22nd Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers

Held under the theme ‘Driving Resilience, Equity and Skills for an Inclusive Future’, the 22nd Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (22CCEM) is designed to advance and implement actions and commitments made at 21CCEM in Nairobi, Kenya, in April 2022.

The 22CCEM is scheduled for May 16 to 17, 2024. It will take place at Marlborough House, London, United Kingdom. Organised and hosted by the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Government of Kenya will serve as the Chair.

Prioritising education on the Commonwealth agenda

group. photo of the Commonwealth Education Ministers Meeting in Fiji, 2018

The Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEMs) serves as a critical forum for discussing the Commonwealth's education and learning agenda within the context of sustainable development priorities.

CCEMs are usually held every three years. However, the Education Ministers Action Group, in their May 2023 meeting, recommended holding annual ministerial meetings to prioritise education on the Commonwealth Agenda, especially considering 2023 as the midway point to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

Latest news

Commonwealth ministers urged to harness digital tools for accelerated and inclusive education

See the 22CCEM photo gallery

The pivotal role of education

The 21st CCEM, hosted in Nairobi, Kenya on April 27th and 28th, 2022, under the theme "Rethinking Education for Innovation, Growth, and Sustainability post-Covid-19" emphasized the pivotal role of education in driving inclusive economic growth, facilitating post-pandemic recovery, and addressing critical challenges such as financial crises, climate change, pandemics, and systemic shocks. The ministerial recommendations from the 21st CCEM closely align with the UN Secretary-General's education recommendations for the Summit of the Future.

Driving Resilience, Equity and Skills for an Inclusive Future

The 22CCEM theme, 'Driving Resilience, Equity, and Skills for an Inclusive Future,' aligns with the overarching theme for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting: 'ONE RESILIENT COMMON FUTURE: Transforming our Common Wealth.' In our 56-nation Commonwealth, education plays a fundamental role in fostering the resilience of education systems and individuals across societal dimensions, addressing the complex challenges of our era.

This theme emphasises that education should empower individuals with knowledge, resilience, fairness, and diverse skill sets, enabling them to shape an inclusive and thriving future.

Speakers and moderators

The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth
Dr Ezekiel Machogu, EGH, Cabinet Secretary for Education, Kenya
Dr Manos Antoninis, Director, UNESCO's Global Education Monitoring
Mr Chris Castle, Director, UNESCO’s Division of Peace and Sustainable Development Education Sector
Professor Peter Scott, President and CEO, Commonwealth of Learning
Mr Albert Nsengiyumva, Executive Secretary, Association for the Development of Education in Africa
Dr Silvia Montoya, Director, UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Mr Kailash Satyarthi, Nobel Peace Laureate
Dr Luis Benveniste, Global Director for Education, World Bank
Mr David Archer, Head of Programmes, ActionAid
Cheryl de la Rey, Chair of Council, Association of Commonwealth Universities

Download the biographies of speakers and moderators

The conference will focus on three thematic streams

Promoting environmental sustainability and climate resilience through Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). ESD calls for an education that is transformative, which empowers lifelong learners with the knowledge, skills, values, attitudes, to not only make informed decisions but also to bring about the individual and collective change required to positively impact our societies, particularly in face of the climate crisis.

Education can integrate crisis preparedness and management into the curriculum. By teaching students and educators how to respond effectively to various crises, including natural disasters, pandemics, and economic downturns, education systems can become more resilient.

To equip learners with adaptable skills for a dynamic world, promote innovation, transformative technologies, and enhance digital literacy for building resilient economies with a strong focus on inclusivity. Resilience in education systems involves ensuring equitable access to education for all, including marginalised and vulnerable populations.

The integration of digital literacy and technology into education systems enhances their resilience. It allows for seamless transitions to online and blended learning during crises and provides students with essential digital skills for the future.

Ensuring equal access to all levels and types of education and facilitating smooth transitions between educational levels, especially focusing on girls, women, and vulnerable groups. This involves investing in foundational learning, education, and skills development across all age groups, narrowing learning disparities.

Education fosters adaptability and innovation by enabling individuals and institutions to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to respond to evolving circumstances. This involves innovative teaching methods, technologies, and curricula that cater to current and future needs, as well as transforming the teaching profession to empower educators as creative guides and facilitators in the learning process.

The Association of Commonwealth Universities

The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) will host the ACU vice-chancellor summit 2024: charting the future of higher education through funding, employability, excellence, and the digital frontier, as part of the CCEM.

This exclusive in-person event will take place on May 15 2024, at the Central Hall Westminster, Storey's Gate, London SW1H 9NH, from 10:00 until 20:00 UTC.

The summit includes a series of strategic policy discussions about higher education with university vice-chancellors and government ministers from across the Commonwealth.

Topics covered in the closed-door roundtables will include higher education funding, research management, and the implications of AI.

Outcomes from these dialogues will be taken forward by the newly formed ACU-led Commonwealth Higher Education Taskforce and will feed into the CCEM meeting on May 16-17.

Resources

Realising Article 24 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Case Studies in Mainstreaming and Inclusive Education

As part of an ongoing commitment to support the development of a more inclusive education system across Commonwealth countries, the Commonwealth Secretariat commissioned documentation to support good policy and practice, particularly on including students with disabilities in mainstream education. This has been prepared to initiate a wider dialogue on inclusive practices for mainstreaming disability.

