Steering through storms: five recommendations for education leaders to close the learning gap in times of crisis

Education systems are under unprecedented strain as growing conflict, civil violence, climate fragility, population movements and the longterm impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic challenge their resilience and capacity to meet the needs of two billion children in the world. National education policymakers are, therefore, grappling with critical decisions on how to serve particularly the most marginalised learners. Accelerated Education Programmes (AEPs) have emerged as an important alternative education route for out-of-school children and youth (OOSCY) who have not been reached effectively by formal schools, and for displaced children and young people who have fallen behind while on the move. This High-Level Policy Guidance provides evidence-based actionable recommendations for education leaders who want to initiate AEPs, strengthen or expand existing AEPs or enhance the cohesion and oversight of diverse AEPs in their country. With insights from many countries, this Guidance provides a roadmap for policy actions, concrete policy examples and country case studies. Its lessons can be applied globally.