Enhancing Education through Knowledge Sharing and Innovation in Guinea

Enhancing Education through Knowledge Sharing and Innovation in Guinea

In Guinea, the fruits of scientific and cultural research struggle to find their way into classrooms due to a lack of proximity between researchers and education practitioners. Despite the potential benefits of research outcomes for teaching and learning, a disconnect persists between the two groups. However, a new initiative aims to address this challenge.

Launching the Knowledge Sharing and Innovation Program (KIX)

Under the coordination of the Ministry of Pre-University Education and Literacy, the launch of the Knowledge Sharing and Innovation (KIX) program took place in Conakry. Dr. Julien Bongono, Secretary of the Ministry, presided over the event, which brought together various stakeholders in the education sector, including decentralized departmental structures, the education union, civil society, and technical and financial partners.

KIX is a program financed by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and implemented by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). It involves 68 low-income or middle-income countries that are GPE members, aiming to address common strategic challenges, facilitate knowledge sharing, and accumulate evidence-based data. Four regional centers have been established: KIX EAP, KIX ALC, KIX Africa 19, and KIX Africa 21. The launch event aims to inform education system actors and partners about the program’s implementation in Guinea. Specifically, it aims to introduce the KIX program to education buyers and partners, gather feedback from stakeholders for a successful program implementation, and produce a launch program report.

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At the start of his remarks, Fassou Balla Condé, the project focal point, emphasized that this program would bring researchers closer to education practitioners.

“We have a lot of research elements in our country that are not utilized effectively. Researchers are on one side, and education practitioners are on the other. Initiatives like this will be important to bring them together so that the tangible results of research can be used for the development of teaching and learning in our classrooms,” he explained.

He promised that they would proceed to the data collection phase in Guinea and raise awareness among researchers to encourage their interest in education domains, ultimately contributing to the enhancement of Guinean education.

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Speaking via video conference, the regional coordinator of the KIX program, Madam Maimouna Cissoko Touré, highlighted the significance of KIX Africa 19, which organized a major continental symposium on education and research in October 2022. Guinea’s participation in this event will not only strengthen the capacities of national coordination teams regarding the automation of research findings in education but also establish a genuine network in this sector.

“This year, we are organizing the second edition of the symposium, specifically from October 3rd to 5th, 2023. This year’s theme is focused on data production and analysis for a more resilient, inclusive, and high-performing education system in Sub-Saharan Africa,” she stated.

According to the regional coordinator of KIX, the symposium aims to provide researchers, practitioners, and policymakers with the opportunity to share the results of their respective work, promote learning and dialogue among them, and explore ways to use data to improve academic outcomes and advocate evidence-based policies at the national level.

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Launching the program, Dr. Julien Bongono, Secretary-General of the Ministry, highlighted the challenges faced in teaching and learning. He commended the Guinean government’s involvement in KIX, a program that facilitates knowledge sharing and innovation and is financed by the Global Partnership for Education. He also outlined four thematic areas: initial and continuous teacher training, equity and inclusion, quality of teaching and learning in bilingual and multilingual settings, and quality literacy.

“I strongly hope that the KIX Africa 21 program in Guinea will be an opportune occasion to dust off the diverse knowledge and innovations produced by Guinean researchers to serve our teaching and learning, a sure guarantee of social success,” Dr. Bongono concluded.