Background

Issues of availability of and access to educational technologies, e.g., software and hardware, became pronounced when in-person classes were suspended and instructions were being delivered remotely.  Headlines like “schoolchildren climbing trees to get signal for online classes” or “students trekking hills and mountains to attend online classes” filled newspapers during school closures due to COVID-19 pandemic.  Teachers too were put in the spotlight of such news, particularly those who are teaching in disadvantaged schools.

There are many schools that can be categorized as disadvantaged.  Remote rural schools and small schools are at disadvantaged because oftentimes these are inaccessible and mostly located in underserved areas.  Border schools are also disadvantaged because of their location and some of them may have other challenges such as conflict and fewer enrolment.  A number of them are also considered small schools or multigrade schools.

These disadvantaged schools are at the lower end of disparities when it comes to access to ICT and digitalization.  The pandemic heightened the digital divide that is contributing to the education crisis.  The number is astounding: Half of the total number of learners – some 826 million students – kept out of the classroom by the COVID-19 pandemic, do not have access to a household computer and 43% (706 million) have no internet at home, at a time when digitally-based distance learning is used to ensure educational continuity in the vast majority of countries¹.

In these circumstances, we have to think that all children deserve quality and accessible education.  Education is a fundamental human right and public good for children, youths and adults all over the world.  Teachers must have the right knowledge, competencies, skills and values to allow them to reach out to all the learners especially in these difficult times.

The Teacher Task Force is an alliance of committed partners providing policy recommendations, capacity building and knowledge sharing with its members.  The TTF Secretariat hosted by and established in UNESCO Headquarters in Paris undertakes and coordinates activities to drive and mobilize governments and stakeholders for the advancement of teachers globally, regionally and locally.

The TTF has given the thematic group on ICT and Distance Learning leadership to SEAMEO and UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education (IITE) to pursue activities that will help reach the TTF’s main lines of actions in policy advocacy, knowledge creation and sharing as well as country support and engagement.  SEAMEO and UNESCO IITE will co-chair ICT and Distance Education to ensure inclusive and quality education is promoted for all and through lifelong learning.

SEAMEO’s Strategic Plan 2021-2030 puts premium on digitalization, particularly on “Strategic Theme 4: Digital transformation and rapid change adoption”.  During the SEAMEO 5th Strategic Dialogue of Education Ministers (SDEM) on 17 June 2021, Ministers of Education and heads of delegation committed to focus their cooperation in the region at the following key areas:

1. Strengthening regional projects to expand educational innovations for a technology-driven future;
2. Creating a policy environment that enhances mutual collaboration and partnership among key education actors to transform education and science in a manner that enhances Southeast Asian identity and culture;
3. Integrating resilience in learning environment that is quick to respond to education challenges through collective action;
4. Supporting capacity building for teachers and educational personnel to keep up with the ever-evolving digital learning environment;
5. Promoting innovations together as a vital tool in ensuring regional success with the SEAMEO Units from early childhood to university-level education and promoting lifelong learning for all; and
6. Fostering an education environment facilitates the low, medium, or high technology, reaching the marginalized, the lowest, and the vulnerable members of the Southeast Asian education ecosystem.

The UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education (IITE), co-chair in the Thematic Group, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Distance Education for Teacher Development of theInternational Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030, or Teacher Task Force (TTF) spearheaded capacity building programmes to enhance teacher competencies and the development of standards.