Ensuring a prosperous future for all students around the world: EAA

The Education Above All (EAA) Foundation brought together education decision-makers and thought leaders from around the world in a hypothetical event to celebrate the International Day of Education, which falls on January 24 each year to discuss how to rebuild and reshape education at the global level in the wake of the devastating impact of the epidemic Covid-19.

The event titled “Education, a key to recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic… How can we prevent a catastrophe for future generations?” discussed a global commitment to rebuilding education under the principle of “the right to education” enjoyed by nearly 1.6 billion students in more than 190 countries have been affected by this epidemic.

During the event, Her Excellency Lolwah bint Rashid Al-Khater, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and official spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that 2020 was an exceptional year for the international community, which witnessed a hindrance to the progress process.

During the period of that pandemic, nearly 90 percent of students around the world closed schools, exacerbating the inequality that the international community has been facing over the past decades.The discussions have defined a new future for education, by uncovering the fragile areas in this sector, stressing the importance of working to ensure a prosperous future for all students worldwide, and rebuilding flexible educational systems, because there is no one-size-fits-all solution, she added.

During the week preceding the International Day of Education, the Education Above All Foundation launched the #Rebuilding_Education campaign - under the umbrella of the 'Together to Protect Education' campaign - to raise global awareness of the urgent need to rebuild education, as a key element in the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The three-month campaign focused on key areas such as ensuring quality, inclusive and equitable education for all, supporting the safe reopening of schools, resuming the provision of vital services such as health and nutrition, protecting, promoting and expanding education financing, focusing funding on the most marginalized communities.

The campaign also focused on strengthening and supporting the workforce in the field of education, and finally ensuring fair and equitable use of educational technology, bridging the digital divide, and urging the international community to join and unify efforts for the campaign #Building_Education.

On her part, Shakira Mubarak Ripoll, the Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Children's Fund and founder of the "Barefoot Feet" organization, said that the school is the safe place for children, and even before the "Covid-19" pandemic, the world was already suffering from an education crisis. Real recovery is now imperative to strengthen the educational process for all available, qualitative, inclusive and equitable.

prosperous future all students around the world