EDUCATION FOR ENTERPRISE AND EMPOWERMENT: THE IMPORTANCE OF COGNITIVE SKILLS FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS AND BETTER FUTURES STEPHEN BAYLEY 16 SEPTEMBER 2015

UNDERSTANDING COGNITIVE SKILLS Soft Catalytic 21 st Century Core Life Affective Cognitive Transferable ?

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY Adapted from Overbaugh and Schultz, n.d. Eval. Synthesis Analysis Application Comprehension Knowledge Original Version Creating Evaluating Analysing Applying Understanding Remembering New Version

THE VALUE OF COGNITIVE SKILLS Economic Social Innovation for sustainable enterprise and livelihoods Flexible workforces able to adapt to evolving conditions Identify commercial risks and understand client needs Empowerment for proactive participation Empathy for tolerance, inclusion and social cohesion Plan lives and mitigate personal risks

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY  Perspectives among agencies and NGOs in Kigali, Rwanda in 2012  Nine semi-structured interviews  Mix of participants – gender, nationality  Focused on basic education  Human capital framework

FINDINGS – INTERPLAY WITH QUALITY Learning Quality Cognitive Skill Development Curriculum Pedagogy Materials Learning Assessment

FINDINGS – RWANDAN ENABLERS Political Government dynamism, commitment and motivation to build human capital Establishment of the Rwanda Education Board to unify quality initiatives Rising profile of quality and creation of the Quality Implementation Working Group Political Government dynamism, commitment and motivation to build human capital Establishment of the Rwanda Education Board to unify quality initiatives Rising profile of quality and creation of the Quality Implementation Working Group Cultural Universal reach of Kinyarwanda as national language Cultural Universal reach of Kinyarwanda as national language Educational Stated preference for learner-centred teaching Increased availability of learning aids, including textbooks and ICT Educational Stated preference for learner-centred teaching Increased availability of learning aids, including textbooks and ICT

FINDINGS – DISABLERS Political Ambiguous nature of skills and uncertainty around their development in children Resource constraints: Human – technical capacity, turnover of staff, need for more diverse actors Financial – stretched system, competing priorities – preference for tangible investments, language of instruction change, twelve-year basic education Political Ambiguous nature of skills and uncertainty around their development in children Resource constraints: Human – technical capacity, turnover of staff, need for more diverse actors Financial – stretched system, competing priorities – preference for tangible investments, language of instruction change, twelve-year basic education Cultural Hierarchical society with a preference for conformity and uniformity Little encouragement for creativity, proactive problem solving or dissent Cultural Hierarchical society with a preference for conformity and uniformity Little encouragement for creativity, proactive problem solving or dissent Educational Limited global understanding around cognitive development in children Need for effective coordination – curriculum, teacher training, assessment Teaching constraints – low capacity/questionable skills, poor conditions, few incentives, over-reliance on teacher-centred methodologies, subject specialists Assessment practices – teaching to the test Educational Limited global understanding around cognitive development in children Need for effective coordination – curriculum, teacher training, assessment Teaching constraints – low capacity/questionable skills, poor conditions, few incentives, over-reliance on teacher-centred methodologies, subject specialists Assessment practices – teaching to the test

OPPORTUNITIES IN RWANDA TODAY © UNICEF Rwanda/2013/Mugabe

SO WHAT?  Cognitive skills warrant greater prominence in education policies and competency-based curricula  Their development should be nurtured in early schooling and not limited to secondary, tertiary or technical education  The demand for such skills will only increase given the need for job creation and exponential growth in global knowledge

WHERE NEXT? Research, understand and value cognitive skills Promote their importance to planners, policymakers and parents Review curricula, teacher training, assessment and early childhood education

THANK YOU

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