New York Group of Friends for Education and Lifelong Learning engages with UNESCO’s Futures of Education Initiative
New York, 11 December 2020: Members of the Group of Friends for Education and Lifelong Learning gathered virtually to hear a briefing on UNESCO Futures of Education: Learning to become Initiative as well as to take stock of the progress made in 2020 and discuss strengthened advocacy forward.
Speaking on behalf of the Group’s co-chairs, Ms. Ralia Mohamed (Kenya) recalled the extraordinary and unprecedented crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to a major education disruption with more than 1.5 billion students whose learning has been hampered due to school closures. She underscored the Group’s collaborative efforts to advocate for the importance of education and the need to address this major education disruption as she opened the discussion on how to recover back better and build more resilient systems for the future generations.
Addressing the Group of Friends of Education and Lifelong Learning, Dr. Sobhi Tawil, UNESCO Director of Future of Learning and Innovation, presented the progress achieved on the Futures of Education: Learning to become initiative. He recalled that in 2019 the Director-General of UNESCO convened an independent International Commission to develop a global report to rethink the role of education, learning and knowledge through a broad, open consultative process that involves youth, educators, civil society, governments, business and other stakeholders. The Commission, chaired by President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and composed by thought leaders from the worlds of politics, academia, the arts, science, business and education, is expected to present its report on the occasion of the 41st session of the UNESCO General Conference in November 2021.
This ongoing global discussion emphasizes the ways to address the so called ‘crisis of access’ and ‘crisis of quality of education’ as 6 out of 10 students in upper secondary are still lacking basic competences. The right to education has become intrinsically linked with the right to connectivity especially as the global pandemic has exacerbated the need to ensure access to quality public education for all, without discrimination.
“COVID 19 pandemic has put the light on the ‘crisis of relevance’ of the formal education systems. What is being learned, how it is being learned and why it is being learned require updated response by the education policymakers worldwide”, said Dr. Sobhi Tawil.
Dr. Tawil also stressed that in an effort to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the education systems, the Commission released the Education in a Post-COVID World: 9 ideas for public action report in June 2020. The report presents nine key ideas for navigating through the COVID-19 crisis and its aftermath, contending that we cannot forget core principles and known strengths as we face unprecedented disruption to economies, societies and education systems.
During the Group’s consultations on the past and future activities, members recalled the organization of several events such as the first High-level virtual briefing focused on Education and COVID-19 to the United Nations Member states in June 2020, as well as the side-event on Education post-COVID 19, in cooperation with UNESCO and the SDG-Education 2030 Steering Committee, at the margins of the High-Level Political Forum in July 2020. The Group further discussed the way forward and the next steps, including proposals for a theme to guide its work in 2021. Major activities planned for next year include, among others, the celebration of the International Day of Education on 24th January, which also marks the second anniversary of the Group. Members also called for prioritization of advocacy events on the margins of major activities organized by the ECOSOC or the General Assembly with the aim of stepping up its ambition and collective action to champion the education cause at the United Nations fora.