Declaration / Statement
Youth declaration on transforming education
The Youth Declaration was presented as young people’s inputs to the Transforming Education Summit Chair Summary/Secretary-General’s Vision Statement. Its aim is to drive political commitment on the...
Event
Transforming Education follow-up - Regional Youth Consultations
The Transforming Education Summit, convened by the UN Secretary-General and a key initiative of Our Common Agenda, was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for key stakeholders to come together and map a new path for education with a view to elevate education to the top of the global political agenda and to mobilize action, ambition, solidarity and solutions.
It created space for inter-generational dialogue between youth and key decision-makers, ensuring that young people's aspirations for the futures of education were brought to the forefront.
At the summit, the Youth Declaration on Transforming Education – a historical document representing the outcome of an extensive consultation process with nearly half a million youth from over 170 countries and territories - was presented to the Secretary-General and world leaders. Its aim is to drive political commitment on the need to transform education and build young people’s ownership over this process by outlining young people’s collective vision, demands, and commitments on education transformation.
As a follow-up to the summit, a Global Youth Initiative will provide a strategic framework for collective action to take the recommendations of the Youth Declaration forward, localize them at the regional and country levels, and support the growth of a bottom up education global movement.
In order to gather young people’s inputs on the priorities, opportunities, and challenges/supports need to transform the youth declaration recommendations into concrete actions at the local, national, and regional levels, the SDG4 Youth Network together with other youth and student networks is hosting regional youth consultations in November 2022. The input from these consultations will feed into development of the broader Global Youth Initiative, which will presented to the SDG4 High-Level Steering Committee in December 2022.
The objectives of the regional youth consultations are to:
- Gather young people’s, including young teachers', inputs focused on the priorities, opportunities, and challenges/supports needed to transform the youth declaration recommendations into concrete actions at the local, national, and regional levels.
- Help shape the Global Youth Initiative, which will take forward the recommendations of the Youth Declaration.
- Identify support needed to enable and empower young people at the country and regional levels to continue engaging meaningfully in the Summit follow up.
All young teachers, students, youth leaders, youth networks and organizations working and advocating for young people in education are welcome to attend. However, during the consultation, it is youth who will voice their ideas/inputs. A report will be prepared after each Regional youth Consultation, which will inform the development of the Global Youth Initiative.
Africa Regional Youth Consultation
Date: 17 November
Time: 3pm Dakar time / 6pm Nairobi time
LINK to register: https://unesco-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYlcO-prjovHtV9Uqk1kYE9L5Z45SlOmw0w
Caribbean Regional Youth Consultation
Date: 23 November
Time: 6pm -8pm EST
LINK to register: https://unesco-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAldO6rqT4qGtyaUflCnUDPTV0-58ZavPHU
Arab States Regional Youth Consultation (In Arabic)
Date: 26 November
Time: 4pm -6pm CET
LINK to register: https://unesco-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMlfu-pqTsrGtG8EkoZroD3s1ICW5o9RXtE
North America Regional Youth Consultation
Date: 26 November
Time: 6:30-8:30pm CET
LINK to register: https://unesco-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUpceugrD8oHdXf9zBUGg3FMcgVYnEoR8r5
Europe Regional Youth Consultation
Date: 30 November
Time: 4:30pm-6:30pm CET
LINK to register: https://unesco-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMrcOCqrTovHdeibZGVZdLeUkaO1RgEnpgT
Asia Pacific Regional Youth Consultation (TBC)
Date: 7 December
Time: 9am-11am CET
LINK to register: https://unesco-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIpdOCtqDouGNTa612POSl15qLniUXU8QrS
Event
Transforming Education follow-up - Regional Youth Consultations
The Transforming Education Summit, convened by the UN Secretary-General and a key initiative of Our Common Agenda, was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for key stakeholders to come together and map a new path for education with a view to elevate education to the top of the global political agenda and to mobilize action, ambition, solidarity and solutions.
It created space for inter-generational dialogue between youth and key decision-makers, ensuring that young people's aspirations for the futures of education were brought to the forefront.
