Presentation of PASEC
UNESC0 hq
12th November 2008
Infos on PASEC
PASEC is a program of the Conference of
Francophone Education ministries
Information on PASEC can be found at
www.confemen.org
Funding comes from CONFEMEN, France,
OIF, IEA/WB, UNICEF
21 participating
countries (2008)
PASEC I à VIII
Bénin, Burkina Faso,
Cameroun, Congo, Côte
d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Gabon
Guinée, Maurice,
Madagascar, Mali
Mauritanie, Niger, RCA
Sénégal, Tchad, Togo
New PASEC IX
Burundi
Comores
Guinée Bissau
Liban
Other CONFEMEN member states
Cap Vert
Egypte
Democratic
Republic of Congo
Seychelles
PASEC methodology
Bonnet G. (2007) in a working paper posted on UNESCO web site
gives a good description of the methodological differences
between PASEC and SACMEQ
Schooling conditions
Initial level
Final level
Individual characteristics
and background of pupils
Ongoing work 1
Reports to be released soon: Gabon & Mauritius (december 2008)
Burkina Faso, Congo, Sénégal (early 2009)
Next PASEC wave : Burundi, Comores, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinée Bissau,
Liban : field operations ongoing
Methodological development :
• Curricula analysis
• Revision of the tests and the procedures (back translation,
booklet, IRT, life skills)
Effective schooling time measurement : piloting instruments
Ongoing work 2
Data analysis : taking into account poverty
• Link between poverty and learning outcomes
• Different types of pupils : different policies
 specific data analysis/modeling : public/private sector, ZEPnon ZEP schools (Mauritius)
Training : workshops in south east Asia and Democratic Republic of
Congo (early 2009)
Draft methodological guideline : sampling module to be released
early 2009
The past use of PASEC results
Double shift, repetition associated with negative
impact
 Disparition of double shift, diminution of repeating
The class size debate : FTI target 40 pupils per
classroom (consistent with PASEC results)
Recruitement and training of teachers : Low impact of
diploma, status and duration of the initial training of
teachers : polemic results
What entry level (BEPC/BAC) ?
What recruitement/selection procedures ? (ex. : Guinea)
Most contract teachers are given minimum training now
Better targeting of the support to professionnal training of
teachers
 Reflexion on the initial training and the trainers (Tchad, Niger)




The actual use of PASEC results
International comparisons : link between acces and
quality
Trend data
Taking into account poverty in policy
Equity issues (public vs private sector, distribution of
inputs)
Effective schooling time
Communication strategies
Four components :
• Friendly publications
• Association with national studies and events :
– Presentation of PASEC results along with national studies in
« quality » information sessions
– Participation to education sector annual reviews (Guinée, Bénin)
– PASEC/CONFEMEN member of local donors coordination (Sénégal)
• Regional analysis : papers for CONFEMEN meetings,
collaboration with UNESCO/ BREDA ; EFA monitoring report
unit, production of a synthesis of PASEC results 2009
• Web site : data on line : 1 request per week from researchers /
students  promotion of thematic papers
Promotion of national debate on
quality by regional assessments
Whatever national conditions may be, the release of data on
quality of education does promote public debate
Why ?
Regional/international assessment are not conditonned by the
political will of dissimenation of results
They do provide international comparisons and trends
They promote competition in the production of data on quality of
education
They participate in the capacity building in quality measurement
area
They put quality on top of the agenda in the international debate
National context of the use of PASEC
results
To what extent the existence of public debate on quality of
education is a sufficient and necessary condition of policy
reform ? What are the good conditions ?
1. General democratic conditions : Press / awarenness of the
public/access to information
2. Will to make changes in policies/timetable of implementation of
EFA plan
3. Possibility of policy changes/ Influence of teachers union
4. Technical skills / Duration of ministry and policy makers
5. Influence/technical skills and matter of local donors/ Aid
contribution to education/Indebtement of the country
6. Existence of national studies on quality
7. Institutionnal conditions (existence of independent evaluation
Contribution of UNESCO
How can UNESCO maximise the use of quality / assessment data
in the EFA policy reforms ?
• Data communication support ?
• Promote education quality issue in the international debate ?
• Setting the « good conditions » at national level ?
Collaboration framework
PASEC/
CONFEMEN
UNESCO
General democratic conditions : Press
/ awarenness of the public/acces to
information
X
Will to make changes in
policies/timetable of implementation
of EFA plan
X
Possibility of policy changes/
influence of teachers union
X
World
Bank
X
X
Technical skills / Duration of ministry
and policy makers
X
Influence/technical skills and matter
of local donors/ Aid contribution to
education/Indebtement of the
country
X
Existence of national studies on
quality
X
X
X
Institutionnal conditions
X
X
X
X
Thank you !
[email protected]
www.confemen.org