UNESCO promotes the Global Education Coalition to respond to school closures
As we know, one of the main measures taken by governments to stop the spread of Covid-19 has been the closure of schools. Due to the concern that this might affect continued learning, they have opted to provide distance education through alternative means such as the internet, television, radio and even social networks. However, this distance teaching has limited the educational opportunities of millions of students all over the world, as reported by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in recent publications.
In this context, UNESCO has proposed a Global Response that includes various measures to support countries in responding to the educational needs of all children, especially those in situations of high vulnerability.
Among the most notable measures appears the creation of the Global Education Coalition. UNESCO warns that half of the students do not attend school: 290 million students without lessons because of the COVID-19. Consequently, it launches this Global Coalition to accelerate the deployment of inclusive and distance learning solutions.
Other measures include webinars and virtual meetings for members of different ministries of education, a selection of digital pedagogical resources and a repertoire of national learning platforms to promote the continuity of the school program.
Organizations interested in joining the UNESCO Coalition should send an email to COVID19taskforce@unesco.or, as indicated on the organization’s website.
