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Nairobi — Fifty-four Education Ministers are among top policymakers expected to gather in Nairobi on Wednesday and Thursday next week for the 21st Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM).
A statement from the Ministry of Education said the high-level conference hosted by the Government will take place under the theme, ‘Rethinking Education for Innovation, Growth and Sustainability post-Covid-19’.
“Over the last two years, we have seen COVID-19 rob people around the world of their loved ones, livelihoods and so many of the usual certainties and comforts of everyday life. Its impact on young people has been especially distressing with millions of students seeing their education disrupted – schools and universities were closed, and students were forced to learn from home as a result of lockdown measures, which have also further exacerbated existing inequalities, especially among girls and marginalized communities,” The Commonwealth Secretary-General, The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland stated.
Its main objective is to discuss key education priorities within the 54-member Commonwealth geared towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The conference will bring together ministers, senior government officials, educators, development partners, civil society, and policymakers to share knowledge and good practices in education as the world recovers from the devastating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Participants will also identify areas of action and explore innovative approaches that can be adapted by member countries to develop sustainable and resilient education systems.
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She pointed out that the pandemic has already taken so much from and people must act now to prevent it from taking away the human right to education.
She further added that the theme of the 21st CCEM was timely and reminded everyone that now more than ever, it is important that Commonwealth family comes together to re-evaluate the status quo and work towards building a more prosperous and thriving Commonwealth for our young people.
“To this end, the Secretariat will continue working with member countries, stakeholders, and partners, as part of its commitment to advancing Sustainable Development Goal 4 and strengthening education systems and policies across the Commonwealth. I commend the people and government of Kenya for their commitment to delivering a successful CCEM in Nairobi,” she said.
Incoming Chair of the Education Ministerial Action Group (EMAG) and Cabinet Secretary for Education, Professor George Magoha stated that it was high time to revive the education sector which was brought to a near standstill by the pandemic.
“Low-income countries were especially hit hard. With the future of our children and young people on the line, we need to work together to build back better and refocus on investing in inclusive and equitable quality education. We must build resilient education systems that can address emerging issues and withstand future crises as part of measures to minimize and protect learning from disruption,” Magoha said.
For the first time, proceedings of this year’s conference will adopt a hybrid format with Ministers of Education invited to take part in the physical meeting in Nairobi, while those unable to travel to Kenya will participate virtually via an online platform.
