KIX Observatory: Teaching and Learner Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Since mid-March 2020, according to the UNESCO, the COVID-19 pandemic has been affecting an estimated 1.6 billion learners worldwide due to a global closure of schools. In response to the negative impacts of the pandemic on educational systems in Africa, a Consortium comprised of the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA), the African Union’s International Centre for Girls’ and Women’s Education in Africa (AU/CIEFFA), with technical support from the African population and Health Research Centre (APHRC), and the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), has come together under the KIX Observatory on COVID-19 Responses with the goal of supporting African member states to ensure quality, equity, and well-functioning of teaching and learning; the well-being of teachers and learners at basic levels of education within African member countries, for the resilience of education systems against future crises.

The KIX COVID-19 observatory collects, synthesizes, and mobilizes evidence about COVID-19 responses in primary and secondary education in 41 GPE member countries in Africa, pertaining to the operation of education systems and the well-being of learners. It also tracks emerging research, including the interventions being tested and evaluated, on these topics.

This brief has been developed with the intent to encourage and promote a culture of evidence sharing about policy- and practice-level education interventions in response the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as targeted recommendations.