Ensuring equity in remote learning responses to school closures - COVID-19 education webinar #1

The webinar will aim at sharing information about how governments are accounting for equity in the planning and management of distance learning strategies to overcome COVID-19 related school closures, now impacting half the world’s student population. The webinar will facilitate knowledge exchange across national borders.

As a result of school closures to slow the spread of COVID-19, Ministries of Education are scrambling to provision education remotely and maintain the continuity of learning. The mix of approaches adopted by different countries vary considerably.

Regardless of approach, equity and inclusion must be guiding concerns. While countries are under pressure to open alternative portals to learning to reach students, principles such as equal access and equal opportunity, pillars of international agreements on education, cannot be treated as afterthoughts.

The first UNESCO COVID-19 Education Response Webinar will look at country strategies and responses through the lens of equity.

- What steps are countries taking to ensure that distant learning solutions leave no one behind?
- If a country is rolling out digital learning resources, how is it accounting for gaps in device and connectivity access?
- How are digital learning and access to mass media combined to reach-out to under privileged learners and reduce divide?
- How is teaching staff mobilized to address equity challenges?

The target audiences for the webinar are Ministry of Education officials implementing strategies to maintain the continuity of learning in different contexts.

Le webinaire est destiné aux représentants des ministères de l'Education chargés de mettre en place des stratégies pour assurer la continuité de l'apprentissage dans différents contextes.