Working Group on Education Statistics

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The WGES Web site: http://nesis.intoweb.co.za/en/

Education statistics have long been neglected in many sub-Saharan African countries. As the story goes, a frustrated education minister once said, “What good are statistics? We need schools and books!” “Yes, of course,” replied an educational planner. “But how many?”

While demand for information and education statistics has increased in sub-Saharan Africa, investments in building information management capacity have not grown correspondingly. In many countries experiencing economic recession, education sector staff and budgets have been cut and serious bottlenecks exist all along the respective phases of information processing. These problems range from non standardized school records and error-prone data collection and processing methods to the lack of analytical reports making full use of the information collected.

What is the Working Group on Education Statistics?

The Working Group on Education Statistics (WGES) was formed in 1989 in response to the growing awareness among African policy-makers that well-managed and responsive statistical information services are essential to viable policy formulation and efficient investments in education.

What are the objectives of the Working Group?

The Working Group’s main objective is to help develop sustainable institutional capacity in sub-Saharan African countries for steering, implementation, maintenance and self-regeneration of effective education statistical information services. WGES thus aims at developing both the technical and human resources aspects of national education statistical information systems.

The WGES program has three main components:

• Development of modules for effective technical assistance, training and national implementation (NESIS).
• Forum for exchange of experiences and innovations
• Clearing-house services for inter-agency cooperation and coordination, and for facilitating network building among experts working with education statistics in Africa.

The NESIS program

The National Education Statistical Information Systems (NESIS) program is the principal component of the WGES. Initiated in 1991, NESIS is a capacity building program advised and co-financed by WGES members. It aims to develop the tools necessary to obtain the reliable facts and figures on which effective policy formulation and education management are based. Its principal objective is to develop sustainable national information systems that meet users’ needs.

At the national level, NESIS aims to reinforce factors for producing statistical information-manpower and skills, administrative organization, procedures and task management, materials, facilities and logistical support and funding.

As regards the phases of information processing, NESIS seeks to improve school records management, data collection and reporting, database management, data processing and retrieval, statistical analysis, planning and management applications and information dissemination. Based on pilot experiences in African countries, NESIS has published a series of technical modules that cover these questions. Future goals include supporting organizational development and management of information systems and development of information products and services.

Through its working principles of African involvement, ownership and intra-regional cooperation, NESIS has launched innovative modes of development cooperation.

Of the African countries in the NESIS program, 21 countries have conducted diagnostic surveys and finalized national action plans. Fifteen countries have hosted pilot projects or tested initial products. Currently over 40 African countries are -members.

The program is now focused on skill transfer delivery systems by converting the modules into training packages and setting up training programs open to all to introduce the skills at the country level. The development of capacity is steered by cross-national technical working groups, which are being elected and formed in the respective priority areas and sub-regions. NESIS is also building up forum and clearing house services and creating ‘NESIS-NET’-an African network of experts and -professionals.

Click here for the Working Group Publications

How to contact the Working Group

Working Group Leader
Ms. Marjan KROON
Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs DCO/OO/BE
Bezuidenhoutseweg 67
P.O. Box 20061
2500 EB,The Hague, THE NETHERLANDS
Tel: +31 70 348 6691
Fax: +31 70 348 6436
E-mail: marjan.kroon@minbuza.nl

Working Group Coordinator
Ms Angela ARNOTT
WGES/NESIS Coordinator
UNESCO Harare Office
8 Kenilworth Road,
Highlands Harare
Zimbabwe
Tel: +263-4 776 775-9
Fax: +263-4 776 055
Email: a.arnott@unesco.org ; aarnott2004@yahoo.com
Web: http://nesis.intoweb.co.za/en/