New concept note launched for consultation on the 2027 GEM Report on learning and quality  

Is there a learning crisis and where? Why is there so little data on learning outcomes? How can we address the slide in learning outcomes in some countries? What does quality in education look like and how can it be assured?  

These are among the questions featuring in the concept note of the 2027 GEM Report on learning and quality launched today. This is the second in the Countdown to 2030 series. It follows the 2026 GEM Report that took stock of education progress in access and equity, and will be followed by the 2028 GEM Report on the relevance of education. Together, these three editions will assess how education systems open doors, nurture knowledge and prepare learners for a world full of uncertainties – and thus help frame the debate on the post‑2030 education agenda. 

The consultation on the 2027 GEM Report concept note, now active, will help the GEM Report team, as it prepares to answer the following four questions: 

• Among countries that started from similar indicator levels, which countries have improved faster (and more equitably) in terms of quality inputs and learning outcomes? 

• Among countries that have improved quickly, what two or three factors stand out as key to explaining the observed trends? 

• What policies does research identify as having played a key role for improving learning and reducing disparity in the long term – and how do they relate to factors put forward in country analyses?  

• What are the implications of the statistical, country case study and policy analyses for a forward-looking education agenda?  

The report will have a similar structure to the 2026 edition. It will include: 

• A framework of the concept of quality, accompanied by national definitions of education quality, as proposed in policy documents.  

• A section focusing on learning outcomes looking at: 

• • • Global trends in focus SDG 4 indicators – the minimum proficiency level in reading and mathematics, digital skills and adult literacy – and key issues for improving monitoring.  

• Country case studies in focus indicators. 

• A section focusing on quality inputs and processes looking at: 

• • Global trends in focus indicators – school infrastructure, trained teachers and public expenditure – and key issues for improving monitoring. 

• • Country case studies in focus indicators. 

• • Policy analysis building on case studies, literature reviews, and national policy reviews hosted on the PEER website, with a particular focus on: teacher policies (on status, development, career, working conditions and voice) and quality assurance mechanisms (from the pre-primary to the post-secondary education levels). 

• Conclusions and recommendations regarding monitoring (e.g. scope for improving measurement) and policy (e.g. policy principles that have helped countries improve). 

• A brief overview of progress across all SDG 4 targets will represent a condensed version of the monitoring section of the report. 

In order to give more space to particular topics relevant to specific contexts, three regional editions are envisaged on:  

• Language of instruction in Africa, as the fifth edition of the Spotlight series  

• Teacher shortage in the Pacific 

• Rural schools in Southeastern Asia 

As the GEM Report team plans the research into this report, it is also seeking partnerships that can be constructed around it, be they for evidence, advocacy or more. Your thoughts and reactions via our online consultation are welcome about how we can approach this report so that it can drive progress to 2030, and help feed into discussions about a future education agenda.  

 

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