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19CCEM Small States Forum Ponders Strategies for Resiliency
By Tameka Lundy, College of The Bahamas
Jun 22, 2015 - 10:28:10 PM

L-R: Bahamas Minister of Education, Science and Technology the Hon. Jerome Fitzgerald and Commonwealth Deputy Secretary General Deodat Maharaj

PARADISE ISLAND, The Bahamas – Saddled with crippling debt burdens and struggling to access financing on affordable terms, many of the 31 Small States of the 53-member Commonwealth have scarce resources to direct toward quality education for equitable development.

However, an inaugural Small States Forum held on Monday, June 22nd under the auspices of the 19th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers sought to bring key stakeholders together to discuss pressing challenges and brainstorm about potential strategies to address them.

In the process of providing quality and equitable education throughout the Commonwealth, the voices of Small States must be heard, Bahamas Minister of Education, Science and Technology the Hon. Jerome Fitzgerald declared during the forum’s opening held at the Atlantis Resort.

“I believe that we can, and this forum provides for collaboration between Small States that can positively impact those who we serve and create opportunities out of the challenges,” Minister Fitzgerald said.

The 31 Small States of the Commonwealth have a combined population of more than 2 billion. More than 60 percent of the Commonwealth’s population are under the age of 30.

Delegates attending the session on Monday focused on a key question: “Can Small States and Small Island Developing Nations overcome their size-related vulnerabilities and grow faster and more consistently?”

Speakers at the private session presented critical information regarding the unique challenges faced by small nations in the Commonwealth, namely size, dispersed populations, volatility, security and factors that affect the social and economic welfare of their countries.

“I anticipate that because of your experience at this forum, every one of you will continue to engage in action research in order to provide sound documentation to drive the campaign for Education for Sustainable Development in the Small States and Small Island Developing States within the Commonwealth,” Minister Fitzgerald said.

Commonwealth Deputy Secretary General Deodat Maharaj provided context for the critical meeting, pointing out that the 19CCEM is taking place as the Millennium Development Goals are being replaced with the Sustainable Development Goals, which will guide progress over the next 15 years.

There is also recognition of the linkages between education and other development factors like gender, poverty and health.

“Whilst continuing to recognise the importance of basic and universal primary education for all, we would also like to place greater attention to post-primary structures, including Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) with the aim of providing more diversified pathways of learning,” Mr. Maharaj said.

“We will also be examining and considering how we can leverage our higher education systems to develop knowledge economies, and the use of ICT to address the rapidly changing global landscape.”

Mr. Maharaj acknowledged that while many of the Commonwealth’s Small States are middle-income countries, they are significantly different from other middle-income countries in that they are disproportionately vulnerable to shocks. Consequently, he said, the Commonwealth is advocating for both vulnerability and capacity for resilience to be considered in criteria for accessing concessional resources.

The Commonwealth Secretary General urged the representatives to be bold in ensuring that the education systems moving forward will help create improved opportunities for the citizens of the Commonwealth.

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