Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel (GEEAP). With an exhaustive analysis of over 13,000 academic studies, GEEAP identifies the most effective and economical educational interventions. We delved into the intriguing concept of "Smart Buys" or "Great Buys" in education, dissecting approaches like structured pedagogy and teaching children according to their learning level rather than age or grade. We confront a stark reality: two-thirds of children in low and middle-income countries fail to acquire comprehensive reading skills by age 10. This crisis extends beyond literacy; it reflects the profound limitations of our current education systems. The question arises: How do we tackle this challenge? It's essential to look beyond simply increasing school enrolment. We must ensure that every child, once in school, has equal opportunities to maximize their learning potential. You can read more about the 2023 Cost-effective Approaches to Improve Global Learning Report and the Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel (GEEAP). Want to learn more about sustainable development and learning? Subscribe to SDG Learncast on podcast apps. Visit the UN SDG:Learn website at ⁠⁠www.unsdglearn.org⁠⁠ to get the latest learning offers on the 2030 Agenda and SDGs. The transcript of the podcast is available at ⁠⁠https://www.unsdglearn.org/podcast/.