Over the past decade, the major focus of the global education community has been on increasing school enrollment. Universal schooling is a goal that is accepted by global bodies, national governments and local communities. Now, the critical question facing us is: Are Children Learning?

To answer this question, an innovative approach to learning assessment has been implemented in several Asian and African countries. Using basic reading and arithmetic tasks, these countries have begun to assess for themselves what their children are able to do. The model began in India in 2005 and has been adapted for use in Pakistan (since 2008), Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda (2009), Mali (2011) and Senegal (2012).In India and Pakistan, the exercise is called ASER (which means “impact”), in East Africa it is called Uwezo (which means “capability”). The Mali effort has been named “Beekungo” (meaning “we are in it together”) and in Senegal it is called Jangandoo (meaning “learn together”).

Acronym (JUBA-standing for Jangandoo, Uwezo, Beekungo and ASER) is a unique South-South Initiative….a true reflection of an extraordinary happening and teaming up of 7 countries for learning and impact…..covering 1.6 billion people worldwide….influencing Post 2015 discussions; diagnosing & designing for action; expanding to Mexico & other parts of South Asia.

Unlike other large-scale learning assessments, this approach is led by citizen groups and has emerged from the global South. Interestingly, these initiatives are independent; there is no international coordinating body. They have evolved organically and the groups have come together voluntarily. The model was transplanted from one country to another and adapted to suit each country's context.

The assessments use rigorous sampling methodologies and generate representative samples of children at national and sub-national levels. The tools are designed to be simple so that parents, teachers, schools, communities and ordinary people understand the findings and can conduct the assessment themselves. Together, these efforts provide large-scale, annual, easily understandable indicators of children's ability to read simple text and do basic arithmetic operations.

The Annual Status of Education Report was pioneered in 2005 in India by a non-governmental organization Pratham to assess the quality of education in the country. After the successful initial year, the ASER survey continues to bring important data on various educational indicators on annual basis, and has inspired ASER initiatives in other countries like Pakistan, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and others.
For more information visit http://www.asercentre.org/index.php 

Uwezo in East Africa – Uwezo is an ASER like initiative in three east African countries: Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. With support of Pratham, ASER pilot study was conducted in 2009 and the collaboration has continued the following years of 2010 and 2011.
For more information visit http://uwezo.net/

ASER also inspired initiatives in West Africa: Beekungo is an initiative that started in Mali in 2011. Similarly Jángandoo is an ASER like initiative that piloted in Senegal in 2012.
For more information visit http://omaes.org & http://lartes-ifan.gouv.sn