In our latest article on Global Education, we explored the concept in itself and the need not to search for standardization of Educational codes but to look through the lenses of globalization: flexibility and full integration. Is in that context that quality is not the first aspect to address from now, but accessibility it seems to be the major challenge for the next decade. The Agenda 2030 should not be an exercise of “wishes” but to achievable goals, is in this sense that quality is a major goal that seems not feasible to get, although investment towards “accessibility” looks very much aligned to a medium-term goal.
Humanitarian aid plays a key role, already assume by aid organizations, not so for Governments. Building local capacities specifically on Education its a must to bring people out from emergencies or at least, to go through the crisis within resilience and long-term goals.
According to studies, there is an important gap in financing Education in emergencies. A fact that creates more dependence on aid as is not focused on empowering, a vicious circle that the European Union attempt to mitigate by building resilience among youth and particularly girls, increasing on a 10% aid for Education of its total humanitarian aid budget. “It supports many types of activities including building or rehabilitating classrooms, supplying learning materials and furniture, training teachers and helping children return to school by providing cash for families and helping children catch up through accelerated education programs”.*
We do not need to explain further the need to invest in Education, if so, global crises are the answer as is it the main reason to change approaches and make Education and engine that move by their own instead of aid within the short-term impact and long-term dependence. The current global crisis impacts the whole planet and Sustainability -within or without Agenda 2030_ it is a new reality the demands new action.
The adult literacy rate as for 2018 is 86% -has risen from the 76% of 1990- and on top of that its data coming before pandemics. COVID-19 has created the largest education emergency in history, impacting nearly 1.6 billion learners worldwide” a devastating number that sweeps away all efforts made till now. However, it also raises awareness of the importance to deliver humanitarian aid from new shapes, and different use of technology. However, less than 3% of the global humanitarian aid budget is dedicated to Education* This is not just about emergencies for a specific time but to this new wave of “permanent” humanitarian aid generated by the global crisis: migration, refugees, natural disasters, armed conflicts, etc. that makes of aid the only resource for survival. A refugee camp is meant to be established for a certain time until the situation gets stabilized, however is becoming the permanent place for living and the only hope for millions of people. If we add new categories as climate change refugees, we realize that is a never-ending story increasing in size and certainly making the humanitarian sector a superpower unable to cope with more people and to rise on quality to deliver their services. Education is the first one that becomes negatively impact without the “magic” possibility that delivers remote learning that is the few resources that may achieve results on the short-term on accessibility and quality at the same time. Especially for higher studies, the possibility of remote learning open doors for those getting trapped within armed conflicts or/and economically vulnerable countries.
When the 1st Global Refugee Forum (GRF) was convened in 2019 it results in “200 pledges specific to education, with 58 focused on higher education and spanning skills development, career readiness, and financial support:” Another probe that we can mitigate refugees movements by higher Education that allows them to get empowerment through acquiring new skills, being updated and aligned with a global Education code. Its about resilience, and is directly connected with the tools that the system may deliver to them instead of a traditional “link” with humanitarian aid that in the end, become
Investment in digital Education represents the milestone that will restructure humanitarian aid towards a new model from “aid permanent link” to “aid long-term empowerment” making global codes in Education adapted to each reality. Another aspect of ineffectiveness: that there is a global standardization of aid delivering to all countries with few differences, instead of a completely diverse approach that makes the approach, not just the emergency in itself, but the long-lasting impact on the population. Education plays a fundamental role in the reconstruction of the country, keeping their sovereignty within not just with respect to their traditions but addressing their needs in technological aspects living a footprint that uplifting them towards resilience after the emergency, or/and the eventuality of new ones.
A thin boundary between humanitarian aid and development aid. is the secret to get into an effective new revolutionary aid without borders. Inclusiveness and resilience come from the local people and are not necessary from external resources, delivering tools as remote learning is what really will boost a “wave” that makes them sustainable in the long term.
*https://www.globalpartnership.org/blog/humanitarian-aid-funding-still-failing-education
*https://www.cfr.org/blog/ensuring-access-education-girls-during-humanitarian-crisis-and-conflict
https://ec.europa.eu/echo/what/humanitarian-aid/education-emergencies_en
https://www.unhcr.org/tertiary-education.html
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0306422015569438
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