The Legon Centre for Education Research and Policy (LECERP) has trained a team of qualitative researchers to support the Formative Assessment Phase of the Africa Regional Education System Resilience Observatory (ARESRO) project. The training, held on 16th October, 2025 at the University of Ghana, brought together experienced enumerators who will engage key education stakeholders across the country.
The capacity-building session forms part of wider efforts to generate evidence on how education actors across Africa understand and experience education system resilience. The ARESRO project is jointly implemented by LECERP and the Resilient African Network (RAN) at Makerere University in Uganda, with funding from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) under the GPE-KIX programme.
Opening the training, Dr. Frank Otchere, Co-Principal Investigator of the project, emphasised the significance of the initiative and its potential contribution to strengthening education systems on the continent. He explained that the project seeks to uncover how stakeholders conceptualise and practise resilience in the face of multiple threats, ranging from climate-related events such as floods and heatwaves to epidemics, pandemics, and localised community challenges that affect school attendance, enrolment, and learning outcomes.
“Some of these shocks are visible and make the news headlines, while others are silent but have equally profound effects on education systems,” Dr. Otchere said. “Through this project, we hope to better understand these threats and identify ways to mitigate them, so that our education systems can continue to function seamlessly, even in times of crisis.”
He further reminded the enumerators of the need to uphold high ethical standards and accuracy throughout the fieldwork. “This is a very important exercise that will have lasting effects on education policies, if not for us directly, then for our children and grandchildren. Let’s approach it with the seriousness it deserves,” he added.
Addressing participants, Dr. Joyce Anku, Co-Investigator, reiterated the importance of strict adherence to ethical protocols during data collection. She stressed the need to ensure anonymity and confidentiality, to keep participants fully engaged and to remain attentive to cultural nuances and language translation challenges that may affect interpretation of the data.
The hybrid training featured role plays and practical exercises, enabling enumerators to apply research tools and ethical principles in simulated field scenarios. These interactive components helped deepen understanding and boost participants’ confidence ahead of the fieldwork.
Data will be collected from key education stakeholders, including the Ministry of Education, Ghana Education Service, UNESCO, UNICEF, ActionAid, NADMO, the Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC), the Red Cross Society, World Vision International, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and Plan International. Field activities will take place in the Kwahu Afram Plains South District, Ada East District, Bawku Municipal District and Keta Municipal District.
As the project enters the formative assessment phase, the insights derived from interviews and focus group discussions are expected to provide valuable evidence to guide policy decisions and strengthen education system resilience across Africa. LECERP and its partners remain committed to contributing to sustainable solutions that safeguard learning in the face of emerging and persistent challenges.