The 2015 Commonwealth Education Good Practice Awards were launched today at Marlborough House in London by Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Deodat Maharaj and Eldred Bethel, High Commissioner of The Bahamas.
The awards, which will be presented at the 19th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers in The Bahamas, recognise programmes, policies, projects or strategies that have made a positive difference to school students, their teachers, or the education system of a country.
Mr Maharaj said: “What has worked well in one of our member states may well deliver results in another. By sharing news or successes and such experiences we can offer practical support to fellow practitioners and educational establishments across the Commonwealth.”
Eldred Bethel, High Commissioner of The Bahamas said: “The Bahamas believes everyone benefits when we invest in education. We are confident that all of us at the 19th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers have what it takes to move the debate of development and education forward.”
The awards have been growing steadily in size and reputation with the previous round attracting a significant number of submissions from 27 countries. The first prize was won by a community-based project from Rwanda which judges felt addressed the immediate need for an expansion of education after the devastation of the 1994 genocide.
The Commonwealth Education Good Practice Awards were introduced in 2006 at the 16th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers in South Africa to celebrate positive and promising practices in education throughout the Commonwealth.
Submissions are open to education ministries and institutions, schools and civil society organisations from around the Commonwealth and will be evaluated by independent adjudicators on their relevance to the local context, measurable impact, sustainability, efficiency and effectiveness, community involvement, and ability to be replicated.
The deadline for submissions is 16 February 2015.
