NEW DELHI: The first G20 Education Working Group (EdWG) meeting ended with G20 member countries reaching a consensus on working for collaboration amongst universities across the globe for enhancing technology-enabled learning. More than 80 delegates from 30 countries and international organisations participated in the two-day deliberations on February 1st and 2nd in Chennai.
The discussion centred around working for an inclusive, equitable, relevant and quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all. Addressing media persons after the conclusion of the meeting, India Chair of G20 Education Working Group Sanjay Murthy, Secretary, Higher Education, said that collaboration with universities across the globe would be the major outcome of the deliberations at the Chennai meet.
Tech-related education
“The best practices in tech-related education among member countries were discussed,” he said. He added the member nations expressed willingness to promote life-long learning process in the context of the future of working atmospheres, and also find long-term sustainable solution to similar educational challenges faced by the member countries in different geographies.
Murthy said there would be three supplementary meetings of the educational group before the wide consensus will be arrived in the last meeting scheduled to be held in June this year. He said delegates expressed their sincere gratitude for the hospitality and arrangements made by the Tamil Nadu state Government and IIT Madras which hosted the seminar of Digital Technology as part of the G20 Education Working Group meeting.
School-level literacy
Sanjay Kumar, Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy, who was also part of the conference, said two issues including ways to strengthen literacy at the school level and the use of the digital technology in furthering education were deliberated intensely by the delegates who attended the meet. He said that the working group provided the platform to take note of best practices being followed by member nations. Also, school education practices being followed in South Korea and European countries were discussed in a comprehensive way.
Murthy said under the National Education Policy, 50 per cent of the school going children will be skilled in the near future. Stating that recognition to those developing skills was of utmost importance, the Secretary informed that a framework for this was being developed. The Diksha platform and other education related projects implemented by Government of India, were appreciated by the member countries who participated in the deliberations The outcome of the meeting will be documented which will be discussed in the next meeting, to be held from March 15 to 17 in Amritsar.
