EDUCATION MINISTERS: PLANNING BEYOND 2015
Commonwealth education ministers meeting in Malaysia in June reaffirmed their commitment to internationally agreed education goals, while emphasising the need to plan beyond 2015.
Delegations from 40 countries, of which 37 were led by ministers, attended the 17th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (17CCEM) held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 15 to 18 June 2009. This year’s conference celebrated 50 years of Commonwealth education ministers meetings and was the largest ever gathering of its kind, with about 1,200 delegates attending the various events.
During 17CCEM, the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan Endowment Fund was launched with contributions of £1.4 million so far. Ministers also agreed to commence work towards establishing a Tertiary Education Facility in the Commonwealth.
The ministerial meeting was supported by four parallel forums representing teachers, university vice-chancellors, youth, and civil society and the private sector. All forums developed communiqués, which will be presented to Commonwealth Heads of Government when they meet in Trinidad & Tobago in December. 17CCEM’s theme was “Educaton in the Commonwealth: Towards and beyond global goals and targets”.
COL was quite visible through presentations by staff and board members, as well as programme partners, at Ministerial plenaries and roundtables, the Vice-Chancellors Forum, the Stakeholders Forum, the Youth Forum and the Exhibition. Open and distance learning was prominent throughout the various aspects of 17CCEM.
A meeting of COL’s Board of Governors also took place in conjunction with 17CCEM.
STAKEHOLDERS FORUM
Stakeholders representing civil society and the private sector released a communiqué that noted the uneven progress in educational development since the 16th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers in 2006. The Stakeholders Forum highlighted the continued need for action in four areas: access, equity, efficiency and effectiveness. They urged Ministers to consider these issues when taking steps to improve the reach and quality of investment in education.
VICE-CHANCELLORS FORUM
Vice-Chancellors from 180 Commonwealth universities discussed issues related to higher education, ranging from the impact of the global recession and commitment to global development goals to equitable access and the contribution of ODL. The 2009 Kuala Lumpur Higher Education Declaration, released as a self-standing declaration by the Vice-Chancellors Forum, called upon Commonwealth Ministers of Education to foster a strong and sustainable university sector by:
• ensuring there are appropriate processes for accreditation of universities,
• ensuring that universities have access to adequate funding for teaching, research and community engagement, and
• maintaining the appropriate balance between university autonomy and public accountability.
YOUTH FORUM
The 17CCEM Youth Forum included student leaders, successful young people outside of formal education, disabled persons, people from marginalised groups and Commonwealth Regional Youth Caucus representatives. In their statement to the Education Ministers, the Youth Forum made recommendations in three areas:
• Student representation: Students should be involved in decision-making bodies within the education system.
• Mode of delivery: Arguing that traditional methods of teaching are not adequate in this age, the Youth Forum advised Ministers to facilitate the use of information and communications technologies (ICTs) and establish a special Commonwealth fund for ICTs in education.
• School to life transition: Vocational and technical disciplines should be incorporated into the mainstream system, and work experience and community involvement should be a mandatory part of the education process.
TEACHERS FORUM
Teacher organisations from 29 Commonwealth countries urged their governments to invest in teachers and in developing the teaching profession. The current financial crisis cannot be used as a pretext for failing to invest in education, participants asserted. A statement developed by the Teachers Forum addressed issues of teacher professionalism, teacher motivation and effectiveness, and the role of teachers in addressing diversity. The Forum called upon Commonwealth Ministers to protect and increase investment in education.
MINISTERS MEETING
Ministers concurred with many of the recommendations from the forums. Specifically, they recognised the importance of:
• delivering improved access to early childhood care and education,
• improved access to secondary education,
• expanded access to skills development and higher education,
• improvements in the quality and professionalism of teachers,
• good governance in education administration, and
• “gender mainstreaming” across all interventions.
Ministers also agreed with the need for partnerships at all levels, the vital role of teachers and the need to provide them with necessary support structures, the importance of youth involvement at all levels in policy dialogue and curriculum development, the importance of information and communications technologies, the need to ensure diverse and inclusive education and the importance of involving communities.
COL’S ROLE AFFIRMED
Ministers also endorsed COL’s Three-Year Plan for 2009-2012 at CCEM. COL received praise in the ministerial communiqué:
13. Ministers commended the Commonwealth of Learning on its work since 16CCEM; endorsed the three-year plan for 2009-12 ‘Learning for Development’; and reiterated commitments to continued financial support. Ministers especially praised the work of the Virtual University for Small States of the Commonwealth (VUSSC), and encouraged its expansion in terms of capacity-building in the use of ICTs in education, and the development and delivery of courses, with particular emphasis on mechanisms for quality assurance.
17CCEM was organised by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia and the Commonwealth Secretariat, in collaboration with other partners, including COL. The next Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers will be held in the Bahamas in 2012.
www.col.org/3yp
www.17ccem.com
www.thecommonwealth.org/news/34580/34581/208273/180609educationcommunique.htm