The RewirEd Summit, which was held at Expo 2020 Dubai, ended in the presence of Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, local reports have said.
The three-day summit was organized under the theme of Education Financing, and featured major announcements, discussions, and programs launched on worldwide transformation of education systems.
The summit is a part of RewirEd, a global platform to rewire education for a prosperous and sustainable future.
It was attended by 2,000 participants across the world and 450 speakers from 60 countries contributed on high-level panels, sessions, and discussions.
A total of five presidents and 45 ministers across the world appeared in the summit and endorsed the idea of transforming education system globally while also delivering quality education.
They are also said to have applauded the UAE for its approach in delivering quality education and for being an exemplar for other countries, as in response to outbreak of coronavirus it had immediately started distance-learning across all public and private schools and even in higher education institutions as well.
Tariq Al Gurg, Chief Executive Officer and Vice-Chairman of Dubai Cares, requested world leaders to use this opportunity to fulfil their commitment to expand their support to education.
The final day ended with a high-level opening panel titled with Education – An Investment for a Sustainable and Prosperous Future for All.
Speakers included the UN’s Special Envoy for Education and former Prime Minister of the UK, Gordon Brown; Indonesia’s Minister of Finance Mulyani Indrawati, and the UNHCR High Commissioner Filippo Grandi.
Brown said, “We are at a critical turning point. We know the scale of the damage from COVID-19. Millions of pupils’ learning time has been lost. Two thirds of countries are cutting education budgets; we are creating an unparalleled crisis. Countries must see education as indispensable. Education spending should be treated as an investment; it is an investment in the future.”
Grandi said: “The pandemic threatens to reverse the important gains we have all made. It is critical that we do not forget forcibly displaced children and youth who aspire for better opportunities. $4.85 billion is required to ensure that all refugees have access to a quality education. This is a relatively small investment to ensure they have access to a more equitable world. The time to double our investments in education is upon us. Now it is time to invest in a future that is prosperous, sustainable and innovative for all.”
Deputy Executive Director of World Food Program (WFP), Amir Abdullah, said: “Costs should not be borne by the education sector alone. Everyone needs to be around the table. We have to support the learning and the learner. We need to shout this from the rooftops of Dubai; we have to think about the learning and the learner. We need to connect all sectors so that no child goes to school hungry; school health and nutrition should also feature prominently here.”
The launch of RewirEd Declaration on Connectivity for Education was the major announcement of this summit which was developed by UNESCO along with Dubai Cares.
The declaration presents framework to ensure that connected technology better supports the right to education, drawing attention on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.
An advisory group of 22 people and a global consultation process involving governments, civil society, youth, teachers, researchers, private sector organisations, along with other stakeholder groups came together under this declaration to establish directions and priorities for the digital transformation of education.
RewirEd will inform the outcome of this three days summit in the UN Summit on the Transformation of Education which is to held in September 2022.