At the summit, the Youth Declaration on Transforming Education – a historical document representing the outcome of an extensive consultation process with nearly half a million youth from over 170 countries and territories - was presented to the Secretary-General and world leaders. Its aim is to drive political commitment on the need to transform education and build young people’s ownership over this process by outlining young people’s collective vision, demands, and commitments on education transformation.
As a follow-up to the summit, a Global Youth Initiative will provide a strategic framework for collective action to take the recommendations of the Youth Declaration forward, localize them at the regional and country levels, and support the growth of a bottom up education global movement.
In order to gather young people’s inputs on the priorities, opportunities, and challenges/supports need to transform the youth declaration recommendations into concrete actions at the local, national, and regional levels, the SDG4 Youth Network together with other youth and student networks is hosting regional youth consultations in November 2022. The input from these consultations will feed into development of the broader Global Youth Initiative, which will presented to the SDG4 High-Level Steering Committee in December 2022.
The objectives of the regional youth consultations are to:
- Gather young people’s, including young teachers', inputs focused on the priorities, opportunities, and challenges/supports needed to transform the youth declaration recommendations into concrete actions at the local, national, and regional levels.
- Help shape the Global Youth Initiative, which will take forward the recommendations of the Youth Declaration.
- Identify support needed to enable and empower young people at the country and regional levels to continue engaging meaningfully in the Summit follow up.
All young teachers, students, youth leaders, youth networks and organizations working and advocating for young people in education are welcome to attend. However, during the consultation, it is youth who will voice their ideas/inputs. A report will be prepared after each Regional youth Consultation, which will inform the development of the Global Youth Initiative.
Africa Regional Youth Consultation
Date: 17 November
Time: 3pm Dakar time / 6pm Nairobi time
LINK to register: https://unesco-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYlcO-prjovHtV9Uqk1kYE9L5Z45SlOmw0w
Caribbean Regional Youth Consultation
Date: 23 November
Time: 6pm -8pm EST
LINK to register: https://unesco-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAldO6rqT4qGtyaUflCnUDPTV0-58ZavPHU
Arab States Regional Youth Consultation (In Arabic)
Date: 26 November
Time: 4pm -6pm CET
LINK to register: https://unesco-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMlfu-pqTsrGtG8EkoZroD3s1ICW5o9RXtE
North America Regional Youth Consultation
Date: 26 November
Time: 6:30-8:30pm CET
LINK to register: https://unesco-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUpceugrD8oHdXf9zBUGg3FMcgVYnEoR8r5
Europe Regional Youth Consultation
Date: 30 November
Time: 4:30pm-6:30pm CET
LINK to register: https://unesco-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMrcOCqrTovHdeibZGVZdLeUkaO1RgEnpgT
Asia Pacific Regional Youth Consultation (TBC)
Date: 7 December
Time: 9am-11am CET
LINK to register: https://unesco-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIpdOCtqDouGNTa612POSl15qLniUXU8QrS
Event
Transforming Education follow-up - Regional Youth Consultations
The Transforming Education Summit, convened by the UN Secretary-General and a key initiative of Our Common Agenda, was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for key stakeholders to come together and map a new path for education with a view to elevate education to the top of the global political agenda and to mobilize action, ambition, solidarity and solutions.
It created space for inter-generational dialogue between youth and key decision-makers, ensuring that young people's aspirations for the futures of education were brought to the forefront.
At the summit, the Youth Declaration on Transforming Education – a historical document representing the outcome of an extensive consultation process with nearly half a million youth from over 170 countries and territories - was presented to the Secretary-General and world leaders. Its aim is to drive political commitment on the need to transform education and build young people’s ownership over this process by outlining young people’s collective vision, demands, and commitments on education transformation.
As a follow-up to the summit, a Global Youth Initiative will provide a strategic framework for collective action to take the recommendations of the Youth Declaration forward, localize them at the regional and country levels, and support the growth of a bottom up education global movement.
In order to gather young people’s inputs on the priorities, opportunities, and challenges/supports need to transform the youth declaration recommendations into concrete actions at the local, national, and regional levels, the SDG4 Youth Network together with other youth and student networks is hosting regional youth consultations in November 2022. The input from these consultations will feed into development of the broader Global Youth Initiative, which will presented to the SDG4 High-Level Steering Committee in December 2022.
