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Adaptive Implementation From Policy To Practice In Education Reform

Leo Migdal
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adaptive implementation from policy to practice in education reform

For decades, governments around the world have launched ambitious education reforms. Since the 1970s, over 30,000 reforms have been launched globally, aiming to expand access, improve teaching quality, and boost learning outcomes. Platforms such as IIEP-UNESCO’s Planipolis, which alone hosts over one thousand education sector plans from 173 countries dating back to 1997, and the Latin American observatory SITEAL, which compiles more than 400 plans from... Yet despite these efforts, progress has often fallen short. While enrollment and completion rates have increased, gains in literacy, numeracy, and equity have remained modest. According to UNESCO’s 2025 SDG4 Scorecard, 80% of UN Member States are not on track to meet their national targets for minimum reading proficiency by the end of primary school, or lack the data...

One key reason is the implementation gap: the disconnect between a policy’s intentions and what actually happens in practice. Reforms may look convincing on paper but fail to materialize in schools and classrooms. This persistent policy–practice gap has been increasingly recognized as a central barrier to improving education system performance. IIEP’s research shows that when plans are not implemented effectively, credibility is lost and the opportunity for change disappears. Field experiences from initiatives such as PAPIC (in eight African countries) and PAPESI (in Madagascar) highlight that implementation is more effective when approaches are flexible, context-sensitive, and grounded in national institutional and political realities. This is hardly surprising.

Education systems are inherently complex, shaped by multiple actors, diverse capacities, evolving institutions, and shifting political, economic, and sociocultural contexts. Even when the policy design is technically sound, system-wide impact is often constrained by political instability, weak coordination, or fragile governance structures. Even the most robust policy will falter if this complexity is not accounted for from the outset. IIEP-UNESCO Director Martín Benavides, Graciela Pérez, and Beatriz Pont reflect on the gap between policy and practice, stressing that education systems must put implementation at the heart of reform. Read more On the sidelines of COP30, discover milestones from the Climate Smart Education Systems Initiative (CSESI), funded by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE).

And don't miss our upcoming webinar on bridging climate and educational planning. Climate & education: spotlight on Malawi. Read more Climate & education: spotlight on Cambodia. Read more Declining births and challenges for educational planning in Latin America.

Read more ) Yet despite these efforts, progress has often fallen short. While enrollment and completion rates have increased, gains in literacy, numeracy, and equity have remained modest. According to UNESCO's 2025 SDG4 Scorecard, 80% of UN Member States are not on track to meet their national targets for minimum reading... read full story Answer for your question of the article will be displayed here ...

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For Decades, Governments Around The World Have Launched Ambitious Education

For decades, governments around the world have launched ambitious education reforms. Since the 1970s, over 30,000 reforms have been launched globally, aiming to expand access, improve teaching quality, and boost learning outcomes. Platforms such as IIEP-UNESCO’s Planipolis, which alone hosts over one thousand education sector plans from 173 countries dating back to 1997, and the Latin American obs...

One Key Reason Is The Implementation Gap: The Disconnect Between

One key reason is the implementation gap: the disconnect between a policy’s intentions and what actually happens in practice. Reforms may look convincing on paper but fail to materialize in schools and classrooms. This persistent policy–practice gap has been increasingly recognized as a central barrier to improving education system performance. IIEP’s research shows that when plans are not impleme...

Education Systems Are Inherently Complex, Shaped By Multiple Actors, Diverse

Education systems are inherently complex, shaped by multiple actors, diverse capacities, evolving institutions, and shifting political, economic, and sociocultural contexts. Even when the policy design is technically sound, system-wide impact is often constrained by political instability, weak coordination, or fragile governance structures. Even the most robust policy will falter if this complexit...

And Don't Miss Our Upcoming Webinar On Bridging Climate And

And don't miss our upcoming webinar on bridging climate and educational planning. Climate & education: spotlight on Malawi. Read more Climate & education: spotlight on Cambodia. Read more Declining births and challenges for educational planning in Latin America.

Read More ) Yet Despite These Efforts, Progress Has Often

Read more ) Yet despite these efforts, progress has often fallen short. While enrollment and completion rates have increased, gains in literacy, numeracy, and equity have remained modest. According to UNESCO's 2025 SDG4 Scorecard, 80% of UN Member States are not on track to meet their national targets for minimum reading... read full story Answer for your question of the article will be displayed ...