Under the patronage of H.E. the Minister of Education, Higher Education and Scientific Research, the Jordan Coalition for Education, in cooperation with the Arab Network for Civic Education (ANHRE), held the launch ceremony of the Global Action Week for Education in Amman, Jordan, on 26 April 2022, under the theme “Protect Education in Emergencies Now!” The event was attended by members of the Jordan Coalition for Education from all governorates of the Kingdom, as well as representatives of associations and civil society organizations concerned with education.
Representing the patron of the ceremony, H.E. Dr. Najwa Qubeilat, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Education, attended the event. The ceremony included a discussion on the state of education in emergencies, the launch of the report prepared on “The Role of Civil Society in Monitoring the Strategic Plan of the Ministry of Education,” field interventions from members of the Jordan Coalition for Education who participated in collecting data for the report, as well as interventions from participants. The conference concluded with the announcement of the campaign statement.
Education is a fundamental human right, and emergencies have a devastating impact on the right to education for millions of people. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, 250 million children and young people were out of school, and nearly 800 million adults were illiterate. Conflicts, climate change, disasters, public health emergencies, and the forced displacement of people within and across borders are contributing to the increase of these numbers worldwide. In 2021, 235 million people around the world needed humanitarian assistance and protection. The impact of crises is far greater on the most marginalized groups, learners with disabilities, girls, and those from low-income families.
Despite this alarming situation, education remains one of the most underfunded areas of humanitarian aid, receiving only 2.4% of total global humanitarian funding.
A generation of children and young people living in emergencies is being deprived not only of their human right to quality education, but also of the protection that education provides in such contexts. In emergencies, education may be the only safe space.
This must change. Together, we can protect education in emergencies now!
The launch ceremony of Global Action Week was one of the activities of Global Action Week for Education, which took place from 25 to 30 April 2022. Throughout the week, several activities and events were carried out, including the participation of the Coalition Coordinator in the regional launch ceremony of Global Action Week in cooperation with the Arab Campaign for Education, a media campaign on protecting education in emergencies on the Jordan Coalition for Education’s Facebook page, and the publication of the Coalition’s statement and demands on protecting education in emergencies in Jordan across social media platforms.
It is worth noting that the Jordan Coalition for Education for All is an independent Jordanian education coalition that brings together members from local institutions, community-based organizations, Jordanian associations, unions, and all those interested in education processes and policies. It operates as a community movement that aims to end the global education crisis and to monitor and achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4.
The Coalition seeks to ensure that all children, youth, vulnerable, marginalized, and education-deprived groups have access to free, safe, and quality education. It does so by unifying efforts and coordinating among institutions working in formal and non-formal education in all its forms, while strengthening their role in advancing the education process at all levels in order to influence decision-makers.
