The Blue DOT 14 - Multidisciplinary Science & Evidence For Education

FOREWORD
Foreword
FOREWORD
NAJAT VELLAUD-BELKACEM
FORMER MINISTER OF EDUCATION, HIGHER
EDUCATION, AND RESEARCH, FRANCE
Najat Vallaud-Belkacem is ONE France’s Director. A graduate of Sciences-Po Paris
in 2000, Najat began her career in a law firm at the Council of State and at the
Court of Cassation. Between 2012 and 2017, under President François Hollande’s
mandate, she became Minister in charge of Women’s Rights and was the
spokesperson of the government from 2012 to 2014, then Minister of National
Education, Higher Education and Research, from 2014 to 2017.
T
he
ongoing pandemic has disrupted education
at an unprecedented scale. The World Bank
projects that up to 10 million children may not
return to school.
If these projections hold true, the COVID-19 pandemic will have
effectively reversed decades of global progress on education and put
the dream of a “good education” out of reach for millions of the
world’s most impoverished children.
Governments around the world should heed global calls to increase
education spending and develop strong policy frameworks to scale
up quality inclusive and accessible educational technology. The
pandemic has indeed shone a spotlight on the growing role of
technology in education. It is now clear that digital technologies
will be critical in shaping education’s future. It is also becoming
evidently clear that a lack of clear policies for the use of such
technologies pre-COVID-19 meant that most governments were
woefully underprepared for the mass deployment during the
COVID-19 pandemic. As Former Minister of Education in France,
I am acutely aware of the challenges of making effective decisions
in times of crisis and with sharp economic contractions. But in
such times I would urge governments not to sacrifice the cause of
education and to keep learning alive. That’s what Leadership is
about.
UNESCO MGIEP’s ambitious project, the International
Science and Evidence Based Assessment (ISEE
Assessment), contributes to re-envisioning the future
of education to build more resilient and sustainable
education systems that can weather crises such as the one
we are currently faced with.
When I first learned about this project to assess the state of
knowledge on education as a basis for reimagining education for
humanity and the planet, I was excited to be part of it as a Co-
Chair of the Advisory Board. After more than two years, I am
pleased to see that the first ISEE Assessment report is nearing its
completion at a time when the world needs, more than ever, visions
for a future that must be more sustainable, resilient, socially just and
fair.
What has drawn me in particular to the ISEE
Assessment is its interdisciplinary nature.
The role of education in shaping such a future is unquestionable.
What has drawn me in particular to the ISEE Assessment
is its interdisciplinary nature. The ongoing COVID-19
pandemic has shown that most education systems around the
world are not prepared to face the global pandemic and other
future impending crises such as climate change. Diverse disciplines
and sectors must join forces to address grand challenges we face.
The pandemic and its consequences are threatening to undo
the progress made on ensuring access to education over the last
decades and seriously jeopardizing the chances of achieving the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNESCO MGIEP
derives its mandate from SDG 4 on quality education and especially
from SDG 4.7, which urges governments to equip all learners with
“knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development”.
There is no doubt that the kinds of knowledge and skills required
today include not simply classic “job ready” skills but also skills to
navigate the rapidly changing, uncertain, and multicultural world,
including empathy and emotional resilience. The pandemic
provides an opportunity for us all to rethink the purpose
of education and reorient curriculum and pedagogy to
shape societies where all beings—both human and more
than human life—can flourish.
Together with the Advisory Board members, I sincerely
congratulate the ISEE Assessment Panel for undertaking this
first-of-its kind assessment at such an unprecedented time. I
highly commend over 200 authors for joining forces and boldly
illuminating fundamental challenges confronting education today. I
hope it inspires policymakers’ and educators’ own efforts to address
these challenges in the years to come.
ISSUE • 14
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