‘Inclusive & equitable, lifelong learning’: How the G20 stance on education has shaped up during, after pandemic

“We welcome the outcome of the Transforming Education Summit. We will act in solidarity in particular with developing countries to rebuild more resilient, tech-enabled, accessible, and effective education systems. We will empower relevant actors within and beyond G20 to remove barriers to education, improve teaching and learning environments, and support transitions within and across all stages of education, with emphasis on women and girls,” the declaration read.

The group also stated its commitment to promoting life-long learning “at all levels amidst the changing nature of work and encourage partnership in this regard.”

The declaration in 2021 reinforced the commitment of the member nations towards children and learners from disadvantaged backgrounds. Coming towards the trail of the pandemic in most parts of the world, the declaration recognised the risk faced by students from these backgrounds due to the pandemic, and called for providing “equal access to all levels and types of education, and other lifelong learning opportunities, particularly for girls, women, and vulnerable groups, as one of the means to address educational, professional, economic, and social inequalities.”

The declaration in 2021 also recognised the importance of blended teaching and learning—a mix of in-person and distance education—during the pandemic, while also noting the irreplaceability of face-to-face education provided by the schools.

“We highlight the importance of ensuring educational continuity through all modalities of teaching and learning, particularly distance and blended modalities. We note the disproportionate effect that Covid-19 related restrictions have had on women in terms of increasing caregiving and home-schooling responsibilities, which have threatened their participation in the labour market. We must keep equity at the centre of our decisions in order to address disparities in education,” the declaration in 2021 read.

Educationally continuity was also a focus area of the declaration by the group in 2020. Held virtually amidst a rise in Covid cases in most parts of the world, the group called for a sharing of best practices adopted by different member nations to keep education going, including the blended teaching and learning approaches. The declaration further recognised the crucial role of “early childhood education,” as a foundation stone for the rest of the educational trajectory of a learner, and recommended building awareness, a suitably qualified workforce, and increasing the accessibility towards the same.

“We acknowledge the fundamental role that equitable access to quality ECE plays in stimulating children’s holistic development, which is the basis of their acquisition of literacy, numeracy, and social and emotional skills, to lay the foundation for future learning and well-being,” the declaration read.

The themes of the outcome report tabled by the Education Working Group of the 2023 Summit, presided by India, draw closely from the declarations of these past three years. The four major focus areas of the report include: ensuring foundational literacy and numeracy, making tech-enabled learning more effective and equitable, promoting life-long learning, and strengthening partnerships between industry and academia. The report was released following the meeting of the Education Working Group from June 19 to 22 in Pune.