Inclusive Education in the Covid-19 Era

This year’s Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report addresses the theme of inclusion in education. In light of the spread of Covid-19 – which has highlighted, and indeed exacerbated, existing inequalities facing many learners around the world – the information presented in the 2020 GEM Report could not be more timely and relevant.

Globally, education decision-makers and stakeholders are coming to terms with the myriad challenges confronting their systems and learners, and grappling with the question of how to take advantage of the opportunity to ‘build back better’. In Kuwait, as in many countries around the world, the closures of schools, colleges and universities vividly illustrated the growing digital divide through stark disparities in access to technology and connectivity for students and educators alike.

Households with no or limited internet connectivity, and no or only one computer, struggled to ensure learning continued at home especially if those families included more than one school-aged child. Children and youth with learning difficulties or disabilities continue to confront additional challenges presented by remote learning modalities, as have those whose parents have limited ICT literacy and skills.

Because inequalities and vulnerabilities are intersectional – meaning that they are often correlated and have compounding effects on each other – it is incumbent upon decision-makers and stakeholders to take a holistic approach to their resolution. What policies, practices, training, and support can be put in place to bridge this gap? What measures can mitigate the impact of Covid-19, avoiding this gap to be widened? How to prepare for school reopening, amid the challenges of increased inequalities in the access to quality education? What steps must be taken by the State of Kuwait to guarantee the inclusion of such marginalized learners? How can education partners and stakeholders help to ensure all learners have access to quality and inclusive education? The UN75 Talk on Education aims to unpack the above challenges and issues, take stock of the current education situation in Kuwait and, with support of education partners and stakeholders, identify opportunities and map out recommendations to address them. In doing so, this Talk will draw lessons and build upon and insights and perspectives from speakers and panelists, as well as other participants with a view to helping the State of Kuwait develop and/or enhance its ongoing response to education disruptions.