Reliable data is one of the most powerful tools in education reform. Without it, governments are left making decisions in the dark — unsure where schools are needed most, which students are being left behind, or how learning outcomes are progressing.
In Guinea-Bissau, a major effort is underway to change that.
Through the GPE-financed Institutional Strengthening and Quality Education for All Project (PRIEQT), the country is placing data at the center of education planning and reform — laying the groundwork for smarter policies and better results.
Mapping Every School, Student and Teacher
For years, limited and inconsistent information about schools, teachers, and learners made it difficult to plan effectively. To close this gap, PRIEQT financed a nationwide school mapping exercise.
With support from the World Bank and UNICEF, GEPASE — the Ministry of Education’s data unit — built a comprehensive national database covering all regions of the country.
This database includes:
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Detailed school locations
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Teacher and student information
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Enrollment data
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Gender-disaggregated statistics
The inclusion of gender-specific data is especially important. It allows policymakers to identify gaps in access and design targeted interventions to address inequalities between girls and boys.
But collecting data is only half the work. Making sure it is used effectively is just as critical.
Turning Information into Action
To ensure the data would inform real decisions, PRIEQT supported training on the use of Kobo Toolbox — a digital platform that allows smooth data collection and management.
The government also opened access to the database for members of the local education group, encouraging collaborative planning. A user-friendly dashboard was developed to help non-technical stakeholders visualize trends and insights easily.
This means policymakers, civil society groups, and partners can now see:
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Where schools are lacking infrastructure
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Which regions face enrollment gaps
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How gender disparities vary across districts
Technical assistance under PRIEQT is now helping the Ministry of Education develop a national plan for universal basic education by June 2026 — grounded directly in this mapping data.
This work is urgent. In Guinea-Bissau, one in five school-age children has never attended school.
The mapping initiative also complements the EU-financed PESIDE project, which focuses on strengthening the country’s Education Management Information System (EMIS) and related systems. Together, these efforts are building a stronger data ecosystem for the education sector.
A First: Participation in PASEC
Beyond access, understanding learning quality is equally essential.
In 2025, Guinea-Bissau participated for the first time in the Program for the Analysis of Educational Systems of CONFEMEN (PASEC) — a regional assessment program that has evaluated education systems in more than 20 countries since 1991.
Supported by GPE through PRIEQT, data collection took place in May 2025 across all 11 regions of the country. Results, expected later this year, will provide critical insight into students’ literacy and numeracy levels.
Participation in PASEC allows Guinea-Bissau to:
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Measure student performance objectively
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Benchmark outcomes against regional peers
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Identify areas needing urgent improvement
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Inform curriculum and teacher training reforms
For the first time, policymakers will have a clearer national picture of how students are performing — and where support is needed most.
Laying the Foundation for Smarter Reform
By strengthening both data systems and data use, PRIEQT is helping Guinea-Bissau move toward a more effective and accountable education system.
Nationwide school mapping improves planning.
Gender-disaggregated data supports equity.
Digital dashboards enhance transparency.
International assessments provide benchmarks.
Together, these steps shift education reform from guesswork to evidence-based strategy.
Better data alone doesn’t transform schools. But when collected thoughtfully and used strategically, it becomes a powerful driver of access, quality, and long-term progress.
In Guinea-Bissau, that transformation is already underway.
