UNESCO

Some 1.3 billion students and youth across the planet are affected by school and university closures due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Global Education Coalition launched by UNESCO seeks to facilitate inclusive learning opportunities for children and youth during this period of sudden and unprecedented educational disruption.

Investment in remote learning should both mitigate the immediate disruption caused by COVID-19 and establish approaches to develop more open and flexible education systems for the future.

In February this year, Adult Learning Australia, in partnership with RMIT and the Australian Learning Cities Network 26, organised a Smart Learning Cities Forum.

The forum examined Smart City developments and linkages with Learning City approaches.

UNESCO defines a learning city as a city that:

The UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) undertakes research, capacity-building, networking and publication on lifelong learning with a focus on adult and continuing education, literacy and non-formal education.

This report published at the end of last year explores participation in adult learning and education from the perspective of equity and inclusion. Leave no one behind. That was the resounding message of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO is now calling for applications for its Global Citizen Education Award. 

The National Commission Award on Global Citizenship Education (GCED) will recognise outstanding projects by individuals, institutions and organisations related to GCED. 

The New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO wishes to recognise programmes or initiatives that encourage New Zealanders to become responsible and active global citizens. The categories are: 

24 to 31 October 2019 is UNESCO’s Global Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Week. The theme - Media and Information Literate Citizens: Informed, Engaged, Empowered.

UNESCO says that education for all must include media information and literacy for everyone. Informal education is important – but classes are important too.

UNESCO gave awards to 10 learning cities this year. 

According to the Learning City Award Jury, these cities have shown exemplary progress and commitment to promote education and lifelong learning at the local level. 

The NZ National Commission for UNESCO is wanting to recruit young people who are committed to promoting peace and social justice in New Zealand and the Pacific.

They are currently inviting applications from youth aged between 18 and 25 to join our UNESCO Aotearoa Youth Leaders. The group consists of young leaders who serve as advisors to the National Commissioners and ambassadors of UNESCO’s work.

The group consists of young leaders who serve as advisors to the National Commissioners and ambassadors of UNESCO’s work.

Two events have happened recently with regard to SDG 4 Quality Education.

The Asia South Pacific Association for Basic and Adult Education (ASPBAE) Basic Leadership Development Course (BLDC) has been successfully held in Aotearoa New Zealand for the first time; and UNESCO has just published a report monitoring progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Issues and Trends in Education for Sustainable Development (UNESCO 2018) is about ‘empowering learners to take informed decisions and responsible actions for environmental integrity, economic viability and a just society, for present and future generations, while respecting cultural diversity.’

By implementing ESD we will help the world reach the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

In the introduction the authors note:

In July 2018 experts in lifelong learning met at the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning to discuss the development of a handbook on lifelong learning policy development and implementation.

It will be a practice-oriented handbook that will provide guidance for policymakers and stakeholders who are in the process of developing and implementing policies for lifelong learning.

It will focus on governance, policy issues, strategic approaches to practical implementation, financial support and monitoring.