Bandung, 29 July 2022 –
The third G20 Education Working Group/EdWG held on 27-28 July 2022 discussed the third and fourth priority agendas of the education sector. The discussion on the Solidarity and Partnership as well as the Future of Work Post-Covid 19 agendas aimed to achieve a global-scale gotong royong-working together to achieve common goals-in preparing students with relevant skills needed in the future.
Chair of the G20 EdWG, Dr. Iwan Syahril stated, "The pandemic has highlighted the urgent need to bring about substantial change and transformation in the system, not only at the national level but as a global movement. Because students all across the world, at all levels and ages, are suffering from learning loss. The loss of access to education during the pandemic substantially affects the whole process of learning, which in the long term might hinder their journey in realizing their dreams in the future."
At the third EdWG G20, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (MoECRT) of the Republic of Indonesia also invited Civil20 and Think20 engagement groups; international organizations that include UNICEF, UNESCO and OECD; as well as the G20 Employment Working Group/EWG.
The representatives delivered updated information to highlight the relevance of the G20 EdWG priority agendas to the aspirations of larger stakeholders in the education as well as the employment sectors.
In the meeting, UNESCO delivered the G20 Skills Strategy developed together with the G20 EWG to support the development of the approach of lifelong learning.
UNESCO's Division for Policies and Lifelong Learning Systems Director Borhene Chakroun explained that the education system does not only answer the transition of jobs, but can also shape the job market. These needs can be addressed by changing pedagogy, adapting curricula, upgrading the role of teachers, protecting and reimagining schools, as well as promoting new learning spaces.
"Various useful opinions to recover the education sector were delivered during series of discussions with working groups and international organizations outside the G20 EdWG meeting. I sincerely hope that we all can learn from the experiences and information shared during this session, making them an inspiration to develop the best approach possible to transform the education system," stated Dr.Syahril.
