Central Data Catalog

Beekunko, also called Évaluation des Apprentissages Scolaires par la Société Civile au Mali, is a large citizen led, household based assessment aiming at providing reliable estimates on the learning levels of children aged 6 to 14 years in Mali.

Beekunko was first administered with a pilot in 2011, and was then administered in 2012 and 2013. The assessment was designed to target all regions of the country. However, in 2013, only five out of the eight regions of Mali were targeted (Kayes, Koulikoro, Sikasso, Ségou, Mopti) in addition to the district of Bamako. Three northern regions were left out of the sample due to security reasons, and the region of Mopti was only partially covered.

Beekunko is inspired by a citizen-led initiative which started in India in 2005, and expanded to few African countries over the past years. While the Œuvre Malienne d'Aide à l'Enfance du Sahel (OMAES) coordinates the initiative, it also involves civil society members such as local organizations, focal points and volunteers. Volunteers administers the test in the households and provide immediate feedback on the results to children, parents and village or district authorities. Citizens participation allows creating a culture of learning measurement and use of data for planning and policy-making at different levels. Beekunko aims at encourageing community awareness on education issues and engaging more actors in addressing education challenges in Mali. For this reason, the initiative was named Beekunko, which means "the concern of everyone."

The instrument is administered orally only. Two different booklets have been developed for each test. The tests are based on grade 1 and grade 2 curriculum.

Beekunko's main purposes are:

- To develop and promote a simple assessment method of reading and arithmetic skills for 6 to 14 years old

- To collect data on factors which influence learning

- To disseminate understandable information on skills levels to parents, government and the public

- To trigger public debates on assessment results

- To encourage the dialogue between citizens and authorities to improve learning and education quality

Random sample

Data is disaggregated by sex, age groups, geographic location (urban and rural), and socio-economic status of the household.

Results are disseminated through a report available online. Volunteers also provide immediate feedback on results to the child and his parents, with recommendations for more effective learning. OMAES arranges different dissemination activities such as feedback community meetings with village councils, school principals, parents associations, head of households and other local organizations. Restitution workshops are also organised at sub-national and national levels, with regional and national authorities, teachers unions, development partners and other civil society stakeholders.