While the focus on 21st century skills has been important, it should not overshadow the critical need for foundational skills such as numeracy and literacy. By prioritizing foundational skills, we can empower individuals, reduce poverty and income inequality, contributing to a more inclusive and prosperous society.
Weekly links May 7: Team research grows, getting someone to answer their phone in Mexico City is hard, boosting testing rates for diabetes in Armenia, and more…
· The latest SIEF from evidence to policy note summarizes an experiment in Armenia by Damien de Walque and co-authors that tested different approaches to get 35-68 year olds to get tested for diabetes and hypertension. “After five months, people in the control group had very low screening rates: a mere 3.5 percent of people got screened for diabetes and hypertension. The personal invitation [from a physician] increased this rate to about 18.5 percent, with no additional impact from either the unconditional voucher or from the statistics about peers’ screening. The pharmacy voucher that was conditional on screening however [a US$10 incentive, also accompanied by the personal invitation], was the most effective, nearly doubling the percentage of people who got screened to 34.7 percent. Since it was more ex