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Head teachers of schools selected for a global conference and best practise showcase have called on their governments to prioritise resilience over efficiency in their schools and to heed the lessons of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Last week, the schools gathered together for the inaugural World Education Week, an online conference where over 110,000 teachers and educational figures registered to share best practice in support of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. They have joined voices to make an urgent call to political leaders ‘to re-frame how they view the management of education funding and the purpose of the institutions they’ve asked us to build.‘
The request came in an open letter to leaders and education ministers across the globe where they noted that:
“For too long, our education systems have placed too great an emphasis on delivering learning outcomes in ways that not only minimise cost and juggle resources but judge our abilities to be “efficient” to be of a higher importance, even if it’s mostly unspoken.”
Instead, the school leaders suggest:
“What this year has emphasised is that the resilience to meet huge challenges is the key to maintaining the continuity of education for our children, both to ensure the highest standards of learning and to re-establish the social glue of schools as communities. This requires financial investment and leadership.”
The creator of World Education Week, the education and technology innovator, Vikas Pota supported the initiative, saying:
‘The school leaders and teachers who gathered together in huge numbers this week were united in their desire to learn together from our current crisis and to see systemic change in the way we support schools and education. This letter is, I hope, a positive contribution to that debate.”
FULL TEXT OF THEIR LETTER
What we have learnt over the course of the pandemic is that teachers and schools matter greatly. Economies cannot function if schools do not open their gates and children are in our classrooms. What we have also learned is the crucial role that schools have played not just in teaching their students, but the institution of ‘school’ is often at the heart of the community, where the issues a community faces are often reflected and, often, resolved. Whether that be related to poverty, vulnerability or the multitude of areas that we see in our schools, daily, the point we make is that the school does a whole lot more than just teaching its students.
As leaders of schools around the world – from schools in locations as varied on a boat in Bangladesh, to inner city New York and to the mountains of Bhutan, we teachers and school leaders have gathered online in huge numbers over the last six days at the World Education Week, to share our expertise with 100,000 others – a truly global meeting of minds.
Amongst the many illuminating conversations, one overwhelming lesson has been reinforced, especially after six months of Covid crisis and decades of an emerging climate catastrophe – that we must reframe how we view our educational institutions to value resilience above efficiency. Because now is that reframing opportunity, no doubt.
For too long, our education systems have placed too great an emphasis on delivering learning outcomes in ways that not only minimise cost and juggle resources but judge our abilities to be “efficient” to be of a higher importance, even if it’s mostly unspoken.
What this week has underlined and what this year has emphasised is that the resilience to meet huge challenges is the key to maintaining the continuity of education for our children, both to ensure the highest standards of learning and to re-establish the social glue of schools as communities. This requires financial investment and leadership.
It is about making the connection between teachers and children the fundamental point of the existence of schools.
No matter what the question, education is the answer. Quality and continuity of education builds future success for both our individuals and our whole communities. Our pupils, our parents, and our planet need schools able to adapt to crises and evolve to our changing future needs, while remaining central pillars of our communities.
It is time for our political and system leaders to understand that and to re-frame how they view the management of education funding and the purpose of the institutions they’ve asked us to build.
As teachers and school leaders of 100 schools, recognised for our expertise around the world, we call on heads of government, education and finance ministers of our countries to deepen their investments in education rather than cut them so we can perform the roles more effectively not just for our students but for our communities and for the overall growth of our countries.
Partaking schools:
Bangladesh
Bhutan
Bosnia & Herzegovina General Gymnasium of the Catholic School; Centre & Bl.Ivan Merz Banja Luka
Botswana
Brazil
Brunei Darussalam Chung Hwa Middle School, BSB
Chile
Colombia Institución Educativa Rosedal, Jardín Infantil Buen Comienzo; Institución; Educativa Jaime
Croatia
Denmark International School orf Billund
Finland
Georgia
Ghana
India
Italy
Japan
Jordan
Lebanon Al Manar Modern School; St. George School
Malaysia Methodist Girls Primary School
Mexico
Moldova International Heritage School
Morocco Ibnou Rochd; Tilila Preschool
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nigeria
Norway
Pakistan Beaconhouse School Margalla; Beaconhouse School Multan
Philippines
Qatar
Russia
Serbia
Sierra Leone
South Africa
Spain
Thailand United World College
Turkey
UAE
Uganda
UK
Ukraine
USA
