In the first of our series “in conversation with…” we are delighted to share the insights into Global Education trends and challenges with our UK Board Member, Emily Echessa and Anya Cowley, Global Policy and Advocacy specialist for Save the Children.
The International Education Day occurs in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic that led to a global learning disruption of unprecedented scale and severity. Despite the immense challenges this pandemic is posing and the turbulence it is creating, transformation is also underway. Looking ahead, what excites you the most about the year ahead?
Emily Echessa: Globally, this is an opportunity for us to hit the reset button, unlearn outmoded ways of delivering education and learn new ways that are fit for purpose, enhance the quality of education and are contextualised but also meet the global standards.
Anya Cowley: We have a big global moment this year, with girls’ education being a key priority of the UK Presidency of the G7 summit, which is a chance to secure political support and financial commitments towards girls’ education and raise the level of ambition globally. This must include early and ambitious pledges towards the Global Partnership for Education replenishment hosted by the UK this year, which aims to raise $ 5billion from 2021-2025 to support low-income countries to recover from the Covid-19 crisis, and build back better more resilient education systems.
The pandemic is redefining and reshaping so many norms and practices. In this last year of change, how have you seen that the pandemic has impacted Education Globally?
Anya Cowley: Covid-19 has caused extraordinary disruption to children’s education. In many countries, including our own, school closures have been a central part of governments’ response to controlling the spread of the virus. This meant that at its peak, 1.6 billion children and young people were out of school, approximately 90% of the entire student population.
While some remote learning has been available, UNESCO estimate that at least 500 million children and youth are not learning from home. Additionally, children many also rely on schools to access other services such as meals, menstrual hygiene products, health services, including deworming and malaria treatment; child protection services; specialist support for children with disabilities; and mental health and psychosocial support.
Emily Echessa: 2020 was a tumultuous year for Education globally, as we witnessed mass closures of education institutions, a shift from classroom based teaching & learning to distance education via digital classrooms. Girls & boys living in marginalised & remote communities were automatically locked out as their learning was disrupted. A global health crisis quickly spiralled into an education & economic crisis. We have witnessed increased sexual related gender based violence resulting in an increase in teenage pregnancies, working children as well as an increasing rate of mental health and psychosocial issues.
What areas should we be keeping a watch on in the Global Education space over the coming year?
Emily Echessa: It will be mission critical for state & non state actors to focus on equity & inclusion as they broadly shepherd education back on course – over the coming years the global education space must keep watch on not ‘leaving any child behind’. Prior to COVID 19, most countries had reached gender parity & others were close. The world had made huge gains in access to education and was pushing through the ‘last mile’. COVID 19 has however reversed these gains to a large extent and threatens to wreak havoc as majority girls & boys lose a full academic year due to the mass closure of schools, girls may most likely not return to schools. Girls facing intersecting and complex barriers to their education such as their gender, disabilities, poverty, geographical inequalities will require multiple actions to bring them back to school and ensure their transition with improved learning outcomes.
It is essential that governments and education stakeholders continuously collect and analyses data on a rolling basis in order to inform adaptations, education policies and budgetary allocations.
Lastly, it is imperative that governments ensure a smooth and adequate flow of financial and other related resources to revamp and transform education, as well as diversify the means and ways children can access quality education and learn via all forms of platforms, from in in person classrooms to digital classrooms and home learning packs – what is being called the ‘blended approach’.
Anya Cowley: We are facing the greatest education emergency of our lifetime. There is a significant risk that when schools do reopen, the poorest and most marginalized children will never return, including girls, displaced and conflict affected children. COVID-19 is also increasing the risk of child marriage as a response to school closures, growing risks of violence, and food and economic insecurity.
Up to 1.7 billion children were out of school this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and between 7 to 10 million are expected never to return to school. It is critical that we keep a watch on this over the course of the year, but also learn the lessons from the pandemic in supporting children’s continued learning during school closures, to ensure a safe return to school for learning for all children, especially for girls – another key area to watch. An anticipated 2.5 million more girls are at risk of child marriage over the next five years, and adolescent pregnancies expected to rise by up to 1 million. Without action, we risk reversing years of progress made towards realizing SDG 4.
Ahead of COP 26, we should also keep a watch on discussions around the role of education -especially girls’ education – in climate change mitigation and adaption. Investing in girls’ education through climate financing will be essential for equipping girls with the green skills they need to learn, thrive, and contribute to more resilient, equitable and prosperous futures for all. I look forward to seeing children and youth continue to lead the charge on securing global action on climate.
We are in the “Decade of Action” to reach the SDGs by 2030. Where does the International Community have to step up to realistically reach the education SDGs?
Anya Cowley: This global education emergency requires an ambitious, but tangible global education action plan to ensure a safe return to school for every child. Our new analysis suggests that just over US$50 billion is needed to ensure children can safely go back to school the safe return to school for children in some of the poorest and conflict-affected countries, as well as support to help them catch up on lost learning. This works out at an average of $370 per child across the 59 low- and middle-income countries.
Our new research sets out five, evidence-based actions that governments should prioritize to ensure that children whose education has been disrupted by the pandemic can safely return to school and catch up on the learning they’ve missed out on.
For instance, cash transfers can mitigate the impact of the pandemic on household incomes by supporting children from low-income households to return to school and preventing dropout. Children who have been out of school may also require extra support to catch up on lost learning through catch-up classes, that start from where children are, rather than where the curriculum dictates, they should be. Water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities in schools must be accessible for schools to safely reopen and prevent the spread of the virus. Back to School campaigns are also vital to ensure that communities are confident that the right COVID-19 health and safety protocols are in place; and teachers must be trained in how to communicate about the COVID-19 pandemic and supported to put in place measures to keep schools safe.
Give us a glimpse into your world, what book are your currently reading and what is your number 1 favourite book you would recommend we all read?
Emily Echessa: I am reading Education for Sustainable Development in the Post-Colonial worlds- Towards a Transformative Agenda for Africa, by Leon Tikly. I highly recommend this book to all interested in transforming education.
Anya Cowley: I am reading “Feminisms, Empowerment and Development": Changing Women’s Lives”, a brilliant and accessible collection of essays analysing collective action and institutions aimed at realizing gender equality, and exploring what women themselves are doing to ensure their right are upheld.