IIEP welcomes UNESCO Delegations, National Commissions and Ministries of Education

10 November 2017

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IIEP's Director Suzanne Grant Lewis presents IIEP during the formal programme on 9 November 2017.

Every two years, the UNESCO General Conference brings together all of its 195 Member States. All of the national flags are raised at the Paris Headquarters, and over two weeks, its attendees set the policies and main lines of work of the Organization.

During this 39th Session of the General Conference, IIEP once again opened its doors to UNESCO National Commissions, Delegations, and Ministries of Education.

The Open House provided IIEP with an opportunity to present some of its latest work across training, technical cooperation, research and development, and outreach activities.

The Gallery Walk at the IIEP Open House.

 

Over 65 representatives from all over the world attended the event, including several Ministers and Secretary Generals of National Commissions. The event included a formal presentation by IIEP’s Director, Suzanne Grant Lewis, IIEP's Deputy Director, Paul Coustère, and other staff members.

There was a Gallery Walk, where attendees could review latest IIEP publications and learn about training opportunities and details of our technical assistance offers. There was also an interactive area to explore online portals and view a film made about a family’s experience with school grant policies in Madagascar. IIEP staff were present to introduce main themes and answer questions.

Latest research on display at the 2017 IIEP Open House.

 

Peter Muzawazi, Principal Director, Primary, Secondary, and Non-Formal Education, at the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education in Zimbabwe, attended the Open House with an eye of learning more about evidence-based monitoring in the era of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Muzawazi said key priorities areas in Zimbabwe are currently focused on inclusion and access for all students, regardless of social status or if they have a disability. “But we don’t just want bodies in the learning space, we want outcomes,” he said.

Dineo Bosa Modimakwane, Executive Manager for the Botswana National Commission for UNESCO, said Botswana is making a customized national implementation plan for SDG 4. Educational planning plays an important role in ensuring the successful implementation of a national agenda that is aligned with global goals.

Before attending the formal presentation, Modimakwane stressed that this is not a practice that can happen in isolation: “You cannot plan alone because otherwise you will fail to implement.” What this means is that different actors must be brought together, such as the Ministry of Health, to ensure children with special needs are addressed, churches, local government, and the Central Statistics Office.

Namata Issa, Director of the Cabinet of the Minister of Secondary Education in Niger, said the national priority is now educational quality. This will also require greater emphasis on teacher training.

Issa continued to say that IIEP training has had a positive impact in his country insofar as it has revolutionized the planning process. “It is better managed and this allows us to set realistic and achievable goals,” Issa said.