Use technology to boost access to education

Dubai - Over 1,600 delegates from 110 countries participated in a conversation about globalisation and technology evolution impact on access to education and 145 distinguished speakers at GESF.

Technology is rewriting the rules of education. "Even nations that have access to cheap labour, which are increasingly resorting to automation to meet the high global standards of quality," said Fareed Zakaria, CNN GPS host and Washington Post columnist.
He added: "To address the challenges in the two-track world, there is only one powerful weapon - Education. It is important to recognise the importance of education in the broadest and deepest dimension"
The fourth Global Education and Skills Forum (GESF), convened by the Varkey Foundation and held under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, opened in Dubai on Saturday with a call to recognise the power of education to address the challenges of today's two-track world. Over 1,600 delegates from 110 countries participated in a conversation about globalisation and technology evolution impact on access to education and 145 distinguished speakers at GESF, including over 20 education ministers, provided compelling insights on making education everybody's business.
Delivering the opening keynote address on 'The State of Our World,' Fareed Zakaria said we live in an age of anxiety with the world today increasingly polarising to two tracks underlined by the forces of globalisation and technology evolution.
Sunny Varkey, founder of the Varkey Foundation, said that the 'global education crises' is an urgent problem that the world is witnessing today. "Even though it has been 15 years after the Millennium Development Goals were created, 58 million children around the world still do not attend primary schools while half a billion children are in failing schools. At current rates of progress, it will take until 2072 to end youth illiteracy. Several more generations will miss out on the chance of a decent life for themselves and their families," he said.
Varkey said a new threat to education has emerged in recent years. "Conflict and chaos in the Middle East are preventing a whole generation of young people from going to school. Education has been the silent casualty of the civil war in Syria," he said.
Also speaking at the forum, Andreas Schleicher, Director of Education and Skills at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), France, discussed the collective responsibility for public education.
He recommended four crucial elements to achieve successful reform in education: "A shared vision with clear and consistent priorities that extend across government and are built by the society; a clear performance management strategy with appropriate targets and rewards success; building frontline capability and clear delivery architecture."
Vikas Pota, CEO of Varkey Foundation, UK urged the delegates - government, private sector, teachers and NGOs - to take collective responsibility to promote public education.
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE
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