Building the Future of Education in a Post-Pandemic World
Throughout the ages, WISE men and women from Confucius in the East to Aristotle in the West, have declared that education is central to the human condition. John Dewey went as far as saying that “education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” Yet, despite such lofty proclamations the past 200-odd years, which […]
What if Kindness Is the New Normal? A Call to Re-Imagine the Purpose of Education in the Post-COVID World
The United Nations has described the global scale of education disruption from COVID-19 as “unparalleled.” According to UNESCO monitoring, at the peak in early April, national and local closures have impacted about 91.3 percent of the world’s student population. While students across the board have been impacted, it is important to understand the impact on children […]
All Emotions Are Information
We hear it every day, from every sector of society, and across the world. An engaged, friendly child becomes increasingly hostile. A child who was once bright and bubbly becomes lethargic and barely functional. A child who once had a sense of well-being now suffers crippling anxiety. And in the worst case scenarios, a […]
Education Disrupted: Stories from the Frontline of COVID-19’s Education Crisis
The global disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is unparalleled. Overnight, entire economies, education systems, and social infrastructures came to a grinding halt, laying bare the interconnectedness of our modern world and the vulnerability that comes with it. As widespread physical lockdown lurks as an ever-present reality, the question arises how to develop systems […]
The New Normal: Online Professional Development for School Leaders
During the COVID-19 pandemic, school leaders have played a central role in shutting schools, ensuring student well-being, engaging students in learning, and planning for eventual school re-opening. As there was no playbook for this transition, we engaged school leaders through a series of virtual workshops to guide them. This article contributes to the nascent […]
Love in a Time of COVID-19 Snapshots from the Frontline: Interventions, Practices, and Rapid Responses
For a decade, Symphonia for South Africa (SSA) has mobilized active citizenship, fostered cross-sectoral collaboration, and built social fabric around the critical issues facing South Africa. Our flagship programme Partners for Possibility (PfP) focuses specifically on the country’s education crisis. PfP is a leadership development programme that partners principals of under-resourced schools with business […]
What Next for Children Furthest Behind?
As education actors around the globe consider the current crisis, I have been struck by the possibility of building back better. How can we leverage lessons from this season of crisis to do better for all children in the future? There are five key lessons from Dignitas’ initial response that I know have a […]
The Elephant in the Room
Throughout the past months we have participated in many round table discussions and webinars with our colleagues from around the world, comparing and reflecting on our countries’ different responses to the COVID-19 pandemic through the lens of education. At Fondazione per la Scuola della Compagnia di San Paolo, we also recently had the honor of […]
Connecting Through Professional Learning
As part of its response to the COVID-19 crisis, the Ontario Principals’ Council offered daily professional learning sessions to its members. Following a short survey, the daily sessions were offered to school leaders regardless of their affiliation. These sessions have been well received and provided some learning opportunities, not only for school administrators, but also […]
Teach for Morocco’s COVID-19 Response “Stay Safe and Keep Learning”
In light of increasing cases of COVID-19, the Moroccan Government announced on March 13, 2020 that classes of all schools (early childhood schools, primary schools, secondary schools, inclusive schools, and private schools) would be suspended until further notice. In response, Teach For Morocco (TFM) launched a virtual teaching plan for early childhood education under […]