Activism in Global Education: From Theory to Practice in Higher
Discussing the intersections of education, social justice, and activism. How can educators and researchers foster activist engagement in their work?
The 2020 Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report, "Inclusion and education: All means all", published on 22nd June, intends to widen the understanding of inclusive education to include all learners, as well as assessing progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) on education and its ten targets.
"The fourth in the GEM Report series looks at social, economic and cultural mechanisms that discriminate against disadvantaged children, youth and adults, keeping them out of education or marginalized in it. Spurred by their commitment to fulfil the right to inclusive education by 2030, countries are expanding their vision of inclusion in education to put diversity at the core of their systems. Yet implementation of well-meaning laws and policies often falters. Released at the start of the decade of action, and in the middle of the Covid-19 crisis, which has exacerbated underlying inequalities, the Report argues that resistance to addressing every learner’s needs is a real threat to achieving global education targets.
The 2020 Gem Report identifies the practices in governance and finance; curricula, textbooks and assessments; teacher education; school infrastructure; and relations with students, parents and communities that can unlock the process to inclusion. It provides policy recommendations to make learner diversity a strength to be celebrated, a force for social cohesion."