Chennai gears up to host G20 Education Working Group meet on Feb 1-2

Chennai is set to host the first meeting of the G20 Education Working Group (G20 EWG), 2023 to be held on February 1 and 2 at IIT Madras Research Park (IITMRP).

As part of the summit, the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) will organise a G20 Seminar on ‘Role of Digital Technology in Education’ at its Research Park on January 31. It aims to identify policies for effective use of digital technology in education in the G20 member countries. During the two days of deliberations, the EWG will focus on areas to ensure inclusive, equitable, relevant and quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all, within the theme of “One Earth, One Family, One Future”.

India proposes to build on and carry forward the deliberations held under past presidencies and address the problems preventing the full transformational potential of education from being realised, a government statement said on Sunday. Four key issues have been identified for deliberation in the G20 EWG meet. This includes ensuring foundational literacy and numeracy, especially in the context of blended learning, making tech-enabled learning more inclusive, qualitative and collaborative at every level, building capacities, promoting life-long learning in the context of the future of work and strengthening research, and promoting innovation.

The Education Working Groups under past G20 presidencies focused on bolstering educational systems to make them more inclusive, accessible, and innovative. Themes like educational poverty, universal quality education, continuity of learning during crises, and supporting teachers have accordingly been discussed under the previous presidencies. The EWG has also discussed the use of technology for educational continuity and universal access, addressing challenges of digital divide, impact on early learners, and issues of data privacy, cyber safety and responsible use of technology. The earlier presidencies also discussed issues about the changing nature of work and the need to build capacities in response to this by reorienting, reimagining and rebuilding education and skilling the ecosystem. G20 members have shared their experiences of dealing with disruptions and learning losses by adopting innovative teaching-learning methods especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.

With India taking the Presidency of the 2023 summit, it aims to work together with G20 countries to bridge gaps in quality education and skilling.