The education crisis triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic could mean 20 million children may never return to school, the Global Partnership for Education has said as it calls for more investment to fund recovery.
The leading funding vehicle said there was a "real hunger" for digital tools but with teachers at the heart of the learning experience.
Alice Albright, chief executive of the GPE, said children's education has been badly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, which has widened the inequalities in the sector. The GPE is seeking $5 billion in the coming years to sustain education in countries that are home to more than one billion children. Ms Albright said education must be rebuilt, even as governments grapple with the new economic realities.
A terrible “digital divide” meant that children in the developing world were not able to utilise basic things such as Wi-Fi and connectivity that are often taken for granted in other countries. “There's all kinds of statistics that show that connectivity has got an enormous way to go in terms of being widely available,” she added.
The way to “a brighter future” and coming out of “the education crisis” is by investing in children, she said.
“We need to look at how education is financed and ask ourselves, are we prioritising it well enough. I say the answer's no, we're not.
“This is not just another public service, of which there are many, education is an investment in our future as an investment in hope, it's an investment in future talents, it’s an investment in how to enable the children of the world today to be ready for the 21st century or the remainder of the 21st century. So it's not just any public service it's, in some ways, the most vital public service,” Ms Albright said.
Even before the pandemic, low income countries faced multiple hurdles in developing their education systems.
Ms Albright said the most systemic challenge is the inequity of education, with the poorest and most at risk children the ones who are not only most likely to bear the brunt of Covid-19, but who are also facing the greatest challenges recovering.
“We're particularly concerned about equity. This is whether or not girls are getting education. That's a huge focus for us.”
She said “that the countries that are going to be hit hardest by the pandemic are the low income countries and within those countries, it's girls, it's refugees, children with disabilities, it's children who live in remote villages”.
Some 87 countries are eligible for the GPE’s funding, but the organisation had to react fast when the Covid outbreak surged.
“We put together what became $508 million of financing, the vast majority of which has gone to countries to help them contend with the education impact of the pandemic, and it's made my organisation the largest provider in the world of the emergency Covid response for education,” Ms Albright said.
“So we've now provided grants to 66 countries to help them overcome the pandemic. And that's gone on things like distance learning, reopening schools, reaching out to girls and other, you know, really marginalised parts of the country and society, and training teachers to work in this new, difficult environment,” she added.
In Sudan, it has been used to deliver health messaging and protect young girls from sexual abuse and violence, while in Afghanistan hygiene supplies have been distributed to schools with staff and students trained on keeping safe.
At the peak of the pandemic there were around 1.6 billion children out of school and in many countries teaching was moved online.
That is not to say the classic strengths of the classroom can be forsaken. Ms Albright said the shutdown “reminded people that some of the tried and true traditions and basics of education,” such as being in a classroom with a trained teacher, could never be replaced. It also underlined that online schooling can never “take the place of interaction with others”.
“You know, how do you learn things? What do you learn from being with peers? How do you build teams? How do you solve problems together?
“Those kinds of things, maybe we'll call the sort of softer skill, part of the equation cannot be delivered via a device. And I think that's what people are really missing.
“One of the things that we know is happening in the developing world is that schools are, apart from being places where children learn, places where children receive school meals … their places of safety sometimes.”
Looking ahead, the focus is on ensuring that donors match the ambition spearheaded by Ms Albright.
“Now is the time to dig down deep. Find the money we need, organise it in the right way, work very closely with countries, put them in the driver's seat, and help get us to a place where we have much stronger education systems that will get the most marginalised kid in the world back into school,” said Ms Albright.
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
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Stuck in a job without a pay rise? Here's what to do
Chris Greaves, the managing director of Hays Gulf Region, says those without a pay rise for an extended period must start asking questions – both of themselves and their employer.
“First, are they happy with that or do they want more?” he says. “Job-seeking is a time-consuming, frustrating and long-winded affair so are they prepared to put themselves through that rigmarole? Before they consider that, they must ask their employer what is happening.”
Most employees bring up pay rise queries at their annual performance appraisal and find out what the company has in store for them from a career perspective.
Those with no formal appraisal system, Mr Greaves says, should ask HR or their line manager for an assessment.
“You want to find out how they value your contribution and where your job could go,” he says. “You’ve got to be brave enough to ask some questions and if you don’t like the answers then you have to develop a strategy or change jobs if you are prepared to go through the job-seeking process.”
For those that do reach the salary negotiation with their current employer, Mr Greaves says there is no point in asking for less than 5 per cent.
“However, this can only really have any chance of success if you can identify where you add value to the business (preferably you can put a monetary value on it), or you can point to a sustained contribution above the call of duty or to other achievements you think your employer will value.”
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Bombshell
Director: Jay Roach
Stars: Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron, Margot Robbie
Four out of five stars
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The Details
Kabir Singh
Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series
Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa
Rating: 2.5/5
The specs: 2018 Mazda CX-5
Price, base / as tested: Dh89,000 / Dh130,000
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder
Power: 188hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 251Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.1L / 100km
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
SPECS
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Where to Find Me by Alba Arikha
Alma Books
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Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
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PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What went into the film
25 visual effects (VFX) studios
2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots
1,000 VFX artists
3,000 technicians
10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers
New sound technology, named 4D SRL
Brief scores:
Toss: Pakhtunkhwa Zalmi, chose to field
Environment Agency: 193-3 (20 ov)
Ikhlaq 76 not out, Khaliya 58, Ahsan 55
Pakhtunkhwa Zalmi: 194-2 (18.3 ov)
Afridi 95 not out, Sajid 55, Rizwan 36 not out
Result: Pakhtunkhwa won by 8 wickets
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
How being social media savvy can improve your well being
Next time when procastinating online remember that you can save thousands on paying for a personal trainer and a gym membership simply by watching YouTube videos and keeping up with the latest health tips and trends.
As social media apps are becoming more and more consumed by health experts and nutritionists who are using it to awareness and encourage patients to engage in physical activity.
Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.
Norlyn Torrena, a clinical nutritionist from Burjeel Hospital advises her clients to be more technologically active “most of my clients are so engaged with their phones that I advise them to download applications that offer health related services”.
Torrena said that “most people believe that dieting and keeping fit is boring”.
However, by using social media apps keeping fit means that people are “modern and are kept up to date with the latest heath tips and trends”.
“It can be a guide to a healthy lifestyle and exercise if used in the correct way, so I really encourage my clients to download health applications” said Mrs Torrena.
People can also connect with each other and exchange “tips and notes, it’s extremely healthy and fun”.
