|
|
Introduction
SPESSA is an interactive program allowing access to statistical data and information on the status of education systems in Africa.
History
The lack of availability of consistent and comprehensive information on the status of education in Africa has long been a constraint to informed dialogue and education reform strategies.
In 1994, the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) began to address this problem by sponsoring the compilation and dissemination of cross-country and country group comparative data sets. The data sets are updated and published every three years. Since 1994, three "Statistical Profiles of Education in Sub-saharan Africa" have been published.(1)
In 1995, ADEA went one step further. It sponsored the development of a Windows-based program (SPESSA) allowing the electronic dissemination of the data sets. SPESSA provides the user with access to the data (compiled by the ADEA from UNESCO and World Bank sources) in an interactive format. SPESSA was originally designed for ADEA by USAID's Africa Bureau.
Functionalities
SPESSA allows you to access, view and download information from a comprehensive dataset of indicators.
With SPESSA 99, you can:
- Access a dataset of over 80 indicators related to education in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Create eye-catching graphics comparing data across years and across countries in sub-Saharan Africa and African and world country groupings.
- Download and save the dataset into formats compatible with most word-processing and spreadsheet programs.
- Copy the data and graphics into other Windows and non-Windows applications using the Windows clipboard.
- Enter new or more correct data and modify your data set.
With SPESSA the user can choose countries in sub-Saharan Africa and/or country groups in sub-Saharan Africa and the world from a map or a list. (See Appendix III for a list of the countries and country groups.) The user can then select indicators, which are sorted into four groups: Country Information, Education Data, Education Indicators, and Education Finance (See Appendix I for a list of the indicators). The application processes the user's selections and presents them in graphic and spreadsheet formats. During the selection process, right-clicking on countries, country groups, indicator groups, and specific indicators gives the user further information on the selection, when available. The data and graphs can be printed or copied to the Windows Clipboard. This allows the user to transfer the data or the graph to a temporary storage space and paste it into another application. The data can also be exported to the windows clipboard and to into a variety of formats including Microsoft Excel and HTML.
Data Sources for SPESSA 99
The data in SPESSA provide information on the principal features of educational development for forty-eight countries in sub-Saharan Africa. They update to 1996 the data series first presented in the World Bank publication entitled Education in Sub-Saharan Africa: Policies for Adjustment, Revitalization, and Expansion (World Bank, 1988) and continued in Education in Sub-Saharan Africa: Updated Statistical Tables (World Bank, 1990). These new tables are the most comprehensive, including, where available, data on South Africa and Namibia. The indicators have been calculated from data supplied by the UNESCO Division of Statistics and by research files and country documentation gathered by the Institut de Recherche sur l'Economie de l'Education (IREDU) at the University of Burgundy in Dijon, France, supplemented by country documentation.
Note: Although considerable effort has been made to standardize the data, statistical methods, coverage, practices, and definitions differ from country to country. Moreover, weaknesses in developing countries' statistical systems limit the availability and reliability of the data. The indicators should, therefore, be used to characterize the trends and major differences between countries and country groups rather than to show precise quantitative measures of those trends and differences.
The User's Guide
For those unfamiliar with the Windows environment, this User's Guide includes a section explaining commonly-used "Windows Terms" (see Appendix I), a detailed "Getting Started" section, and a "Tutorial", all of which are highly recommended. Detailed information on each screen in the program, except the Introduction Screen, can be found in the "SPESSA Screens" section, which can be used as a reference as you move through the program.
|
