The Government of Kenya via the Ministry of Education alongside the Commonwealth Secretariat is set to host a high-level conference under the theme, ‘Rethinking Education for Innovation, Growth and Sustainability post-COVID-19’ starting from the 27th to the 28th of April this year.
The Commonwealth conference is usually held every three years. The event is also the second-largest commonwealth event after the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
The conference hosts fifty-four (54) education ministers among the top policymakers expected to gather in the Kenyan city of Nairobi for the 21st Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM).
Among the main topic of discussion will be crucial education priorities geared toward the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The conference will only include senior government officials, educators, development partners, civil society, and policymakers to share knowledge and good practices in education amid global recovery from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Identification of areas of action and exploration of innovative ways that can be adopted by member countries to develop sustainable and resilient systems of education.
The Cabinet Secretary for Education Prof George Magoha who is also the Incoming Chairperson of the Education Ministerial Action Group (EMAG) said that the COVID-19 pandemic greatly affected education systems world-over forcing the halting of education.
“The future of our children and our young people is on the line. We need to work together to build back better and refocus on investing in inclusive and equitable quality education,” said CS Magoha.
The conference will also review and assess the process of achieving the same goal at both regional and national levels.
The conference is also set to assess existing commitments and outcomes from the previous CCEM held in 2018 in Fiji as well as the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London with a focus on equitable and inclusive education and support for marginalized sections of the society. These sectors of society include young girls and children coming from disadvantaged communities.
This year’s conference will use a hybrid format with Ministers of Education invited to participate in the physical meeting in Nairobi, while those who are not able to travel to Kenya will join the meeting virtually through an online platform.
Following the policy proposals from the meeting, discussions at the upcoming CHOGM will be held in Kihali, Rwanda in June 2022.