Innovations for Quality Education and Lifelong Learning

Abstract

The status of education in the Commonwealth is equally dire. We need to provide access to additional 17 million primary school children and 16 million youth who are out of secondary school. While more boys than girls are enrolled in primary schools, boys are underrepresented and under-performing at the secondary level in many Commonwealth countries. Which is why the theme of PCF 9 is ‘Innovations for Quality Education and Lifelong Learning’. Let us look briefly at the four sub-themes. The first is equity and inclusion. There is a great deal of disparity in the education of boys and girls. In several developing Commonwealth countries, girls in rural and resource-poor communities spend on an average only 1 or 2 years in school as compared to 9-12 years of schooling that urban and wealthy boys have in the same countries. Last year at their meeting, Commonwealth Heads of Government called for 12 years of quality education for each girl—how can we ensure that no girl is left behind?