Systemic Change

A systemic perspective enables us to understand the interconnections between the various aspects that are responsible for making education work for all.

The long road to equity

Till almost the last decade, bringing children to school was the focus in facilitating equitable change through education. However, as more and more children are attending schools without learning, growing concerns are being raised about the present nature of schooling itself.

As a society, there is an increasing momentum to revisit the very assumption of what a school means or does to a society and the nature of learning processes that goes into making such a school.

The mission has now shifted its gears towards ensuring that all children attain learning goals that will lead to their real empowerment. To realize this, a deeper analysis of the education system is needed which lays bare the root cause that currently restrains children from learning in schools.

A systemic perspective enables us to understand the interconnections between the various parts that are responsible for making education work for all.

What gets assessed, gets addressed

Malfunctioning in the different parts of the education system have been highlighted such as rote based curriculum, demotivated teachers, poor infrastructure, lack of engagement from parents, in effective school leadership.

Systemic perspective generates a need to identify amongst the parts, a lever which influences the movement of different parts within the system.

IEC in understanding the education system from a systemic lens identifies assessments as the key lever that can influence what really gets taught in the classroom.

Since learning achievement continues to be measured through end year exams, the stakeholders of the system i.e. the teachers, parents, children and administrators continue practices that will help them succeed within the existing system of education.

IEC works on three key areas of impact that, together, aim at strategically altering the system and enabling its eventual transformation.

Strategic areas of impact

IEC is implementing its flagship program “Quality Learning Initiative” in more than 20000 primary rural government schools across 8 states of India focusing on:

Peer-led Teacher Professional Learning Communities
Cluster based academic meetings are initiated to create a reflective space for teachers to share their practices and challenges every month and bring changes in their learning and assessment practices based on self-identified needs.

Redefining Assessment Practices
Focus is on revisiting the purpose of assessment towards enabling every child to learn at her own pace. Teachers are supported in initiating formative assessment practices with the goal of using learning data to plan for every child based on their current learning levels.

Decentralisation of Education
Stakeholder ownership of schools becomes real, when the larger community, SMC members, parents, teachers and Panchayat members come together to dialogue and share a collective vision for education.