Crises and the COVID-19 pandemic: education responses and choices during times of disruptions to the pandemic in the midst of existing global crises and disruptions. The assumption is that when crises interlock, their effects are amplified because the context is already found to be weak and vulnerable. This report thus maps these global responses, with a particular focus on the effects on equity and equality.
2. Structure of report Using COVID-19 as an exemplar, this report aims to map the manner in which various interlocking crises manifest themselves globally. Crises have been tightly woven into the fabric of society and in some cases even define the social, political and economic dynamics of a region. Crises have been part of society since the beginning of time, with seemingly little change in this modern context. But what has changed is the manner in which society has dealt with the blows afflicted by these crises, particularly in contexts where multiple crises interlock and dovetail into stark social and economic realities. This report is divided into three parts. The first part provides a synthesis of the global response to COVID-19 based on a documentary review. The second part focuses on the eight selected countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), drawing on document and interview data. The country selection includes Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Mali, Mozambique, South Africa and Uganda. The third part synthesises the findings of the global as well as country specific insights. Part A (Point I) provides a conceptual orientation of crises by defining the concept and noting how crises manifest in a modern context. It then discusses the global responses to education more generically to map the common, and in some cases, varying policy responses to education instituted globally in this current crisis. This is followed by a synthesis of the policy responses by region, including Europe and North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, East Asia and the Pacific, South Asia, and the Arab states. Part B (Point II) reviews the selected countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) noted above, focusing on their policy response to education. Part C (Point III) synthesises the findings revealed in Part A and Part B. This synthesis is discussed in relation to several macro themes, including global effects on equity and equality; teacher development and support; the future of high stakes testing; and educational resilience and 13
