ESSA and the REAL Centre are excited to be attending the BAICE Conference this week at the University of Sussex.

On 4 September, Dr Pauline Essah, our Director of Research and Progammes will chair a creative session dubbed:

'The impacts and inequalities of donor-driven agendas on early learning research in Sub-Saharan Africa: an overlooked crisis?'

The session aims to provide a comprehensive examination of early learning research within the context of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), featuring two projects focusing on mapping Early Childhood Education and Foundational Learning research.

Sitting within the borderless theme, our discussions will demonstrate how current models of funding, collaboration, and data-sources create borders within early learning research production and dissemination. We will offer recommendations on how to overcome these barriers to enhance the visibility of research, particularly from SSA, and facilitate travel between research and policy.

Throughout this creative session, there will be interactive pauses allowing for free-flowing discussions between the presenters and the participants, as well as hands-on opportunities to explore the African Educational Research Database developed by the REAL Centre and Education Sub Saharan Africa.

The BAICE Conference 2024, organised by the British Association for International and Comparative Education (BAICE), aims to explore the impact of global crises on education systems.

This year, the conference will focus on how education can adapt and transform in response to these crises, including issues such as global conflicts, climate change, and displacement. It will encourage dialogue across various borders—whether disciplinary, theoretical, methodological, or geographical—challenging participants to rethink educational practices and policies in light of current global challenges.

We look forward to seeing you there!

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