Commonwealth

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The future of education depends on ‘operationalising’ dignified learning
(Commonwealth business communications, 2023) Murali, Geetha
Well into 2023, the state of basic education remains complex. World leaders, policymakers, educators, parents, and learners all feel the strain put on children’s education. Before the pandemic, we already had high learning poverty (i.e., children unable to read a simple text by age ten) with 57 percent in low- and middle-income countries. Now, some estimate an additional 72 million primary school-aged children have fallen into learning poverty, increasing the rate to 70 percent!
The trajectory of our education systems is the trajectory of our future. We must start treating it as such.
(Commonwealth business communications, 2023) Jenkins, Robert
The acceptance that the majority of children, especially those from the most marginalised communities and countries, are failing to grasp basic literacy and numeracy skills – the foundation on which all learning is built – is the tragic reality of schooling globally. Under-resourced schools, underpaid and underqualified teachers, overcrowded classrooms and archaic curricula have been undermining children’s ability to reach their full potential for decades. COVID-19 has simply exposed and exacerbated the failure of education systems worldwide.
Working with communities:
(Commonwealth business communications, 2023) Yadav, Manushi
For almost two years, the pandemic wrought havoc with lives and livelihoods around the world. Countries, communities, families and schools had to learn how to cope with the crisis at hand. Like with many other organisations, the pandemic has been a crucial turning point for Pratham. New challenges have emerged alongside chronic old problems.
Technology-enhanced learning:
(Commonwealth business communications, 2023) Ansell, Maddalaine
When the COVID-19 pandemic closed campuses around the world, universities had to rapidly move their teaching online. Some, such as the UK’s Open University, the University of the South Pacific and the University of the West Indies, who were used to delivering for remote populations, had considerable expertise to use and share. For others, the learning curve was steep. Now that many of us are nearly out the other side, what have we learned?
Teachers at the heart of education transformation
(Commonwealth business communications, 2023) Vargas, Carlos
The COVID-19 pandemic showed us that we can only overcome great challenges if we work together as a global community. And we know that more challenges are ahead: climate change, rapid technological development, mounting inequality, armed conflict, and the rollback of democracy demand an unprecedented response from all of us. Education is key to providing people with the tools they need to address these challenges and build just and sustainable futures, but to fulfil this transformational role, education itself must be transformed. As the pandemic demonstrated, teachers are the front-line actors in innovating and implementing education system changes, and to succeed in their essential role, they need to be supported.
Renewing education to transform the future
(Commonwealth business communications, 2023) Tawil, Sobhi
There has recently been much reference to the transformation of education in global development discourse. This is undoubtedly related to the Transforming Education Summit (TES) convened by the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General in New York in September 2022. The process around the Summit arguably represents one of the most significant mobilisations of the international education community in recent years. Bringing together heads of state and government in New York, the Summit was preceded by a pre-Summit at UNESCO in Paris attended by over 150 Ministers and Deputy Ministers of Education. The process also included the mobilisation of international expertise around five thematic tracks, the organisation of national consultations with over 130 countries submitting national statements of commitment to transform education, and the release of a vision statement by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
School meals:
(Commonwealth business communications, 2023) Steer, Liesbet
Investing in school meals is a win-win solution and a no-brainer for governments seeking to build their nations’ future. There is overwhelming evidence that well-designed and effectively delivered school meals programmes – especially when implemented with complementary health programmes to maximise impact – can build a nation’s human capital through increased years of schooling, better learning, and improved health and nutrition. Despite setbacks during the pandemic, school meals programmes are one of the largest social safety nets in the world. School meal provision also has important economic benefits. They have generated about 4 million jobs in 85 countries, often benefitting local companies in food preparation led by women.
Looking past recovery to transformation:
(Commonwealth business communications, 2023) Christina, Rachel
As the everyday threat of COVID-19 waned, 2022 was heralded as a year of education system recovery from drastic declines in enrolment and learning outcomes over the prior two years. Progress has been slow, however, and even among the best-resourced systems, the effects of school closures, learning disruption, and the psychosocial toll of the pandemic will linger for years. For education systems already challenged by constraints of poverty, violence, and other crises, the burden of recovery is even heavier.
Life skills critical to achieving gender equality in and through education
(Commonwealth business communications, 2023) Holst, Sarah
Whilst most people recognise that enabling girls to access an education is not enough, it is becoming clearer that even attendance, as well as a quality classroom education, despite being a good start may not be enough to enable girls to progress through school and positively impact later-life outcomes.
It is so important to keep investing in skills as purse strings tighten
(Commonwealth business communications, 2023) McGregor-Smith, Baroness Ruby
The British economy is, like the rest of the world, facing stark economic challenges driven by the surge in inflation and energy costs. This massive headache for businesses has come just as they were adjusting to Brexit and the fallout from COVID-19.
Investments needed to transform education in Africa
(Commonwealth business communications, 2023) Nyahunzvi, Vongai
To reinvent and strengthen our education system, we need to train teachers as innovative leaders, who will find creative ways to maintain student engagement and enable learning even in the most complex circumstances.
Higher education in the commonwealth:
(Commonwealth business communications, 2023) Chandramohan, Balasubramanyam
Should countries focus on Higher Education or School Education? This has long been debated in several countries in the Commonwealth and beyond. In the past debates on development, Higher Education, or the Tertiary sector, was seen as a costly indulgence compared to investment in primary and secondary sectors. The rationale behind this perspective was that investing in early education would provide greater returns on investment in terms of social progress, as well as spin-off effects of having a bigger share of population equipped with essential literacy and numeracy skills. However, the role of Higher Education in achieving economic and social progress has been receiving increasing recognition as countries look to contributing to supply chains in a more integrated and mobile world. Also, notions of lifelong education have gained fresh recognition and prominence, not least in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4), instructional tools, and flexible credentialisation of learning.