This document provides examples from 11 Commonwealth countries, highlighting the process of change underway in these countries and the evolution of policies and strategies to improve access to education for children with disabilities.
It additionally provides models and self-assessment tools to support policy-makers and education professionals as they work towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 to ensure inclusive and
equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

Introduction

Realising Article 24 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Case Studies in Mainstreaming and Inclusive Education

Commonwealth Educational Leadership Handbook

Commonwealth Education Ministers and stakeholders have consistently stressed the need to improve school leadership given the impact that it can have on school performance and learning outcomes.

In 2018, at the 20th Commonwealth Conference of Education Ministers (20CCEM), ministers acknowledged that good governance and effective educational management practices are central to realising equitable access to quality education. Ministers agreed that high-quality teaching is a priority, and that the Member States should focus on how teachers and school leaders are trained, recruited and motivated and how the profession is governed. Effective and knowledgeable leaders and managers are essential throughout all areas of school management practice because they have an impact on the learning outcomes of children, young people, families and the wider community.

This handbook is a practical, immediate response to expressed needs in school leadership development. It aims to support efforts to integrate school leadership development in the professional development of the education work force, including through reflective practice and conversations about professional development and personal growth.

High-quality and accessible Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) lays the foundation for healthy and well-functioning societies. Effective ECCE systems equip young children with the means to develop to their fullest potential during their formative years, in a safe and inspiring environment, nurtured by well trained professional teachers and carers.

The Commonwealth’s ECCE Toolkit has been designed as a resource for Ministers of Education and officials to increase access to quality ECCE services, for ages 0 to 8 years, using a multi-sectoral approach. This toolkit outlines five features to support this approach, covering topics including conducting situational ECCE sector analyses, planning and implementing quality services, methods to expand access, and monitoring and evaluating ECCE systems. In addition, it aims to assist governments in ensuring these services are responsive to the rights, needs, and capabilities of children, their families and their communities.

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Self-assessment Toolkit: Participant Manual

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is essential to equip youth and adults with the necessary skills for employment and entrepreneurship and to achieve sustainable development. The Nassau Declaration1 at the 19th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (19CCEM) in June 2015 highlighted the Commonwealth values of equity and access, and the key role of education for sustainable development. At this conference, Ministers welcomed the significant contributions of the Commonwealth Ministerial Working Group towards achieving the targets among member countries for quality education
involving performance, pathways and productivity (3Ps).

The revised Commonwealth TVET Toolkit 2021 includes new responses for vocational education systems in a post-pandemic world to enable knowledge transfer between member countries and facilitate a green recovery through low carbon industries and economies. This Toolkit is expected to support member countries across the Commonwealth to assess the strengths and weaknesses of their TVET systems, identify key gaps in policies and delivery mechanisms, and prioritise areas for further development.

The TVET Toolkit 2021 comprises of a Participant’s Manual and Facilitator Guide. The Toolkit provides resources for participants, through facilitated workshops and other modes to explore the six key features of an effective TVET system: (i) governance; (ii) employer engagement; (iii) occupational standards; (iv) qualification frameworks; (v) quality institutions; and (vi) delivery and assessment; and to assess how well their TVET systems are performing under these areas.

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Self-assessment Toolkit: Facilitator Guide

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is essential to equip youth and adults with the necessary skills for employment and entrepreneurship and to achieve sustainable development. The Nassau Declaration1 at the 19th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (19CCEM) in June 2015 highlighted the Commonwealth values of equity and access, and the key role of education for sustainable development. At this conference, Ministers welcomed the significant contributions of the Commonwealth Ministerial Working Group towards achieving the targets among member countries for quality education involving performance, pathways and productivity (3Ps).

Commonwealth Education Policy Framework 2nd Edition

Since 2015, when world leaders first committed to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and Commonwealth Education Ministers recognized the importance of the quality and equity for their attainment, education and SDG 4 have lain at the heart of realising the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. Coordinated action on education policy remains necessary at national and international levels, Therefore, the Commonwealth Secretariat released the first Commonwealth Education Policy Framework (CEPF) in 2017. This second CEPF is designed to inform and enable the development and update of national policies to help Commonwealth countries achieve their targets under SDG 4.

The second edition of the CEPF highlights the lessons learned over the past four years, especially those generously shared by stakeholders in Commonwealth countries. It responds to challenges caused by COVID-19 and recognises the need for resilient, accessible and quality education services and systems. This edition is intended to complement, and not compete with, the strategies of other global education partners and is flexible in its application given the diverse contexts and progress of Commonwealth countries. Rarely has the imperative to prioritise education in the strategies and budgets of Commonwealth governments been greater.

Curriculum Framework resources on the Commonwealth iLibrary

In September 2015, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) detailed therein were formally adopted at the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Summit. The SDGs succeed the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and guide the global path of sustainable development after 2015.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity, with countries and all stakeholders acting in collaborative partnership to implement this plan. The Agenda also seeks to strengthen universal peace and provides a common vision for peaceful societies.

Registration

The conference will include themed plenaries and dedicated meetings for senior officials and ministers.

The 22CCEM Ministerial and Senior Officials’ Meetings are closed events for ministers and special invited observers. Official invitations have been sent to Commonwealth member countries with registration and other logistical details.

For more information please email [email protected]