Education Interrupted
Anna Darling leads Plan UK’s policy and advocacy work around global education. Anna’s role is to make sure the UK Government and other leaders prioritise access to good quality education for young people across the world, especially adolescent girls living in crisis such as in war zones and refugee settings.
The right to a quality education is the cornerstone of sustainable development. A quality education is critical to children’s safety and provides opportunities for them to reach their potential. However, education around the world, and the hope that it brings, is facing a generation-defining emergency: COVID-19. The pandemic has obstructed this right on an unprecedented scale. To stem the pandemic, in 2020, schools closed their doors to an estimated 1.6 billion learners globally.
But while unique to this century, COVID-19 is not a one - off crisis. The climate crisis, natural disasters and resource depletion mean children are increasingly on the move and therefore out of education. It is clear that education systems are not as resilient as they should be, often unprepared to deal with large - scale disruption. If COVID-19 was a test paper for the future, climate change will be the final exam.
And it is the world’s most marginalised children that will suffer the most. COVID-19 has laid bare social and economic inequalities worldwide, especially in the poorest countries.
For girls, many may never return to school, further entrenching gender gaps in education, increasing the likelihood of child marriage and exploitation, and undermining girls’ longer term opportunities. The risks are also severe for children with disabilities. Before COVID-19, over half of children with disabilities were out-of-school at the lower secondary level in low and lower-middle income countries.
COVID-19 is unlike any crisis the world has experienced in the last century. But it has also presented an opportunity for a more sustainable approach to quality education. Now more than ever, we have the opportunity to strengthen critical elements of education systems across the world. We have the opportunity to reassess the resilience and stability of our education systems and build back better.
The pandemic has highlighted the critical role that schools play in children’s lives beyond learning. From nutrition to health to child protection, school closures had a significant impact on children, beyond a loss to learning.
Education also has a critical role to play in building children’s resilience and adaptive capacities in the face of non - conflict crises. We need to look no further than the current crisis to see the unpredictability and complexity in the world around us. Education empowers children and young people to create a more sustainable future. Quality, safe and inclusive education provides children and young people with the critical life skills and knowledge to navigate this.
The sustainable goal on education includes a target promising that by 2030 all learners will acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development. Education can contribute to a more sustainable world because it can develop the skills and mindsets needed for building and contributing to a green economy and the promotion of sustainable communities.
Education improves the capacity of children and young people to be active citizens and agents of change who are better able to take action on crises that are interrupting their education. Young people can hold governments and other powerful decision makers to account.
The world must now take a systems-based approach to education if we are to ensure their sustainability for the future. As the Government prepares to host the Climate Summit next year, we must learn from the impact of crises – including COVID-19 and the climate crisis – on education across the world. And we must recognise the critical role that education can play in preparing young people for the world around them and creating a more sustainable future for all.
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Anna Darling • March 12, 2021
Mike Fleetham of Thinking Classroom has written a book " Headlines: Inspiration, humour and advice for school leaders ". A collection of original ideas, advice from professionals, quotes, and tips to support and inspire all leaders. Perfect for new and established leaders working in education, especially headteachers. "Being a headteacher is like looking both ways before you cross the road, and then getting hit by an aeroplane." To Enter the Competition To win a copy of Headlines please share your inspiring education or life lesson in no more than 600 words. The winning article will also be published in our next edition of Engage. Send your words of inspiration to admin@stevesinnottfoundation.org.uk 📅 Deadline: 5th September 2025 Stuck on Ideas? Here are some questions and prompts to get you started! What’s the one lesson school didn’t teach you, but life did? Think of a moment that changed your path, what happened? What piece of advice has helped you grow the most? When did a challenge turn into an opportunity for you? What story from your life would inspire someone on the other side of the world? What’s the life lesson that unlocked your next chapter? Your words could uplift, empower and be seen by many. Let your story inspire the world! 🌍💡 Good luck and we cant wait to read all the entries!
This week our CEO Ann and Jude (SSF Ambassador) visited schools in Coventry and heard about the wonderful work that students are doing to foster peace and community connection, as part of Coventry Arts Week. We visited Lyng Hall school in the morning and met with Ms Hagan and four of the schools UNESCO ASPnet ambassadors. They told us all about their recent project. The students took their art and poetry to the 80th Anniversary symposium in Ypres and Dunkirk. They shared with us some of the poetry they had written together with the students on the field trip and some of their own poems too. They also shared their future plans for working with their local primary school on peace and community. We also had the privilege of joining Ms Hagans class where they were looking at Caliban’s tale. Here is one of the students work
For my birthday this year I had the honour to walk 60 miles (yes it was a big 0 birthday) over 3 days to support the essential work of the Steve Sinnott Foundation of which I am CEO. Education in its many forms is essential for all of us to thrive and make the most of life's opportunities. The Foundation works to ensure that as many children and adults as possible across the globe can access the human right of education. The plan was to walk with friends and supporters who I hoped would keep me smiling along the way and it felt like a good way to make use of the Foundation’s “Get Moving” campaign. Here's how my Get Moving Fundraiser went on the first day. The 13th June I started my walk in London by walking from Barnet to west Hampstead and visiting my sister at her shop at Tree of Life where I got served a nice iced coffee to keep me going.
