Building on the global momentum generated by the UN Transforming Education Summit (TES) in September 2022, this year’s International Day of Education called for maintaining strong political mobilization around education and chart the way to translate commitments and global initiatives into action.
In that context, the Ministry of Education and the UN in Jordan jointly organized a post-TES Conference on 24th January 2023. Jordan is the lead country in the Arab region for TES follow-ups. The International Day of Education was a unique opportunity to keep up the pressure, building on TES national vision statements, global initiatives and the global youth movement to accelerate transformation and progress towards SDG 4. In Jordan, it was an opportunity to bring together the Ministry of Education, government and non-government stakeholders working in education, UN agencies, donors, civil society organizations and youth. As a direct follow-up to the TES convened by the UN Secretary General last September, this post-TES event supported promoting and showcasing of the Jordan national statement of commitment at country level and aimed to mobilize further support and partnerships for translating it into action.
The national commitments of Jordan were unpacked and priority actions presented for discussion and validation. This was done over three panels covering three overall thematic, comprising of all national commitments presented by Jordan at the TES in September 2022:
- Under system strengthening, transforming education was discussed related, for instance, to adopting preventive measures for future potential crises, through risk and crisis management; to optimizing the planning of school infrastructure, maintenance and resources to accommodate increased demand, safety and accessibility for all; to further investing in Jordan’s Education Management Information System for evidence-based policy making; to continuing into translating SDG4 priorities into national planning and monitoring; or to further investing in education as key to the transformation of education agenda.
- Under inclusion and diversity in education, transforming education was discussed as it related to laying the foundations of learning through universalization of Kindergarten; to addressing learning losses, particularly for the most vulnerable; or to providing enabling, safe, healthy, and accessible learning environments and support systems for all children, particularly for the most vulnerable, such as children with disabilities and refugee children.
- Under technical and vocational education and training (TVET), transforming education was discussed as it related to reforming the TVET system, to enhance quality and relevance, and respond to the requirements of the labor market; to skills for all individuals to learn, work, and live; to develop skills for inclusive and sustainable economies; or to youth engagement.
Inclusion and diversity in education has been at the heart of the transforming education agenda for Jordan. The Conference was also an opportunity to discuss relevant global commitments that support this agenda such as the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR), which represents a unique and transformative opportunity to build on positive trends and strengthen refugee responses for the benefit of both refugees and host communities.
