Global Catholic Education Report 2020 Quentin Wodon Achievements June 2020 and Challenges at a Time of Crisis Global Catholic Education Report 2020 Abstract Disclaimer Catholic schools serve 62.2 million This report was written by the students globally at the preschool, author in a personal and volunteer primary, and secondary levels. As the capacity, and not as part of his largest non-governmental school employment with the World Bank. The network in the world, the schools author is a Lead Economist with the play an important role in efforts to World Bank and, as part of his achieve SDG4, especially in low- volunteer work, a Project Manager income countries. This report with OIEC and a Distinguished documents some of the contributions Research Affiliate with the Kellogg of Catholic schools globally, as well as Institute at the University of Notre some of the challenges they face in Dame. The views expressed in the the context of the current COVID-19 report are those of the author only crisis. The potential impacts of the and need not represent the views of crisis and responses implemented by the World Bank, its Executive Catholic schools globally are Directors, of the countries they documented considering both represent. Similarly, the views in the developing and developed countries. report need not represent those of OIEC or the Kellogg Institute. Suggested Citation Copyright Wodon, Q. 2020. Global Catholic © 2020 Quentin Wodon. Education Report 2020: Achievements Work published under the Creative and Challenges at a Time of Crisis. Commons Attribution 3.0 IGO license Rome: International Office of Catholic (CC BY 3.0 IGO) http://creativecommon Education. s.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo. Cover photo: Students in a Catholic school in Burundi. © Kellogg Institute, University of Notre Dame. Global Catholic Education Report 2020 Acknowledgments This report builds on recent work by The idea for the report emerged from the author published among others in discussions with Philippe Richard at Educatio Catholica, Estudios sobre OIEC and colleagues at the University Educación, International Journal of of Notre Dame. The work benefited Education Law & Policy, International from discussions with colleagues at Studies on Catholic Education, Journal the World Bank and data collected by of Catholic Education, Journal of the author with OIEC from Catholic Higher Education, Review of representatives of national Catholic Faith & International Affairs, and an education associations. The editorial for a Caritas in Veritate statistical annex builds in part on Foundation report. Special thanks to data collated from annual statistical the Journal of Catholic Education for yearbooks of the Church by students permission to summarize in Chapters at the University of Notre Dame under 2 and 3 a more detailed analysis the guidance of TJ d'Agostino and published earlier in the journal. Mike Szopiak. Any errors or omissions are those of the author alone. Special Thanks Global Catholic Highlights Education Report 2020 Achievements: Contributions of Catholic Schools Student enrollment in K12 Catholic schools: 62.2 million (2017) Top 15 Countries Students (million) 0 10 20 30 Pre-primary Primary Secondary Africa (44.69%) Americas (17.95%) Asia (21.4%) Europe (13.8%) Oceania (2.17%) Selected contributions of K12 Catholic schools Economic contributions Budget savings for states of US$ 63 billion (PPP) in 38 countries Contribution to human capital wealth (measured as the present value of the future earnings of the labor force) of US$12 trillion Contributions to education systems Comparatively good student performance in many countries Parental choice likely to contribute to higher enrollment Contributions to communities Emphasis on values and integral human development Respect for faith with many children from other faiths enrolled "We need to place at the center of the educational action the person in her full integrity. To this end, the educator must be competent, qualified, and at the same time rich in humanity, capable of mingling with the students in order to promote their human and spiritual growth." Pope Francis, June 2019 message to OIEC's World Congress participants in New York. Global Catholic Highlights Education Report 2020 Challenges: COVID-19 Crisis Impacts and Responses Survey of national Catholic education associations (171 respondents from 31 countries) Risk of large decline in enrollment (%) Distance learning via internet (%) Share expecting Distance learning via decline of at least 10% internet (%) 0 20 40 0 25 50 75 100 Developed countries Africa Other developing countries Developed countries Africa Other developing countries Planning to adapt curriculum (%) Planning remedial education (%) Share planning to Share planning adapt the