Civil
society groups, ministries of education and other private and public
organisations can be nominated or nominate themselves for the accolade.
Organisations
vying for the award must demonstrate excellence in one of five key
areas of education delivery. These include supporting quality education
in difficult environments, initiatives that link education to
employment, creating learning opportunities that promote gender
equality, climate action and pathways to peace.
Declaring
the competition open yesterday at the Commonwealth Secretariat
headquarters, the Fiji high commissioner reiterated his country’s
“wholehearted” commitment to access to quality education for all.
Jitoko
Tikolevu said his country supports the “use of education to champion
the delivery of climate change and green initiatives, as well as the
delivery of the sustainable development goals.” Fiji, one of the most
climate-vulnerable countries in the Commonwealth, will host the 2018
Commonwealth Conference of Education Ministers (20CCEM).
“Guaranteeing
inclusive, equitable and quality education for all is a big challenge
in the Commonwealth and across the globe. This is why, since 2005, the
Commonwealth Secretariat has been recognising innovations that can
remove barriers to sustainable development,” said Dr Joanna Nurse, head
of health and education at the Secretariat.
She
added: “This is an unmissable opportunity to share new strategies and
policies that are proven to work. For the first time, we will have
regional winners. This means we will be able to hand more of these
prestigious awards to the organisations that are improving the lives and
prospects of so many Commonwealth citizens.”
Winners
will be given the opportunity to travel to Fiji to showcase their work
at 20CCEM. Submissions can be programmes, projects, policies or
strategies that have made a positive difference to primary and secondary
school children, their teachers, or the education system of a
Commonwealth country.
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