Blog of Pat Dale MBE, S.I. Representative to the Commonwealth

On 25 January 2024, to commemorate the International Day of Education, the Annual Gladwyn lecture was organised to celebrate the theme of “Learning for lasting Peace.” The Annual Gladwyn lecture is organised by the Council of Education in the Commonwealth and focuses on an educational topic of relevance to the Commonwealth, delivered by an eminent expert.

This year’s speaker was Alicia Herbert OBE, Director of Education, Gender and Equality within the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office. She is a special envoy for gender equality and her ambitious agenda is to promote and enhance learning for children and young people, particularly girls. Over the past 25 years she has been playing a leading role in shaping International Development policy, driving programme delivery and policy reform in countries across sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

During the lecture, Alicia shed light on the 250 million children and youth who are out of school, as well as the current state of education across the Commonwealth and around the world; presently, issues such as COVID-19, conflict, climate change, and Food Crises have continued to strain global education systems – denying millions of children the opportunity to learn and thrive.

Among these issues, the massive impact of climate change was noted, particularly for its massive impact on children and women, as well as its direct contribution to food crises and forced displacement. Similarly, world conflict has exacerbated current issues affecting access to education. Many children are barely achieving minimum proficiency in literacy or mathematics, even if they are attending schools.

The lecture was attended by many who were keen to discuss education policies in UK and globally.

I met film maker Leslee Udwin, who is the CEO of a programme called ‘Think Equal’. This programme has been adopted by Manchester Police’s Crime Reduction unit who are funding ‘Think Equal’ in schools.

The programme’s aim is to promote equality right from early age through promoting stories and emotional wellbeing – it is all about delivering a brilliant education and has been supported by actors like Meryl Streep, Sir Ken Robinson, and Helen Mirren.

Leslee Udwin also delivered a lecture to UN General Assembly on ‘Think Equal’. It is now a worldwide project which is being adopted by many schools, providing a space for young people and children to talk about where they come from, what makes them unique, their interests, and to celebrate and think equal. It is for them to feel safe within their learning environment, educating them beyond just maths and literacy, towards educating their hearts and minds! ‘Think Equal’ is intended to help children to develop tolerance, acceptance, and an understanding of everybody’s unique experiences as they grow up.

The ‘Think Equal’ programme is set up to run in 13 countries across 5 continents and has been developed by academic luminaries such as Sir Ken Robinson, as well as experts from Yale centre for emotional intelligence, who evaluated the programme. Currently, ‘Think Equal’ is in its third year running and is delivering outstanding results.

Leslee was granted the UN Women for Peace Activism Award alongside fellow award winner, Ben Stiller. Her programme ensures our children’s hearts are educated, not just their minds. It gives them the foundation for positive outcomes in life by equipping them with the tools which are critical to living a life in dignity and respect. Furthermore, ‘Think Equal’ provides early intervention, between the ages of three and six, providing a positive and productive foundation for learning future social behaviours.

Globally, approximately 60 million girls receive no education. To achieve world peace through understanding, it is crucial for governments, foundations, and parents to support our educational systems. Focusing solely on academic achievement without nurturing the emotional aspects of a child’s development is deemed a serious oversight with dire consequences. Teaching children holistic values such as emotional intelligence and responsibility towards others is pivotal in fostering a generation that understands and practices equality. This, in turn, interrupts the cycle of violence, leading to less pain, discrimination, and loss. By instilling respect for people and promoting global citizenship, we contribute to a world that values compassion, kindness, and empathy.