We must unite to make education an inclusive right for children globally: Sheikha Moza

Qatar's efforts in Education have been extraordinary. Through national and private institutions of higher education, the country has been working in partnership with international as well as non-profit organizations to provide educational opportunities to millions of young people, children, displaced persons around the world.

Last month, the country celebrated a significant step toward advancing the right to education globally as the world marked the first International Day to Protect Education from Attack.

The day was formally recognized under United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/74/275, in an effort spearheaded by Her Highness Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser, Chairperson of Education Above All (EAA) Foundation and UN Sustainable Development Goals advocate, on behalf of the State of Qatar.

Drawing attention to the accessibility of education especially under the current times, HH Sheikha Moza spoke at an extraordinary session on Education Post-COVID-19 of the Global Education Meeting (2020 GEM).

The session was co-hosted by the governments of Ghana, Norway, the United Kingdom and UNESCO.

Addressing the session, Sheikha Moza called for cross-sector collaboration to ensure equity in digital learning for children and youth globally, particularly those marginalized.

"We must rise to the challenge and democratize digital learning, humanize technology and customize curriculum," Sheikha Moza said.

"We must unite across different sectors to make digital learning an inclusive right for the most marginalized children and youth across the globe," she added.

She further underlined that "We also cannot return to the traditional mode of education, measured by the quantity of knowledge 'deposited' into the minds of students. We need to develop technologies that support personalized learning, so learners can proceed at their own pace and educators can adapt to learners' specific needs and circumstances, without disruption."

She also pointed out that the COVID-19 situation shows us the creativity of the human mind in dealing with existential challenges with innovative solutions.

"I ask tech companies to step up and contribute to closing the digital gap by directing their efforts to scale up these innovative, grassroots solutions. Collaboration across sectors and innovation is the only way forward. Let us seize this moment to build a new future - a future that leaves no one without access to digital learning behind."

Other speakers at the session included: Nana Akufo-Addo, the President of the Republic of Ghana; Antonio Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General; Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of Norway; Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General; Baroness Sugg, UK Minister for Foreign Affairs and Development; Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director-General for Education, Unesco; Jayathma Wickramanayake, UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth; among others.

---

Make sure to check out our social media to keep track of the latest content.

Instagram - @qatarliving

Twitter - @qatarliving

Facebook - Qatar Living

YouTube - qatarlivingofficial