Launch of the Rewired Global Declaration on Connectivity for Education
UNESCO and Dubai Cares launched the Rewired Global Declaration on Connectivity for Education, a new roadmap for the digital transformation of education, at the RewirEd Summit in Dubai on 14 December 2021.
The Rewired Global Declaration on Connectivity for Education draws on lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic and puts forward principles and commitments to ensure that connected technologies advance aspirations for inclusive education based on the principles of justice, equity and respect for human rights.
A year in creation, the Declaration was developed by UNESCO with support from Dubai Cares. It reflects the inputs of a 22-person expert advisory group and an inclusive global consultation process involving governments, civil society, youth, teachers, researchers, and private sector organisations, among other stakeholder groups.
The Declaration was launched during a plenary session of the Rewired Summit, an event that drew 2,000 participants in person from around the world to discuss strategies to leverage connected technologies to deliver quality education for all.
Stefani Giannini, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education underscored that the Declaration puts forward new norms and understandings to guide national and international efforts to make connected learning a reality for all students while ensuring that education remains a human-centered endeavor. “We must find new balance with technology,” she said. “We must unlock approaches that work for those most in need of opportunities, for refugees, for students with disabilities, for girls and women and for teachers in remote areas.”
Dr. Tariq Al Gurg, CEO of Dubai Cares highlighted the historic significance of the Declaration as an inclusive roadmap for the digital transformation of education as well as a framework for action, partnerships and financing. He said, “Although most countries have now rapidly moved towards remote learning, we still have over 1.3 billion children aged three to 17 who still don’t have access to connectivity at their homes. This represents a learning inequality of the greatest proportions that can have a lasting effect on the future”. He said the Declaration provides a roadmaps to begin bridging these divides and ensuring that technology meets the needs of learners and teachers.
In 2022 UNESCO plans to continue its partnership with Dubai Cares to secure commitments and synergize cooperation to operationalize the Declaration in countries. The operationalization of the Declaration will help share knowledge, approaches, and actions to guide the digital transformation of education in line with principles and commitments in the Declaration.