An over-ambitious and over-crowded curriculum, insufficient training and support for teachers and head teachers, and unrealistic expectations of poorly resourced schools, means that in many countries there is a gulf between the intentions of the curriculum and what is actually delivered.
We have found that often countries have little means of assessing the effectiveness of their curriculum. National examinations are generally poor indicators of the learning that schools are intended to nurture. Exam performance can be influenced by diverse factors, including students’ socioeconomic backgrounds, teaching to the exam and cheating. National Learning Assessments often do not exist or are not rigorous enough or are not well aligned to the curriculum.
We help modify curriculum development activities to meet the realities of the classroom. We also design and introduce learning assessments to help governments understand problems with the way the curriculum is taught.
