BE² June News: Teacher Shortages and Assessing the Strength of Evidence

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  • The UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning Strategic Debate #1 took take place on 5 May 2026 (2:30–4:00 pm Paris time, online). Framed around “Plan implementation: closing the policy–practice gap,” the session brought together global education stakeholders to explore how reforms can move beyond design to effective, sustained implementation. Watch here.
  • The global launch of “From Prospective to Prepared Teacher: A Global Study of Initial Teacher Education” report took place on 2 June 2026 as a virtual event co-hosted by the World Bank Group and the Center for Global Development. The session explored how initial teacher education shapes teaching quality and student learning.
  • The webinar “How to Implement, Monitor, and Evaluate Global Research Agendas” will take place on 16 June 2026 (15:00–16:00 CEST), hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO). The session will explore best practices and lessons learned from implementing and evaluating global research agendas, drawing on recent studies led by the University of Antioquia and University College London. Discussions will focus on research prioritization, evidence-informed policy-making, implementation research, and strategies to strengthen the use of evidence in health and social sectors. Register here.
  • The webinar “Innovative Teaching Methods to Improve Literacy in Emergencies” will take place on 26 June 2026, hosted by CODE in partnership with INEE. The session will explore locally led research on literacy and teaching practices in emergency settings across Kenya, Nigeria, and Ghana, highlighting approaches such as “translanguaging”, phonological awareness instruction, and community-driven education in crisis contexts. Register here.
  • The 11th International Conference on Research in Education, Teaching and Learning (ICETL 2026) will take place on 9 – 11 July 2026 in Helsinki, Finland. The conference will bring together academics, researchers, and education professionals to discuss teaching and learning in the digital age, with a particular focus on AI and emerging technologies in education. Register here.
  • The Africa Foundational Learning Exchange 2026 (FLEX 2026) conference will take place from 15 – 17 July 2026 in Lilongwe, Malawi. The conference will bring together policymakers and global partners to advance foundational learning at scale, with a focus on sharing evidence-based approaches and strengthening delivery for teachers and learners. Register here.
  • The What Works Hub for Global Education Biennial Conference will take place on 15 – 16 September 2026 at the Blavatnik School of Government, Oxford, UK. Bringing together over 200 decision-makers across government, donors, research, and civil society, the conference will provide a platform to exchange research, policy, and practice on improving foundational learning globally. Register your interest here.

Useful resources

Blogs

  • Advancing pluralism through education – A UNESCO GEM Report blog explores how education systems can foster inclusion, belonging, and reciprocal recognition across diverse societies. The piece highlights the importance of pluralistic leadership and inclusive learning environments in building more just societies.
  • Governments are solving the learning challenge: Here is what we are learning from them – A Global Partnership for Education blog highlights how governments in countries including India, South Africa, Senegal, and Morocco are improving foundational learning through sustained reforms, structured pedagogy, teacher support, and data-driven approaches.
  • Large classes are a reality: What can be done? – A World Bank blog explores how education systems are responding to overcrowded classrooms through strategies such as double-shift schooling, teacher support, community engagement, and interactive teaching approaches. Drawing on examples from Pakistan and other countries, the piece highlights both practical responses and the need for long-term investment in education systems and teacher development.
  • Localising education responses in crises: moving beyond buzzwords to shifting power – A blog from the ERICC Consortium and ODI Global explores how education responses in crisis settings can better support locally led initiatives and community-driven action. Drawing on research across multiple conflict-affected contexts, the piece highlights the importance of shifting decision-making power, strengthening local accountability, and supporting community-based education systems.
  • Navigating the Balance: Trends and Challenges in Education Financing in East Africa – A new blog from the Inter-agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE) examines the pressures facing education financing across East Africa, including debt, austerity, limited domestic revenue, and inequitable budget allocation. The piece highlights the importance of sustainable financing, gender-responsive budgeting, and stronger investment in inclusive education systems to support long-term educational progress.
  • Doing Better with Less: How Philanthropy Can Make Smarter, Evidence-Informed Investment Choices – A discussion convened by Building Evidence in Education (BE2) and the Zenex Foundation explored how philanthropy can make smarter, evidence-informed investment choices in contexts of constrained resources. The conversation highlighted the importance of cost-effectiveness, implementation, system-level change, and responsible AI in supporting evidence use and decision-making.

Other Resources

  • Education Aid Cuts: A Broken Promise to Children – UNICEF – The brief highlights the projected global decline in education aid and its impact on children’s access to quality education, particularly in humanitarian and low-income contexts. It warns that funding cuts could push millions more children out of school, weaken education systems, and reverse progress in areas such as girls’ education, school feeding, and education in emergencies, while calling for stronger and more equitable investment in education.
  • Global education monitoring report 2026: access and equity, countdown to 2030 – Global Education Monitoring Report (GEM Report) – The report examines global progress towards SDG 4 as the 2030 deadline approaches, focusing on access and equity in education. It highlights country progress since 2000, including efforts to expand participation from pre-primary to post-secondary education and reduce disparities by sex, location, wealth, and disability. The report also explores the policies, financing decisions, and long-term commitments that have helped sustain equitable education progress at scale.
  • Higher Education Global Trends Report: Towards Inclusive, Equitable and Quality Higher Education in an Internationally Mobile Landscape – UNESCO International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNESCO IESALC) – The report examines global trends in higher education, focusing on access, equity, governance, financing, digital transformation, AI, and student mobility, while highlighting the need for more inclusive and resilient higher education systems worldwide.
  • The Shift Impact Report 2025/26 – Education Outcomes Fund (EOF) – The report highlights how outcomes-based financing is being used to improve education and employment systems by linking funding to measurable results such as learning gains and youth employment. Through partnerships with governments, donors, investors, and delivery organisations, EOF outlines its work across countries including Sierra Leone, South Africa, Rwanda, Nigeria, and Tunisia, emphasizing accountability, evidence-based decision-making, and systems change in education financing.