On March 20th, UNESCO convened the first online symposium on education equity during the Coronavirus outbreak, which invited government officials, practitioners and experts from more than 50 countries, including Italy, Rwanda, France, Korea and China. Lei Chaozi, Director of the Science and Technology Department of the Ministry of Education of China, and Huang Ronghuai, Dean of the Smart Learning Institute of Beijing Normal University, were invited to attend the meeting.
At the meeting, Lei Chaozi, Director of the Science and Technology Department of the Ministry of Education of China, and Huang Ronghuai, Dean of the Smart Learning Institute of Beijing Normal University, emphasized the important role of the Ministry of Education in promoting cooperation between the government, enterprises and schools. The Ministry of Education and education companies have cooperated on multiple levels, including providing free services and online course resources to school students and the public, and providing training to help teachers adapt to new learning environments and acquire online teaching skills. Through a recent study, the Ministry of Education found that 80% of teachers will be using more information and communication technologies in their future work.
Catherine Kane, a member of the World Health Organization (WHO) who participated in this seminar, suggested to learn from the methods used in emergency situations, including measures to ensure that students who rely on school meals will not go hungry when the school is closed. Professor Alberto Melloni, consultant to the Italian Minister of Education, emphasized the importance of adopting a community-wide model. Christine Niyizamwiyitira, head of the ICT Education Department of the Rwanda Board of Education, stated that Rwanda is currently producing study guides to help students, parents and teachers. Michel Reverchon-Billot, director general of the French National Center for Distance Education (CNED), emphasized the central role of teachers in ensuring the continuity of education. Mr. Hwansun Yoon of Korea Education and Research Information Service (KERIS) emphasized the integration of different digital solutions to ensure a seamless learning experience.
Finally, Ms. Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director-General of UNESCO for Education, stated that in the face of global pandemic, we all recognize the importance of international cooperation, that everyone needs to learn from each other, and that we can build stronger education systems in this crisis.