G20 Education meeting focuses on realizing full potential of education by bridging gaps

India’s G- 20 presidency takes centerstage as a seminar on ‘Ensuring Foundational Literacy and Numeracy’ in the context of Blended Learning was held in Pune.

A high-profile multilateral meeting on ‘Ensuring Foundational Literacy and Numeracy’ in the context of ‘Blended Learning’ was organised in Pune as part of the G20 4th Education Working Group meeting. In fact, India’s G20 Presidency is focused on realizing the full transformational potential of education by bridging gaps in education and skilling. It was attended by the delegates from 20+ countries including USA, China, UK, Spain, Australia, UAE, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa among others. All shared key insights and cross learnings on FLN in the meeting.

On this occasion, Union Minister of State for Education and External Affairs Rajkumar Ranjan Singh delivered the keynote address. It was also graced by Chandrakant Patil, minister, Higher and Technical Education, Maharashtra, Secretary Higher Education, Government of India K Sanjay Murthy, Secretary, School Education Sanjay Kumar, Secretary, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Atul Kumar Tiwari, Member, NCF Steering Committee, Prof. Manjul Bhargava, G20 delegates, officials from International Organisations and several senior officials of the Ministry of Education and State Education Departments.

Minister Singh shared how India’s G20 EdWG Presidency is focused on building and carrying forward deliberations in past presidencies and on addressing concerns which are impediment in realizing full transformational potential of education by bridging gaps in quality education and skilling, as well as on accelerating the pursuit of the SDGs.

The minister also shed light on how our National Education Policy lays particular emphasis on the development of the creative potential of each individual, as it is based on the principle that education must develop not only cognitive capacities – both the ‘foundational capacities’ of literacy and numeracy and ‘higher-order’ cognitive capacities, such as critical thinking and problem solving, but also social, ethical and emotional capacities and dispositions.

Minister Rajkumar Ranjan Singh also stated that the ability to read and write and perform basic operations with numbers, is a necessary foundation and an indispensable prerequisite for all future schooling and lifelong learning. The various surveys from across the globe suggest the challenge in education is the attainment of foundational literacy and numeracy.

He said that attaining foundational literacy and numeracy for all children becomes an urgent priority for our educational systems, that requires immediate measures to be taken on many fronts and with clear goals, which will be attained in the short term.

Sanjay Kumar also expressed how today’s seminar is expected to help identify appropriate policies and practices adopted by countries in G20 member countries and other invitee countries. He said that the ensuing panel discussions would focus on issues related to curriculum, pedagogical approaches, capacity building of teachers and other stakeholders and role of parents and other caregivers and community members in supporting learning at home.

Sanjay Kumar also highlighted the concurrent exhibition on the theme of Ensuring Foundational Literacy and Numeracy, Digital Initiatives, Research and Skilling being showcased presently, which we will be visited between sessions by the delegates and other officials.

The meeting also witnessed a detailed presentation by the UNICEF on Foundational Learning and Numeracy pertaining to the theme. The seminar witnessed three distinct sessions on Monday with the first session featuring deliberations on the topic, teaching learning approaches and pedagogy for FLN in Blended Mode. It was followed by the second session on the role of parents, caregivers and community members in supporting FLN, socio-emotional skills and health & nutrition of children.

The third session of the event focused on Capacity Building and Training of Teachers for FLN in the Context of Multilingualism. A multimedia exhibition is also organised, showcasing best practices in education, FLN, digital initiatives, research and skill development.