The objectives of the regional youth consultations are to:
- Gather young people’s, including young teachers', inputs focused on the priorities, opportunities, and challenges/supports needed to transform the youth declaration recommendations into concrete actions at the local, national, and regional levels.
- Help shape the Global Youth Initiative, which will take forward the recommendations of the Youth Declaration.
- Identify support needed to enable and empower young people at the country and regional levels to continue engaging meaningfully in the Summit follow up.
All young teachers, students, youth leaders, youth networks and organizations working and advocating for young people in education are welcome to attend. However, during the consultation, it is youth who will voice their ideas/inputs. A report will be prepared after each Regional youth Consultation, which will inform the development of the Global Youth Initiative.
Africa Regional Youth Consultation
Date: 17 November
Time: 3pm Dakar time / 6pm Nairobi time
LINK to register: https://unesco-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYlcO-prjovHtV9Uqk1kYE9L5Z45SlOmw0w
Caribbean Regional Youth Consultation
Date: 23 November
Time: 6pm -8pm EST
LINK to register: https://unesco-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAldO6rqT4qGtyaUflCnUDPTV0-58ZavPHU
Arab States Regional Youth Consultation (In Arabic)
Date: 26 November
Time: 4pm -6pm CET
LINK to register: https://unesco-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMlfu-pqTsrGtG8EkoZroD3s1ICW5o9RXtE
North America Regional Youth Consultation
Date: 26 November
Time: 6:30-8:30pm CET
LINK to register: https://unesco-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUpceugrD8oHdXf9zBUGg3FMcgVYnEoR8r5
Europe Regional Youth Consultation
Date: 30 November
Time: 4:30pm-6:30pm CET
LINK to register: https://unesco-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMrcOCqrTovHdeibZGVZdLeUkaO1RgEnpgT
Asia Pacific Regional Youth Consultation (TBC)
Date: 7 December
Time: 9am-11am CET
LINK to register: https://unesco-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIpdOCtqDouGNTa612POSl15qLniUXU8QrS
Report
Transforming the education workforce: Learning teams for a learning generation
This report, produced by the Education Commission's Education Workforce Initiative, offers visions for the urgent action needed to strengthen, diversify, and reimagine an education workforce to...
Event
Online Meetup of the ETF Community of Innovative Educators
On the 28-29 November, during the European Training Foundation (ETF) New Learning event in Torino, the winners of the 2022 ETF Innovative Teaching and Learning Award will be announced (streaming on the 29th at 16:00 CET here), and the most effective strategies to support teaching innovation will be discussed by and with innovators.
The results of this event will then be shared with the whole ETF Community of Innovative Educators through a webinar, where participants will also be able to discuss the 2023 plans of the community, expressing ideas and interests.
The event is open to anyone interested, it will take place online and will be delivered in English, Arabic and Russian.
How to register? If you wish to participate in the online event, please click HERE to fill in the registration form for this event.
Blog
#TeachersTransform hard-to-staff schools: How a teacher helped her learners thrive against all odds
“There are so many teachers willing to go the extra mile, but they shouldn’t have to risk their lives. If there are supportive systems and structures in place, it gives them the tools they need to help their learners.”
Just a decade ago, Oke-Odo Senior High School in Lagos, Nigeria was one of the most underperforming, hard-to-staff schools in the country. Today, its students are excelling in international competitions, and the exam results have set the standard for other schools to follow.
How did they get here?
Situated in the district of Alimosho, Oke-Odo is one of just four secondary schools serving an impoverished community of over 1.3 million people. It is just a few miles from two of Nigeria’s biggest markets, and one of the region’s main refuse dumps. The noise, the crowds, and the smell of rotting garbage can often be overwhelming for first-time visitors.
But when Adeola Adefemi began teaching there in 2013, she looked past the environment and saw the potential in her students.
“I looked into their faces, and I thought, ‘this is not their fault’. Where they were born shouldn’t affect their future. I realized how resilient they were, and I knew that I was here to spark change in them, so that they could transform their communities.”
