Mobile education builds resilience during shocks in five countries

Abstract Education systems need to withstand frequent shocks, including disease and climate events, which close schools for more than 222 million children 1 . During these emergencies, alternative models are needed to deliver education. However, rigorous evaluation of effective educational approaches in these settings is challenging and rare, especially across multiple countries. Here we present results from five randomized trials in India, Kenya, Nepal, the Philippines and Uganda to evaluate the provision of education in emergency settings. We test multiple scalable models of remote targeted tutoring instruction, comparing delivery by governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Whereas text messages have mixed results, tutorials conducted via phone call show effectiveness across diverse settings. We find large and robust effect sizes on learning. These effects are highly cost-effective, and deliver approximately 4 years of high-quality instruction per US$100 spent. Results show large effects when delivered by government teachers or NGO instructors. Together, our results reveal that it is possible to strengthen the resilience of education systems, enabling education provision amid disruptions, and to deliver cost-effective learning gains across contexts and with governments.