How to recover learning losses from covid-19 school closures in the pacific
(Commonwealth business communications, 2023) Gutierrez, Leah C.
A generation of students faces the risk of lower future incomes and fewer opportunities due to education interruptions caused by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. This generation of students is at risk of having lower productivity for the rest of their lives because of missed schooling. Globally, it is estimated that over 2 trillion hours of face-to-face learning have been lost.
Ensuring accessible and inclusive education for all
(Commonwealth business communications, 2023) Grima, Clifton
Malta observes that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected and put unprecedented pressure on education and training systems worldwide. Education is fundamental to wellbeing and is a foundation of collective resilience. The need to rethink and reimagine its role was already acute before the pandemic, in light of technological changes and the need to reskill for the transition to a more sustainable economy.
Don’t look up; look forward:
(Commonwealth business communications, 2023) Schleicher, Andreas
Globalisation and digitalisation have connected people, cities, countries and continents in ways that vastly increase our individual and collective potential. But the same forces have also made the world more volatile, more complex, more uncertain and more ambiguous. The world has seen a growing disconnect between the infinite growth imperative and the finite resources of our planet; between the financial economy and the real economy; between the wealthy and the poor; between the concept of our gross domestic product and the well-being of people; between technology and social needs; and between governance and the perceived voicelessness of people.
Developing collective leadership to improve education systems
(Commonwealth business communications, 2023) Kopp, Wendy
The findings of Research on Improving Systems of Education (RISE), the 10-year research project looking at education systems in low- and low-middle-income countries, point the way for policymakers interested in promoting large-scale change. The findings make clear that systems do not improve unless a commitment towards ensuring students learn is deeply held throughout the education system, political system, and society.
Commonwealth education report 2023
(Commonwealth business communications, 2023) Commonwealth business communications
The Commonwealth, comprising 56 countries and a population of 2.5 billion, is a global network that collaborates to advance prosperity, democracy, and peace. Often referred to as a 'family of nations', it encompasses diverse geographical regions, religions, and cultures. The Commonwealth accounts for over 20 per cent of global trade and represents one-third of the world's population. Consequently, it presents extensive opportunities for commerce and investment, as well as significant challenges for sustainable development on a global scale. Against this backdrop, Commonwealth Business Communications publishes a series of reference books to help foster sustainable economic, social and environmental development across the Commonwealth. We are delighted to bring to you our latest publication: The Commonwealth Education Report 2023. Education serves as the cornerstone of development and progress. Beyond its role as a fundamental human right, it carries the weight of shaping a better society by instilling values and behaviours that promote positive change. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has inflicted the most severe disrupt ion to education systems in recent memory. It has exacerbated existing inequalities in accessing educational programmes and hindered the advancement of global development goals. The ramifications of the pandemic have propel led our reliance on digital tools and driven innovation within education systems whilst impacting children’s and educators’ mental health and exposing them to increasing challenges. As a result, individual governments bear a significant responsibility in formulating new strategies to address this unprecedented crisis. In light of these considerations, it is crucial to encourage educators and policymakers to reassess best practices and promote equal opportunities across the Commonwealth. As we reshape education in response to emerging technologies and policies, The Commonwealth Education Report 2023 focuses on solutions that can drive widespread change, equipping young people with the necessary skills to thrive in future crises. This report offers an enlightening perspective on the ongoing educational challenges, featuring contributions from leading experts in the field. Their collective wisdom sheds light on how Commonwealth nations can recover from the pandemic and achieve an inclusive and equitable quality education for all.
Constant and committed leadership:
(Commonwealth business communications, 2023) Fung, Allison; Williams-Cumberbatch, Helen; Hunter, Bonita; Nkrumah-Young, Kofi
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, many higher education institutions (HEIs) in the English-speaking Caribbean were already facing funding challenges, in particular those that depend wholly or in part on governments, directly or indirectly. Directly infers that payments are made to the institutions through government subventions, while indirectly reflects payments made through student loan facilities such as the Student Loan Bureau in Jamaica or the Government Assistance for Tuition Expenses (GATE) programme in Trinidad and Tobago. In addition to funding challenges, indigenous Caribbean HEIs have been grappling with the internationalisation of higher education and the concomitant competition from offshore entities, as well as the increasing availability of online programmes made possible by the significant advances in information technologies. Issues such as attracting high-quality academic staff and ensuring ongoing relevance and quality of programmes and courses in a highly globalised operating environment remain a constant consideration of the leadership of all HEIs.
Connecting with the commonwealth:
(Commonwealth business communications, 2023) Sherif, Yasmine
Nations across the Commonwealth are impacted by a number of ongoing conflicts, emergencies and protracted crises that are pushing children out of school, disrupting economies and derailing development gains.
Buried treasure? educational co-operation in the commonwealth
(Commonwealth business communications, 2023) Obe, Peter R. C. Williams
This year the crown to be used in King Charles’ coronation ceremony was first checked over and adjusted to fit its new wearer. Sir Shridath Ramphal, writing 14 years ago to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first Commonwealth Education Conference in Oxford in 1959, described Commonwealth educational co-operation as ‘the Jewel in the Commonwealth Crown’. Many in the Commonwealth community now ask whether the Commonwealth crown also requires fresh scrutiny and refurbishment. Are the preciousstones of Commonwealth principles and programmes intact? Have some been dislodged or mysteriously disappeared? Does the educational ‘jewel’ to which Sir Shridath referred retain its lustre and prominent position, or has it become no more than a memory, a buried treasure?

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