On International Day of Education, the UN reiterates support for Kuwait’s national education system

Kuwait, 24 January 2021 - This year’s celebration of the International Day of Education - the third since its proclamation by the UN General Assembly - occurs amidst an unprecedented global disruption in education caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The statistics in terms of scale and severity are truly devastating: The closure of schools, universities, and other learning institutions, as well as the interruption of many literacy and lifelong learning programmes, has affected the lives of 1.6 billion students in over 190 countries.

Even today, one year into the pandemic, 258 million children and youth worldwide still do not attend school. Without inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong opportunities for all, countries will not succeed in breaking the cycle of poverty, leaving millions of children, youth and adults behind.

In line with the global 2021 theme of “Learning for People, Planet, Prosperity and Peace”, celebrations of the International Day of Education in many countries, including Kuwait, will focus on the ways that government can help strengthen educational systems to empower people, protect the planet, build shared prosperity, and foster peace.

On this occasion, under the leadership of the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator in coordination with UNICEF and UNESCO Representatives in GCC and Kuwait are using this occasion to reiterate their resolve to support the Government of Kuwait and its line ministries to strengthen the education system and build back better after the COVID-19 pandemic.

 “As we celebrate the International Day of Education, We must continue to prioritize education for all children in Kuwait, including the youngest ones. Now is the time to power education by stepping up collaboration and solidarity to place education and lifelong learning at the centre of the recovery. Recovering from the pandemic offers an opportunity to strengthen the Kuwaiti society to ensure that no one is left behind” points out Dr. Tarek El-Sheikh, Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General and Resident Coordinator to the state of Kuwait.

The pandemic has caused the most profound disruption to education ever experienced in our lifetime and has amplified social, economic and digital inequalities; it has put a generation at risk of a learning catastrophe, as the UN Secretary-General warned in his Policy Brief on Education and COVID19.

Simultaneously, the pandemic has highlighted the importance and centrality of education for every society, as a public common good and the bedrock of social cohesion, well-being and opportunity. This is evident in many countries, including the highly developed and high-income ones, that are facing second and third waves of COVID-19, but are prioritizing reopening of schools and learning institutions.

“This third International Day of Education takes place in the wake of the largest ever educational disruption: at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, 1.6 billion students were affected by the closure of schools, universities and other learning institutions in 190 countries. We estimate that two thirds of the student population – one billion students – are still facing major interruptions to their schooling, ranging from across-the-board school closures in over 20 countries to reduced or part-time academic schedules in many others. Education acts as bulwark against inequalities; a driver of economic and social development and the basis for nurturing responsible, democratic citizenship. It contributes to all the Sustainable Development Goals. It must be a top priority in the recovery. This Day aims to mobilise all education actors, and our collective partnerships to protect and mobilize equitable funding for education; give voice to 'community heroes' who acted to leave no learner behind during school closures and present innovations that pave the way towards more resilient and inclusive education systems” mentioned Dr. Anna Paolini, UNESCO Representative in the Arab States, the Gulf and Yemen, Doha Office.

Mr. Faysal Maqseed, Acting Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education said that: “Kuwait joins the world in celebrating the International Day of Education as a renewable basic resource for humanity and a fundamental human right and in Kuwait we take advantage of this occasion to highlight the development and progress in education through development plans to achieve the fourth goal of sustainable development goals, which is quality education, as well as ensure the right of citizens to education, ensuring financial coverage by the government to educational institutions in accordance with national laws and regulations, complying with compulsory education from kindergarten to secondary school with regular follow-up. The child and his care and continuity in education.”

He added: “In the light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kuwait sought to support actions to bring about change for inclusive and equitable education, and the positive results of distance learning were monitored and challenges continue to be addressed through the training, implementation and follow-up of the educational system, as in other countries in the world. The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed a radical transformation unprecedented in Kuwait's history. This sudden reform of teaching methods has affected the lives of more than 414,000 students in three school stages: primary, middle and high school. In fact, by complying with the directives of the health authorities, which have demanded full containment since the beginning of the crisis, the Ministry of Education has chosen teaching remotely since August 2020.”

“In case the lockdowns and COVID constraints are necessary, schools should be among the first to reopen once authorities start lifting restrictions. Catch-up classes should be prioritized to ensure that children who have been unable to learn remotely are not left behind,” underlined the UNICEF Representative to the Gulf Area, Mr. Eltayeb Adam.

“Ideally, children should continue their education in their classrooms, but if this is not possible, they must be assured a conducive environment to study and learn from home. Additional learning loss can devastate children for years to come”, adds Tatjana Colin, Head of UNICEF Programmes in Kuwait.

Despite the quick move to online and distance learning in Kuwait and the government’s speedy response to offer alternative solutions to mitigate learning losses caused by months of school closures, there is a real risk that as the pandemic resurges, education could further suffer.

This must be averted by making education systems more resilient to crisis, more inclusive, flexible and sustainable. Therefore, it is fitting that this year’s International Day of Education emphasizes recovery and revitalization of education for the COVID-19 generation, aiming to highlight learning heroes, innovations, and financing.

Education powers every Sustainable Development Goal and should be treated by every government as a public good and the wisest investment in peace and prosperity. Education needs ambition and innovation to narrow inequalities and end exclusion that is keeping close to 260 million children and adolescents out of school. More importantly, education requires increased financing and more substantial cooperation to narrow the digital divide that has deprived millions of learning through the pandemic, train teachers and reform systems for inclusion and resilience.

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