It’s widely agreed education around the world needs to undergo a transformation to meet the needs of a rapidly changing world. With an estimated 250 million children who are out of school and many of those who do attend not receiving quality education, we remain stubbornly far from our goal to ensure all children are learning by 2030.

As countries address challenges and seek to transform their education systems, technology is increasingly seen as an accelerator to provide multiple pathways for learning and education continuity, particularly for children who are hard to reach or vulnerable. When designed and used correctly, technology for education (Tech4Ed) has strong potential for better learning outcomes and more efficient and resilient education systems.

Support and knowledge sharing around digital transformation in education is in demand. Governments are seeking to apply technology to help transform education systems to improve access, learning and management. This means seizing the potential of Tech4Ed for better leveraging countries’ greatest assets—human capital—to expand opportunities for growth and stability.

To explore this further, GPE is launching a monthly blog series on Tech4Ed that complements our paper on how to make technology work for education transformation goals. We will explore the critical elements for digital transformation by hearing from a diverse set of perspectives and experiences.

A partnership approach to digital transformation in education

Education transformation is a big ambition that is easier said than done. We know it’s often impacted by countries’ ability to identify, access and integrate expertise, resources or solutions that can fast-track transformation. Tech4Ed is no exception. The technology and education ecosystem of a country is incredibly important.

Technology that’s used to support education transformation should be inclusive and centered on people, with decisions made to adopt and deploy technologies in the educational context based on the appropriateness of their use given a particular set of circumstances. Technology interventions should always be informed by risks and ethical.

This partnership approach was on view with the launch of the publication, “Six pillars for the digital transformation of education: A common framework,” during the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

UNESCO, UNICEF, ITU and GPE worked together with the support of the diverse members of the Global Education Coalition to publish a common framework for leveraging technology to improve the quality, equity and inclusivity of education systems globally.

Building on the work of Digital Transformation Collaborative, this blog series will look at the critical elements of digital transformation in education. Each month we will explore one of the six elements necessary to enable system-wide digital transformation in education.

We will look at pragmatic examples of engagement and collaborative efforts that underscore the importance of each element necessary to addressing pressing education challenges and ensuring sustainable, equitable system strengthening.

The pillars include:

• Coordination and Leadership: A look at the importance of a coordinated partnership approach on the basis of a clear vision and evidence-based policies.
• Connectivity and Infrastructure: Understanding the value of connecting schools and investing in infrastructure and ensuring equal access is crucial to equitable access to education technology and online content.
• Content and Solutions: Exploring how aligning digital learning platforms with relevant content and sound pedagogical approaches can improve learning outcomes.
• Cost and Sustainability: Following the development of a realistic and sustainable business model to guide country strategies to mobilize resources for education digital transformation.
• Capacity and Culture: A review of how capacity building strategies, managing change and engaging stakeholders early on in the digital transformation processes improves the effectiveness of technology integration in education.
• Data and Evidence: Reviewing how technology is being used in countries to enhance the production, accessibility and use of reliable and timely data across all levels of the education system.

Looking ahead

On demand from country partners, GPE will also begin testing out the partnership approach through the provision of technical assistance in two partner countries: Ghana and Tajikistan.

The work aims to strengthen the planning and programming capacity of education ministries to leverage technology adequately to improve education outcomes and to strengthen the efficiency of education systems. The initiative will be implemented with support from UNICEF and the EdTech Hub.

GPE and our partners are committed to supporting countries to build system resilience and transform education by mobilizing partnerships and investments, leaving no one behind.

As more and more countries are using technology to transform their education systems, the need for a partnership approach to operationalize Tech4Ed has never been more urgent. With our partners, this blog series will showcase promising practices, challenges and the power of partnership.

Stay tuned!