Oke-Odo was just one of thousands of schools around the world struggling to attract qualified teachers. According to research by the Center for Global Development, schools in poor areas that perform badly are difficult to staff. Schools in high-poverty urban areas may have less discretionary funding or lack other amenities. This makes recruiting and retaining teachers—especially highly-qualified teachers—a consistent challenge.
Creating opportunities for her students to excel
Adeola didn’t allow the lack of resources at the school to negatively impact her teaching. Instead, she started several extramural clubs for poetry, writing, public speaking, debate, and drama at the school. Then she started entering her students in inter-school, state, and national competitions to build their confidence.
Within a year, the school had won over 30 local and international competitions.
“One of the main things I did right from the beginning, was build connections with my students. Many of them come from very harsh environments. Some are the main breadwinners for their families, so they come to school in the day, and work in the market at night.
“I wanted to help my students believe in themselves and to realize that they weren’t trapped by their environment. So I started the Every Child Counts mentorship programme and the Child Not Bride campaign which uses poetry and plays to raise awareness about the dangers of female genital mutilation (FGM) and child marriage.
“One of my most encouraging moments was seeing a student overcome his stutter and learning difficulties to represent Nigeria at a competition in the UK,” recalls Adeola. “He won the essay competition! Now he is studying metallurgical engineering.”
“His story is motivating for me, and all my other students too. But, imagine how much more we could do with more access to resources and support?”
Obstacles to attracting teachers to hard-to-staff schools
Besides low teacher salaries, Adeola believes there are three main obstacles that prevent qualified and passionate teachers from taking up positions in hard-to-staff schools like Oke-Odo.
“One of the main issues is overcrowding in classrooms. It’s not just that it’s difficult to teach with such a high teacher-learner ratio, it’s the extra work that needs to be done. Teachers end up marking 1000 or more papers a week. It’s just not feasible.”
Adeola also believes that safety is a key issue when it comes to hard-to-staff schools.
“When you teach in a school like this, there are lots of social issues and safety issues you face every day. In such an overcrowded and impoverished population, there’s a lot of violence in homes, and that comes into the classroom. I’ve had to help a number of my students report sexual abuse, and identify suitable support for them to deal with the trauma. And I have had to visit a girl’s parents to persuade them to allow her to continue her education instead of getting married. I have been at risk many times, inside and outside of school.”
Support for teachers is something that Adeola believes is critical. “We need support to do our jobs. From access to simple things like books and stationery to digital tools and social and governmental support structures.
“We carry a huge burden of responsibility for our learners. We’re not just teaching lessons, we are advocating for our students, and helping them to build better lives for themselves. We need to know that when we raise an issue - like one of my learners being raped, or forced into marriage – that it will be dealt with speedily by the authorities.
“There are so many teachers willing to go the extra mile, but they shouldn’t have to risk their lives. If there are supportive systems and structures in place, it gives us the tools we need to help our learners.”
What can be done to attract more teachers to hard-to-staff schools?
To help address the issue of overcrowding and lack of support, more government funding can be allocated to schools in poorer areas to help employ more teachers, build more classrooms, and develop more supportive structures.
Research shows that in low-income countries, the share of public education resources that goes to the poorest children is 10%, while 38% goes to the richest. Governments need to adopt resource allocation policies that explicitly focus on the most vulnerable children.
UNESCO-IIEP’s teacher toolkit highlights the difficulties of attracting female teachers and ensuring their safety. To help make schools a safe space for teaching and learning, school policies should tackle gender-based violence, promote a supportive peer network for teachers, and include mentorship programmes.
The success of Adeola’s students proves that passionate teachers can help transform the lives of learners and their communities. But imagine how many more children could be reached if more was done to help meet the needs of teachers in hard-to-staff schools?
“I think the major thing every teacher wants is support - from other teachers, the head teacher, parents, the community, and the government. We need to know that we are not alone.”
Read more:
- #TeachersTransform advocacy campaign
- Closing the gap – Ensuring there are enough qualified and supported teachers in sub-Saharan Africa
Photo credit: Adeola Adefemi