Innovative Pedagogies Project: First policy dialogue launches to help make Rwanda’s education inclusive, engaging, and adaptive

KIGALI (July 20, 2022) – As part of the Innovative Pedagogies Project (IPP), key education decision-makers and stakeholders came together on July 5-6 for a first policy dialogue at Nobleza Hotel in Kicukir to assess the use of inclusive, engaging, adaptive, and playful ways of teaching across Rwanda, identify bright spots, and discuss barriers to inform the creation of a high-level action and engagement plan. 

Organized by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with The Wellspring Foundation for Education and A Partner in Education, with support from the Education Commission and funding from the LEGO Foundation, the dialogue is the first in a series of IPP events which aim to create greater awareness, political will, and action towards developing a breadth of skills and adopting adaptive, interactive, engaging, and playful pedagogies.

Many children are not learning because the teaching they receive is not engaging or aligned to their needs. With the education disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, this situation is worsening. As children return to school, intentional action is urgently needed to systematically measure student’s learning and provide “teaching at the right level. Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, instruction should be adapted to each student’s developmental needs. Teachers can respond to learners’ distinct learning needs by focusing on providing information to them in multiple ways.

Learning should also be engaging and fun. Play has been recognized as an important way for children to learn because play is natural and can improve intellectual, social, emotional, and physical development. For inclusive, engaging, adaptive, and playful pedagogies to succeed, multiple levels of the education system need to support and embrace them. Given policy changes do not always equate to transformed pedagogies at the classroom level, changes must take place at the classroom, school, and systems level.

The Education Commission has partnered with the government and country partners in Kenya, Ghana, and Rwanda to co-create an action plan to raise awareness and foster political will to adopt inclusive, engaging, and adaptive pedagogies within education systems and global organizations. Lessons will be shared between countries, and the project aims to sow the seeds to support lasting action to improve students’ breadth of skills and the use of inclusive, engaging, adaptive, and playful pedagogies in Rwanda and beyond.

Available for interview: 

INTERVIEWEE	ROLE ON THE PROJECT
Dr. Sam Awuku	IPP Project Lead; Education Commission
Libby Karangwa-Miles	Country Director, The Wellspring Foundation
Amy Barnecutt	CEO, A Partner In Education

******************************************************************************************************

About the Education Commission

Chaired by UN Special Envoy for Global Education and former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the Education Commission is a major global initiative engaging world leaders, policymakers, and researchers to develop a renewed and compelling investment case and financing pathway for achieving equal educational opportunity for children and young people. 

Read our impact report: The Education Commission: Creating a Learning Generation | Our Journey, Our Impact 2016-2021

For media enquiries, contact: media_requests@educationcommission.org

###