curriculum remedial education (%) (%) 0 25 50 75 0 25 50 75 Developed countries Africa Other developing countries Developed countries Africa Other developing countries Rebuilding back better Improving pedagogy in the classroom to end the learning crisis Considering blended learning by combining distance and face-to-face learning Ensuring sustainability through country-specific appropriate positioning "Teaching is a deep responsibility. It is like a calling, a commitment. As a Franciscan, I believe that it is by giving that you are able to receive. As teachers, we should try to do our best. We have the power to transform society." Peter Tabichi, Global Teacher Prize Winner, October 2019 interview with Quentin Wodon. TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword ii Introduction 1 Chapter 1: Measuring the Contributions of Catholic Schools 3 Introduction 3 Trends in Enrollment 5 Key Findings on Enrollment Trends 6 Economic Contributions 9 Contributions to Economic Systems 10 Contributions to Communities 11 Conclusion 12 Chapter 2: COVID-19 Crisis and Responses in Developing Countries 14 Introduction 14 Immediate Impacts and Responses 15 Impacts of the Crisis 15 Potential responses 17 Short to Medium Term Impacts and Responses 18 Impacts of the Crisis 18 Potential responses 20 Conclusion 23 Chapter 3: COVID-19 Crisis and Responses in Developed Countries 24 Introduction 24 Immediate Impacts and Responses 25 Impacts of the Crisis 25 Potential responses 27 Short to Medium Term Impacts and Responses 30 Impacts of the Crisis 30 Potential responses 34 Conclusion 37 Conclusion 39 References 40 Statistical Annex: Country Profiles 48 i FOREWORD Less than a year ago, close to 600 series, documents the potential impacts of the participants from more than 80 countries crisis on Catholic schools and their students, as participated in OIEC’s World Congress in New well as responses being implemented by York to share their experiences and aspirations schools to help students and their families cope on how to educate to fraternal humanism in with the crisis. The analysis is based in part on order to build a civilization of love. data collected from OIEC’s members – the Today, such exchanges are not feasible national Catholic education associations that anymore as travel between countries, and in manage more than 220,000 schools globally, many cases within countries, has come to a serving more than 62 million students at the standstill. The COVID-19 crisis has been preschool, primary, and secondary levels. devastating, leading to countless illnesses and There is no magic solution to the deaths. It is affecting communities all over the challenges faced by Catholic schools and their world. It is also a threat for Catholic schools. students in the current context. Ensuring that As is the case for students in other students can learn, and schools can thrive will schools, students in Catholic schools are being require special commitment and efforts. affected by school closures. Many do not have At OIEC’s World Congress held in New the means at home to engage in distance York in June 2019, participants made learning. In Africa, access to the internet commitments for Catholic schools globally in 8 remains rare, especially at home. Many children areas: (1) For a new format of education, may also suffer from hunger as they may not adapted to change, and grounded in a culture of benefit any more from school lunches. Many dialogue; (2) For a Christian identity of the are also likely to be affected psychologically. For school, based in an evangelical root; (3) For an example, the risk of exposure to violence at inclusive school, open to all and especially to home is increasing in many settings. When the outskirts; (4) For training of leaders and schools reopen, special efforts will be needed to teachers adapted to contemporary educational ensure that children, and especially those form realities; (5) For quality education, inspired by disadvantaged schools, are ready to learn again. the Gospel and oriented towards the While most schools will reopen, some safeguarding of the Common House; (6) For a may not. Catholic schools are particularly at positive and constructive presence in risk, especially when they rely on tuition from international organizations; (7) For the design of parents for their operating costs. The economic tools and resources adapted to the objective of crisis is severe, affecting the ability of many preservation of the Common House inspired by parents to keep their children in the schools. Laudato Si; and (8) For work through networks Some children may shift to public schools. and formal education around child protection. Worse, some may drop out of school, especially These commitments remain valid today. in low- and lower-middle income countries