Our global situation and times are in a place where we have never been before. It is often said that they are unprecedented and indeed they are. Peoples, communities and nations are for the most part struggling to come to terms with what ‘lockdown’ means for them on a personal, family, professional and socio-economic level all at once. Whilst dealing with all the uncertainties that it brings, consider the additional challenge of being in transition as a migrant to an unfamiliar place coupled with the need to educate your young.
It is probably safe to say that peoples of the world have turned to technology as a form of compensation and bid to continue moving forward in a way that the world has never seen before, and education is no exception.
In 2016, the Technical Cooperation Group (TCG) on the indicators for Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) was formed. Working alongside the Global Alliance to Monitor Learning (GAML), it makes recommendations on the progress made on the indicators for the achievement to SDG4. It currently consists of 35 regionally representative members representing 6 regions: Western Europe and North America, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific and Arab States.
In January 2020, it published its Terms of Reference, its remit for operation. Its objectives included establishing common data standards and methodologies to validate collected data and to act in an advisory capacity to the Global Coalition for Education Data. Interestingly, at the 6th TCG meeting in Yerevan in 2019, the indicator development group was divided into six working groups; Administration Data/Education Management Information System (EMIS), Household Surveys, Learning Assessments, Personnel Data on Teachers, Educational Expenditure and Additional Groups on Specific Issues (refugee/conflicted area countries). The Terms state, “The new working groups will work, when necessary and appropriate: with existing coordinating platforms, such as inter-agency working groups; with specific sectors and communities of practice interest; and, others, as may be suggested by the UIS.”
The existing platform for refugees is supported by Education Cannot Wait (ECW) GPE. In future articles we will be exploring the remit and work of ECW in these challenging times. Their vision is for “A world where all children and youth affected by crises can learn free of cost, in safety and without fear in order to grow and reach their full potential.” Few would argue against this sentiment.
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