G20 Education Working Group Concludes First Meeting in Chennai

The first meeting of the G20 Education Working Group (EdWG) has concluded in Chennai, India, with a focus on collaboration with universities around the world to enhance technology-enabled learning. The India Chair of EdWG, Secretary of Higher Education, Sanjay Murthy, announced that this would be the major outcome of the two-day event, attended by 80 delegates from 30 countries and international organizations.

During the conference, Mr Murthy said that best practices in technology-related education were discussed among the member countries. International organizations, including UNICEF, made intensive presentations, and members expressed their commitment to the goals and priorities, including capacity-building measures to promote lifelong learning and finding sustainable solutions to the educational challenges faced by member countries.

The conference also delved into ways to provide inclusive, equitable, relevant, and quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all. Mr Murthy added that there would be three supplementary meetings before the final consensus is reached in June. He expressed gratitude towards the Tamil Nadu state government and IIT Madras for hosting the seminar on digital technology as part of the EdWG meeting.

Secretary of the Ministry of School Education, Sanjay Kumar, who was also part of the conference, said that the delegates discussed ways to strengthen literacy at the school level and the use of digital technology in education. He added that the working group provided a platform to share best practices among member countries, and comprehensive discussions were held on the school education system in South Korea and European countries.

Mr Murthy stated that under the National Education Policy, 50% of school-going children will be skilled in the near future, and a framework is being developed to capture the assessment of skills developed. He also mentioned that the Diksha platform and other education-related projects were appreciated by the member countries. The outcome of the meeting will be documented and taken forward to the next meeting to be held from 15 to 17 March in Amritsar, Punjab.

In preparation for the G20 Summit in September, Mr Murthy mentioned that there would be 56 plus G20 meetings taking place in various parts of the country, providing opportunities for development in education and employment.