Pune school to play key part in world’s biggest grassroots online education conference
Pune: The iTeach RSM English Medium Secondary School in Mundhwa, Pune, in Maharashtra, is to play a vital role in what is billed as the ‘world’s biggest education conference’.
The secondary school, noted for its belief in staff wellbeing as a core pillar of success, 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.
Centred on the theme of ‘Learning Today’, each school will host a virtual event to demonstrate how to bring change, based on their own experiences. The iTeach RSM English Medium Secondary School will be discussing their Weekly Wellness Check, and Fearless Voice programs, aiming to create support and stability amongst staff members, in a virtual panel presentation.
School principal, Mrs. Parvati Kumari said:
“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak, courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.
The iTeach Schools – RSM team is humbled to have the opportunity to showcase our learning and practices on a global platform! We are looking forward to exchanging ideas with thousands of other educators! It’s just our fourth year of existence – and we’re proud to be selected for this! Over the past years, we have firmly put our bets on healthy, happy and high performing teachers – who then go on to create students who consistently win against huge odds, and strive to be the best version of themselves!”
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 the iTeach RSM English Medium Secondary School 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.”
Jaime Saavedra, the Global Director, Education for The World Bank, also welcomed the projects:
“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. I welcome all to participate in World Education Week which takes place from 5th – 9th October.”
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.