Summary of presentation of information

How has COVID-19 impacted education and what are the lessons learned. What kind of responses can support access to quality education and lifelong learning for everyone? What are the key issues for the September 2022 Transforming Education Summit?

Chair: Vice President of ECOSOC (Bolivia)

Moderator: Ms Stefania Giannini, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education (Leading the Secretariat for the Transforming Education Summit)

Resource Persons Panellist:

1. Mr Omar Abdi, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director for Programmes
2. Ms Sheam Satkuru, Executive Director of the International Tropical Timber Organization
3. Mr Charles North, Acting Chief Executive of the Global Partnership for Education
4. Ms Susan Hopgood, President of Education International
5. Ms Doris Mwikali, SDG4 Youth Network representative to the SDG4 Education 2030 High level Steering Committee Sherpa Group
6. Ms Koumbou Boly Barry,Special Rapporteur on the Right of Education

• The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted learning and exacerbated educational inequalities across the globe. Temporal closures of schools impacted more than 91% of students worldwide with about 1.6 billion children out of school including nearly 369 million children who relied on school meals for their daily nutrition.
• The session explored lessons learned during the pandemic crisis and assessed how responses played a pivotal role towards the provision of quality education in affected areas and lifelong learning for all. Panellists and Education experts expressed the need to transform education systems by providing modern resources to learners and educators.
• Investment in education systems was a key topic, this was discussed in depth because the pandemic exposed how fragile most education systems were especially in developing countries. Access to technology and modern learning facilities was non-existent in areas such as Africa, Asia, Latin America to note a few, hence learners couldn’t continue school during the pandemic. Online learning limited the numbers of students because most families couldn’t afford those facilities.
• Organizations such as UNESCO, UNICEF, European Union, UNDP and African Union stressed the importance of creating a combination of country, regional and global educations mechanisms that are modern and resilient. The transformation of education is important and should focus on key areas such as access, opportunity and resilience as per the initiatives suggested by the Global Education Coalition
• The Global Education Coalition launched by UNECSO, is a platform for collaboration and exchange to protect the right to education during this unprecedented disruption and beyond. It brings together more than 175 members from the UN family, civil society, academia and the private sector to ensure that learning never stops.
• These discussions were a fore run of what’s to be further discussed and presented at the upcoming September 2022, Transforming Education Summit. SDG 4 is important because it is the foundation of shaping our economies, this starts by providing a diverse education system through STEM education, Modern Arts and Cultural studies, Sports and Business as well as Technical, Digital and Vocational Studies. Corporate organizations, Civil society, NGOs, the United Nations and the Youth all must contribute to shaping a sustainable education system that can withstand the current crises and beyond, hence reaching our Agenda 2030 targets.

What information shared in this meeting is of significance to The Salvation Army and why?

The Salvation Army is an international movement with over 1000 schools across the globe. Addressing the issue of quality education remains a priority within the Army because there has been a great contribution to education in our territories across the globe. There still is a lot more to do especially with schools that are in low-income countries, modernizing our salvation army schools is key in providing holistic quality education. Enhancing our institutions with modern curriculum, provision of modern facilities such as ideal student computers, modern science laboratories, improving boarding school facilities, nutritious school meals and ideal student transport access to note a few is of great importance in our bid to achieve Agenda 2030. Access and opportunities of modern resources to both the educator and the learner is of great value in developing modern quality education sustainable practices as an organization.

What is The Salvation Army currently doing to address the UN Sustainable Development Goals addressed in this meeting?

The Salvation Army has a wide array of projects that support SDG 4 – Quality Education. Promoting quality education has always been an initiative that the army does in different countries across the world. Salvation Army schools globally open their does to impoverished children and orphans by providing access to education to those who do not have such opportunities for example the Catherine Booth Schools in Nigeria. Rural areas in developing countries in regions such as Africa, Asia and The Americas also benefit from Salvation Army schools, these schools provide affordable education, water facilities and job opportunities within those marginalized communities hence developing the learners as well as their communities.

What opportunities are there for The Salvation Army to create or further develop the work in this area?

Opportunities to further develop schools and education institutions within the Salvation Army remains important. Financial Investment, Global education systems implementation and the use of SDG 4 - Quality Education framework is pivotal in providing quality education and a holistic education experience to our learners. Most schools especially in low-income communities and developing countries tend to be neglected in times of crisis. Progressive development stalls because of a lack of competent leadership, corrupt administrations and suppressing modern propositions. With our targets of Agenda 2030 in sight, we need to assess why most of our schools are not developing to the standard required by SDG4 and the Global Education Coalition. Schools within marginalized communities need assistance in terms of development, there is a lack of adequate resources and a need for modern education strategies that allow them to adapt in terms crises - during the pandemic.

Web links for more information

• UNESCO’s Global Education Coalition
• Salvation Army World Services Office
• Education Services within the Salvation Army