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The acronym for the World Bank’s Systems Approach for Better Education Results (SABER) suggests two meanings. The first, based on a pronunciation with a short “a” sound and stress on the second syllable, calls to mind the Spanish term meaning knowledge (or to know). The second, based on a pronunciation of a long “a” sound and a stress on the first syllable, conjures up the idea of a type of sword or weapon. While we acknowledge that the many documents and other resources produced by SABER constitute a knowledge source,...
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If you are passing through Glasnevin Cemetery on the outskirts of Dublin City Centre, you may come across the noticeable yet simple gravestone of James Larkin. Engraved on it is ‘James Larkin 1876-1947, The Labour Leader’. Larkin’s Gravestone may be simple but the legacy he left behind is much more profound.
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One of the most consequential debates and decisions of our 8th World Congress was on professional teaching standards. Congress passed a resolution supporting the implementation of a joint EI/UNESCO framework on the development of professional teaching standards where it is clear that teachers’ unions must be at the centre of the process. As many of our members pointed out, this is not just important for educators; it is essential for our students and their learning outcomes.
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Being elected General Secretary of EI is a great honour. It is a challenge to live up to the confidence that has been given by the representatives of education workers from all regions of the world. It is also comforting to join that small team of talented leaders elected on the first day of our Congress.
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This blog post presents two major critiques of the SABER-Teachers domain: The World Bank’s inconsistent use of empirical evidence in order to promote policies that reflect its ideological biases related to teachers and the teaching profession, and the way the SABER-Teachers domain framework paper serves to de-professionalize tea...
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On 17 October, the World Bank announced a new global target for education aimed at reducing ‘learning poverty’ - the percentage of children who are unable to read by the age of 10 – in half by 2030. The World Bank’s initiative is a step in the wrong direction, and risks impoverishing the same children it aims to extricate from...
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As part of the blog series critiquing the World Bank’s Systems Approach for Better Education Results (SABER) initiative, I examine some of the more problematic aspects of the Bank’s claims that 1) they are representing a consensus on engagement of the private sector and 2) that they are not pursuing an ideological agenda regardi...
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SABER School Autonomy & Accountability argues that a closed loop model of autonomy, assessment, and accountability will lead to better education outcomes. This blog post critiques some of the central assumptions behind this model and argues for alternative ways to view accountability.
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