GLOBAL EDUCATION COALITION EVENT : EDUCATION DURING COVID 19 AND BEYOND
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen
In the context of the current crisis, we have witnessed impressive creativity and a spirit of innovation and collaboration to ensure that learning never stops. In Samoa we responded to the COVID-19 pandemic using diverse technologies- radio, TV, internet and blended learning modalities.
The coverage and effectiveness of remote educational responses, however, face many challenges. These include gaps in familiarity with technology, lack of practice in using technology, challenges in access to internet, high cost of technology and connectivity, gaps in parents’ ability to support home schooling for their children and increased workload for mothers in particular.
The continuity of education is important for children’s overall well-being, health and safety. Schools should be prioritized among the first institutions to be opened as societies reopen, if this can be done safely.
Virtual education can complement classroom education and can be a substitute, only at the cost of decreased learning outcomes and psycho-socially challenged children. Children from lower-income households are most at risk of exclusion. When parents are stressed and the household is struggling, children too bear the brunt.
The school offers a safe space for children in such situations. Some of these issues prompted us to bring children back to school. In Samoa, we reopened the schools adhering to the guidelines from UNESCO, UNICEF and WHO. To help keep schools and communities safe, we are using a combination of strategies like limiting attendance numbers and some social distancing.
Safe reopening also depends on the extent of community infection that makes students and staff more likely to infect others or be infected.
We managed Samoa’s borders from early on to prevent COVID-19 infection reaching Samoa. It was a difficult decision and fraught with challenges however each country has to make a decision on the most important safeguards for its context.
We approved 18 million Tala as special assistance to support education, including early childhood education and 10 million tala for teachers. Education is an essential lever for an inclusive and sustainable recovery of all nations. Samoa will mobilize additional resources to build back more resilient, inclusive and gender-responsive education systems, with emphasis on measures to support the learning continuity of the most marginalized.
UNESCO’s leadership was key in the mobilisation of UN and regional organizations, private sector, civil society, media and academia to launch the Global Education Coalition, a multi-sectoral partnership to support countries develop adequate education responses to COVID-19.
The Coalition support for Samoa includes a tripartite among UNESCO, Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture and Vodafone to provide learners free online access to education resources, free data restricted to curated online learning sites and hosting of teaching and learning resources to enable simultaneous access by students in large numbers.
The Global Partnership for Education supported in Samoa; distance learning, teachers training and education resources production through regional actions with the support of Moodle Foundation, Khan Academy and Lark.
The Global Coalition for Education is a good example of multilateralism and private sector stewardship coming together to leave no-one behind. As a Member State of UNESCO, we are pleased to have been part of this initiative. Thank you.
