The Minister of Technical Education and Vocational Training of Madagascar with the local authorities and BIOCOM project manager during the event to lay the foundation stone of a vocational training centre © Ministry of Technical Education and Vocational Training

A presentation on transforming education consultation processes took place on 23 June, at the Palace of Serbia. The occasion marked the official closure of the national consultations on transforming education in Serbia, held from April to June, and gathered all relevant stakeholders such as government representatives, UN agencies, academia, civil society organisations teachers, parents and youth. The Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development coordinated the consultations, with technical assistance from UNESCO and UNICEF.

UNESCO Office in Tashkent has conducted the Third Project Steering Committee meeting in the framework of “Skills Development for Employability in Rural Areas of Uzbekistan” Project funded by the European Union. High-level officials from the Ministries of Higher and Secondary Specialized Education, Agriculture, Water resources, Employment and Labor Relations, and the State Inspection for Supervision of Quality in Education, as well as Representative from UNESCO Headquarter office, Representatives from the European Union Delegation to the Republic of Uzbekistan, and the project stakeholders participated at the event. The Committee reviewed the project progress and achievements in the first half of 2022 as well as the remaining work plan activities for 2022. In her welcoming speech Ms. Sadokat Siddikova, Deputy Minister of Higher and Secondary Specialized Education and the Chairperson of the Project Steering Committee said that: "We appreciate the contribution of the project to the development of Technical Vocational Education and Training in Uzbekistan. Recent Presidential Decree "On measures to improve the management system of the Ministry of Higher and Secondary Special Education" highlighted the importance of this topic. The Department of Coordination of Vocational Education Institutions was established and we look forward to a fruitful cooperation. On behalf of the Ministry we would like to show our gratitude to all our partners participating at this meeting".  UNESCO Representative in Uzbekistan a.i. Mr. Alexandros Makarigakis informed participants that TVET strategy was recently completed and shared with Ministry of Higher and Secondary Specialized Education. A draft Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Quality Framework was developed, which will provide the foundation for establishing a National Quality Assurance Framework. Additionally, the project is supporting the operationalization of the Sector Skills Councils in Agriculture and Irrigation sectors and has developed Draft Occupational Maps for the two sectors, in close cooperation with the Institute of Labor Market Research. The development of National Occupational Standards will rely on these maps and is expected to be finalized by the end of 2022. A preliminary infrastructure assessment of the identified pilot colleges in Karakalpakstan Republic, Khorezm, Bukhara, and Surkhandarya regions was done and works are projected to start within the year, when tenders will be prepared. Lastly, together with partner institutions, the project initiated the updating of the curricula and identification of the necessary equipment leading to be procured at a later stage. Mr. Francois Begeot, Head of Cooperation Section of the European Union Delegation to Uzbekistan expressed his satisfaction with project progress and highlighted that: “This project is strategic for the European Union, since the aim is to train new generation with appropriate skills in agriculture and irrigation sector. That should positively influence on the welfare of population in rural areas and help young people entering the job market”.

Today, the Ministry of Education, in cooperation with UNESCO and UNICEF, held a consultation ahead of the upcoming Transforming Education Pre-Summit happening in Paris from the 28th to the 30thof June, at which His Excellency Prof. Dr. Marwan Awartani, Minister of Education, will be in attendance.  This Pre-Summit is taking place in advance of the Transforming Education Summit (TES) happening in New York this September, when Palestine will then take its place amongst world leaders for the TES at the invitation of the UN Secretary General, António Guterres. The consultation, held in Ramallah, gathered stakeholders from across the education sector in Palestine with the aim of developing a shared vision for the future of education and strengthening both public and private commitment in pursuit of these goals. The audience heard remarks from the Minister for Education, H.E. Prof. Dr. Marwan Awartani; the President of the Global Campaign for Education, Mr. Refaat Sabbah; UNESCO Ramallah Head of Office and Representative to Palestine, Ms. Noha Bawazir; and Consutlation Coordinator, Prof. Dr. Mohammad Shuaibat.  Attendees then broke into groups to engage in productive discussions about key educational issues on the agenda for TES, including inclusive, equitable, safe and healthy schools; learning and skills for life; teachers and teaching; digital learning; and the financing of education. The discussions and inputs throughout this consultation process will help to inform the government’s statement due to be delivered at the Transforming Education Summit. The Transforming Education Summit is a crucial opportunity to renew global political commitments to education as a public good and ensure that it is recognised as a human right and foundation for peace and sustainable development. The Summit is happening at a time of unprecedented disruption to education globally, as the education sector continues to reel from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Speaking this morning, Ms. Noha Bawazir said: “The UNESCO International Commission on the Future of Education has called for a new social contract for education – one that can both deliver on the unfulfilled promises of the past, and transform the future.”  “There must be inclusive dialogue and meaningful engagement across stakeholders, especially with young people, students and teachers. This process in the lead up to the Transforming Education Summit gives us all an opportunity to ensure education is at the centre of political debate in Palestine. All girls and boys in Palestine must complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education.”  Ms. Bawazir concluded by saying: “While we celebrate educational achievements made in Palestine, we must focus on what remains to be done to achieve the targets under SDG 4, Quality Education. We look forward to the continuation of this inclusive process, including the focus group which will take place in Gaza next month, as we all take steps towards achieving SDG 4 and leaving no one behind.”     

The International Student Competition and International Academic Conference on Innovation for Green and Accessible Environment, co-organized by UNESCO Beijing Office and Wuhan University of Technology, was officially launched on 17 June 2022 in Wuhan. Professor Shahbaz Khan, Director of UNESCO Beijing Cluster Office and UNESCO representative to China, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Japan, Mongolia, and Republic of Korea, attended the ceremony and delivered opening remarks. Around 300 participants representing the local government, academia, and other key stakeholders attended the launch ceremony and expressed their support for the event.