Two Philippines schools to play key part in world’s biggest grassroots online education conference

Two schools from the Philippines are to play vital roles in what is billed as the ‘world’s biggest education conference’.

The schools have been chosen for their expertise and commitment to key areas of education: the Alem Elementary School of Apayao has been chosen for its commitment to deepening family and community engagement, while the Xavier School in San Juan City, was selected for its use of education technology.

Each school is to be part of a showcase of 100 schools which will gather online to share expertise and best practices in the inaugural World Education Week, from 5-9th October, in support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal on Quality Education (SDG 4)

The hundred schools have been hand-picked for their expertise across a range of educational themes, such as enhancing employability and life-skills; deepening family and community engagement; the use of technology; a focus on wellbeing; and promoting the science of learning and teaching. Each will share their wisdom to an online audience expected to reach 100,000 worldwide. The ambition driving World Education Week is to accelerate progress to achieve UN SDG 4, a commitment designed to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning for all.

The principal of Alem Elementary School , Caridad Manuel said:

““Our pupils and teachers are thrilled to be selected to host a showcase event during World Education Week, which will allow schools all over the world to learn and innovate together, improving education from the grass-roots up. With our focus on arts education we are proud to be a founding showcase school of such an ambitious project, and are looking forward to our event.””

The principal of Xavier School, Jane Cacacho said:

“Our school is delighted at the chance to showcase its Online Distance Learning and EdTech journey to help the other schools in the Philippines cope with the new normal..”

The ground-breaking event is led by Vikas Pota, a globally-respected leader and driving force in the education, international development, philanthropy and technology sectors. In launching the event, Mr Pota said:

“I congratulate both schools for being selected to take part in our Global Showcase for World Education Week. By sharing the ways in which this school has developed its particular expertise, we hope others will feel inspired to undertake the same journey to excellence.”

“I am incredibly inspired by the schools that applied to take part in this year’s World Education Week. Their commitment to improving the life chances of their learners by nurturing expertise and wanting to share their experience with others, especially in these challenging times, says a lot about the education community. They are our heroes and World Education Week provides us all an opportunity not just to learn from them, but to celebrate their successes, too.”

The conference has won the backing of Andreas Schleicher, the Director for Education at the OECD, who said:

“What’s exciting about World Education Week is the idea of schools around the world sharing their expertise with their peers. After a turbulent period in global education, this is a great way of building back better.”

The project was also welcomed by Jaime Saavedra, the Global Director for Education at the World Bank:

“The sheer scale of educators around the globe combining to share expertise, excellence and wisdom in accelerating learning is hugely impressive. If all educators learn from the best educators of their countries and of the world we would make immense progress in ensuring inclusive, equitable and quality education for all.”

World Education Week is an effort by thirty civil society organisations coming together after the record breaking T4 conference on 30th May that was attended by over 100,000 teachers.

The event will be hosted from the World Education Week website, with registration opening from September 1st.