Catalyzing a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine education
From a stumbling block to a building block: Experts at UNICEF explore the challenges, opportunities and initiatives to drive real and meaningful change in education.
Even before COVID-19, we faced the mounting challenge of a global learning crisis. 260 million children were not in school. Those who were, were learning very little, with 53% of 10 year olds in low- and middle-income countries unable to read and understand a simple text. Now, after two years of disruptions to schooling, that may increase to 70%. Nearly 1.6 billion children were affected by school closures, costing this generation around $17 trillion in lifetime earnings. What’s more, an estimated 24 million children are at risk of never returning to school, and girls face heightened risks, such as early marriage and pregnancy.
Tackling a growing learning crisis on top of a global pandemic has been an uphill battle, yet the global community has seized opportunities for innovation in education, and public-private partnerships have enabled strengthened infrastructure and uptake of multi-modal approaches and technologies — including mobile, radio, TV and printed kits to reach the most marginalized, as well as high-tech digital solutions and online platforms.
“Two thirds of the world’s school-age children having no Internet connection at home.”
However, for many — especially the most marginalized children — remote learning opportunities are still limited or inaccessible, with two thirds of the world’s school-age children having no Internet connection at home. At least 463 million children were not reached by digital and broadcast programmes at all, especially those living in rural areas and/or poor households. The devastating reality is that the actual number may be even higher.
This is why, with a commitment to children and their futures, UNICEF set an ambitious goal to reach 3.5 billion children and young people by 2030 with world-class digital learning solutions through its Reimagine Education Initiative. To achieve this, acceleration in infrastructure development, access to devices for learners, and affordable connectivity are needed, in tandem with capacity building and a paradigm shift in the role of teachers and technology in and outside of the classroom. This builds on the projected growth of the online education market, estimated to reach $350 billion by 2025.
UNICEF has been engaging in partnerships for impact through flagship initiatives such as the Learning Passport, developed together with Microsoft and listed in the TIME’s 100 Best Inventions of 2021. This platform has supported learning for more than 2 million users in 20 countries (and counting) through its flexible online, mobile and offline features. Another example of a successful partnership has been Akelius Language Learning, providing digital learning opportunities for refugees and migrants in nine countries. And there are many more examples of such partnerships and solutions.
“Technology in education is no longer a nice to have — it is a necessity that is here to stay.”
Technologies can already offer so much, such as engaging interactive content and boundless opportunities for learning, collaboration, communication, creativity, and innovation. Adaptive learning and AI can make learning more personalized, effective and fun, adjusting automatically to children’s abilities, preferences and learning levels. Already existing programs, such as Mindspark, can support improvements in learning outcomes in various subjects by adapting to learners’ progress and providing feedback. Linking back to the global learning crisis, digital learning holds tremendous untapped potential for developing foundational literacy and numeracy skills. But none of this will be fully leveraged if the ‘digital chasm’ continues to widen.
Technology in education is no longer a nice to have — it is a necessity that is here to stay. According to UNICEF estimates, universalizing digital learning by 2030 will require $1.4 trillion. While it is ambitious to reach all children with digital learning opportunities by 2030, it is achievable if public and private partners come together to build on the promising investments, partnerships and strides made in recent years to prioritize underserved areas and populations. We must seize and accelerate this once-in-a-generation opportunity to drive real and meaningful change to reimagine education.
Thank you to Robert Jenkins, Director of Education and Adolescent Development, Auken Tungatarova, Juan-Pablo Giraldo, Rachel Cooper, and Frank Van Cappelle. UNICEF.
This article was originally published in the X Report — a monthly newsletter published by EdTechX which shares features based on current trends in the world of learning and training.
