Education Minister hands over CCEM chair to Kenya
THE Fijian Minister for Education, Heritage and Arts, Premila Kumar has handed over the Chair of the Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM) to Kenya.
Fiji has been the chair of CCEM since 2018 and chaired the 20CCEM in Nadi, which was guided by the concept of Talanoa and embraced the Fijian “Bula Spirit” of friendliness, inclusiveness, and solidarity.
Fiji has worked with member states and the Secretariat to deliver on policy recommendations made in the 20CCEM despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
The policies put in place have reflected on the work Fiji had taken to lead globally in the great challenges facing our planet — the campaign against climate change and the preservation of our oceans.
Minister Kumar, who attended the 21st CCEM in Kenya last week, handed over chair to Government of
Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Education Professor George A.O. Magoha.
During the meeting, the Fijian Education Minister met with the Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Patricia Scotland QC, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Commonwealth of Learning (COL), Professor Asha Kanwar and the Secretary General of the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), Dr Joanna Newman.
It was acknowledged that being women leaders in education provided a point of commonality during their fruitful discussion, which touched upon the support that the Commonwealth Secretariat, COL and ACU can provide to our education sector.
“As a member of the Commonwealth, Fiji has access to a number of resources to benefit ECE, primary, secondary, TVET and tertiary education which we plan to take advantage of as we reform our education sector,” Minister Kumar said.
The Secretary General of the Commonwealth commended Fiji for hosting an excellent 20th Commonwealth Conference of Education Ministers (20CCEM) in 2018, and reported that all the agreed outcomes of that Conference was accomplished.
She also recognised Fiji for the inclusion of climate change education to prepare, and respond better in a climate challenged world.
The theme for this year’s 21CCEM is: ‘Rethinking Education for Innovation, Growth and Sustainability post-Covid-19’.
The Ministers met Nairobi to discuss how member countries can build resilience in education, provide equity in education for all students, and use finance in innovative ways to provide the best funding options for education.