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"One cannot speak of quality education in the absence of rigorous and efficient management of statistical data, A GOOD PILOTING" said Mr Yahouza Ibrahim, Secretary General of the Ministry of Primary Education, Literacy, National Language Promotion and Civic Education of Niger.

The production of reliable statistical data remains a priority for the Government of Niger in monitoring and evaluating performance in the implementation of the Education and Training Sector Programme 2014-2021.

In this sense, the Directorate of Statistics of the Ministry of Primary Education, Literacy, National Language Promotion and Civic Education (MEP/A/PLN/EC) produces a statistical yearbook each year which compiles the information collected from each preschool and primary school (basic cycle 1). However, this yearbook does not provide all the data needed for the MEP/A/PLN/EC since it includes little data on literacy and non-formal education. Moreover, the data is collected at a time of the year that is out of step with the statistical period covered by the yearbook. The organization of simultaneous data collection for formal and non-formal education is therefore necessary to produce a single annual statistical yearbook for the sub-sector.

To this end, UNESCO's Capacity Development for Education (CapED) Programme in Niger supported the MEP/A/PLN/EC to harmonize data collection for formal education (pre-school and primary levels), literacy and non-formal education and to reconfigure the data entry platform. Twenty-two managers from the regional and central levels of the Directorate of Statistics and the Directorate General of Literacy and Non-Formal Education were also trained in the use of the updated platform and in data processing under the same programme funded by Sweden, Finland and Norway. 358 heads of educational sectors and 206 inspection statisticians were then trained on techniques for completing questionnaires and checking the consistency of data before sending it back to the Directorate of Statistics.

This CapED support makes it possible not only to collect relevant statistical data on the sub-sector as a whole but also to strengthen the capacities of the actors involved in conducting the process.

The desire to fully involve all stakeholders in this process aims to deconcentrate control over the statistical information, data collection and processing system in order to make it sustainable.

URL:

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/media-services/single-view/news/strengthening_data_management_for_quality_education_in_niger/