The 20th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers will take place in Nadi, Fiji on February 19-23, 2018 to deliberate on the theme `Sustainability and Resilience: Can Education Deliver?’
The 20th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers will take place in Nadi, Fiji on February 19-23, 2018 to deliberate on the theme `Sustainability and Resilience: Can Education Deliver?’
Education Ministers from around the Commonwealth will meet to discuss sustainable development in relation to education policy and infrastructure.
The theme was decided in June 2017 at a steering committee meeting at Marlborough House, the Commonwealth headquarters in London.
Attendees included representatives from the Commonwealth Secretariat and Fiji government, education experts and delegates from the Association of Commonwealth Universities and teachers’ unions.
Sub-themes were also announced, with a focus on Technical and Vocational Education and Training, a shift from projects to mainstream delivery in an ICT expansion, and the issue of climate change.
The education conference will include an integrated partners’ forum for students, teachers, higher education leaders and civil society and, for the second time since the conference’s inauguration in 1959, a forum for Small States Ministers.
Speaking at the committee meeting in June, the Permanent Secretary of Education, Iowane Tiko, said: “This theme is expected to stress and address the important mitigation measures for climate change and globalisation through partnerships and to build resilience for sustainable development.
“The theme will set the platform for the development of a policy agenda to address the climate change crisis faced by Fiji and other Small Island States.”
Commonwealth Deputy-Secretary-General Josephine Ojiambo said: “There are still 17 million primary-aged children and 16 million young people out of school and more than 400 million adults are illiterate.
“20CCEM will be a pivotal discussion on what Commonwealth countries need to do to address these education challenges and to realise the Sustainable Development Goals.
“The chosen theme will ensure that the focus of deliberations remains on how education systems can be better designed to respond to global concerns such as climate change and migration, and deliver skills development, smooth transitions into employment and cultural and traditional knowledge.”
