Action Blog

GCE-US Youth Advocate, Taylor Rogers, shares her experience advocating at the GCE Youth Caucus, of the Global Campaign for Education’s 6th World Assembly 2018. 

GCE-US Recognizes the 2018 International Day of Persons with Disabilities by Highlighting the USAID How-To Note on Disability Inclusive Education. 

The annual World Development Report (WDR) is the World Bank’s flagship publication.  The 2018 report is entitled Learning to Realize Education’s Promise.  While this WDR has been out for a year, it is still worth reflecting on its content.  In the 40 year history of the WDR, this is the first time its focus has been on education.  Many commentators have welcomed this as needed in this time when education systems around the world face so many challenges.  I am less sanguine.  While the report has some redeeming features, I see it as part of the Bank’s long-term very narrow – even for economists – view of education.

Expanding Student Learning Without Leaving the Classroom: The Promise of Online Learning & Virtual Exchange

The internet proposed a great promise: anyone from anywhere could connect to exchange information and ideas. As the number of devices that connect to the internet across the world and access to the internet grows, the number of possible connections also grows exponentially. At the forefront of utilizing this new technology are current K-12 students, who find it increasingly natural to learn and connect using computers, tablets, or any other internet-connected device. With the number of connections now available at their fingertips, it is a logical next step to use internet-connected devices in the classroom to increase students’ quality of education and ability to connect with the rest of the world.

GCE-US, Girl Up, and She's the First speak to Donell Edwards, of the CRW Network, on their work toward ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education globally. 

Teachers in rural Nepal, where Educate the Children works, are disadvantaged in many ways. They are often undereducated themselves. They are usually paid poorly, particularly in public (government) schools. They routinely suffer from lack of adequate classroom furniture and supplies. Most have few or no professional development opportunities, and tend to be isolated from peers other than those at their own schools. 

Educate the Children discusses their experience working with Nepal's rural schools to move beyond rote learning by promoting a well-rounded approach to teaching and the overall educational experience for children and teachers of all grade levels from pre-kindergarten through high school.

The world is witnessing the highest levels of displacement since the Second World War. 65.6 million people have been forcibly displaced from their homes.  Among them are nearly 22.5 million refugees, over half of whom are under the age of 18. 

"In January 2015, the World Assembly of the Global Campaign for Education formally recognised the need to represent and include youth-led movements more formally in its structure. Many of our members already work in partnership with youth-led organisations, and it was time to give them the place they deserve in the global education civil society movement. 
This year, the GCE goes one step further by hosting a Youth Caucus during our World Assembly in November.
The idea? Let the Youth exchange and debate, and have their voice heard in the definition of GCE’s new strategic plan and policy positions." From the Global Campaign for Education

The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) community has long understood the importance of the early years in developing the foundational skills and attitudes necessary for children to become engaged, global citizens. It is during the period from birth to age eight that children discover who they are, start to explore their own identity, and begin to appreciate the unique identities of others. By learning to be together and work together, they form the building blocks for global citizenship including fairness, empathy, tolerance, and responsibility. As children's perspectives expand to encompass their school, community, nation, and the world, they take the first steps toward adopting the mindset of a global citizen—one who recognizes that in an increasingly interconnected world, we all must learn to respect one another, work together to address shared human challenges, and take action to create a more peaceful, just, and sustainable future for all.