Global Action Week for Education (GAWE) 2024 - Youth for Transformative Action

Published July 21, 2024

GAWE is a global campaign aimed at raising awareness and promoting action on issues related to education. Initiated by GCE (Global Campaign for Education), it lobbies for the right to education (RTE), improving educational policies, and access to equitable learning opportunities. By raising awareness and mobilizing support, GAWE contributes to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4, which aims to ensure inclusive and quality education for all by 2030.

PCE has actively engaged in organizing campaigns for GAWE over the years. Last year the campaign centered on 'Decolonizing Education Financing'. PCE organized a campaign by involving PCE's citizen-led chapters called PAGE (Peoples Action Groups for Education) and other education stakeholders in 12 districts across Pakistan with an aim to instill a culture of social accountability, transparency and mainstream voices of the marginalized sectors. (Read more)

The theme for this year was 'Transformative Education'.

Transformative education involves teaching and learning geared to motivate and empower happy and healthy learners to make informed decisions and actions at the individual, community and global levels. (UNESCO)

It involves rethinking traditional educational approaches, structures, and practices to better meet the evolving needs of learners, society, and the workforce to foster equity and innovation.

To commemorate GAWE 2024, we engaged our Youth Leaders to lead activities in their universities by engaging their fellows. Considering a 64% bulk of the population (under the age of 30) constituting youth,PCE actively engages youth in policy discourse. We believe young people have the highest stake in policy development and including them in decision-making spaces is crucial to ensure inclusive policies, grounded in real-world experiences.

In recent years, our efforts have been amplified through youth-led spaces for engagement. Our program 'Sowing Success Fostering Tomorrow Leaders' is a youth-led and driven initiative that aims to cultivate leadership, critical thinking and advocacy skills in youth by involving them in a range of activities that empower them to lead and shape their futures.

Activities

GAWE was commemorated from August 22nd to 28th and involved youth dialogues and poster creation activities followed by an extensive social media campaign.
The objectives of the campaign were to:

Promote youth leadership by providing a platform to voice youth perspectives on transformative education.
Stimulate critical thinking and inspire constructive dialogue among youth.
Foster creativity and collective action among youth to improve the education sector.

The campaign reached 36 individuals directly (youth dialogues and poster creation activity) and 39,725 indirectly (social media campaigning), making a total outreach figure of 39,788.

To initiate the campaign, a virtual orientation session was organized with PCE's youth leaders to equip them with the necessary knowledge and skills to lead the assigned activities in their universities.

Youth Dialogues

PCE's youth leaders effectively organized dialogues with their peers at National University of Modern Languages (NUML), Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU) and International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI). Discussions focused on what transformative education meant for young people and explored how education could be more inclusive and responsive to their needs.

Drawing from their personal experiences, youth identified several pressing challenges including inadequate infrastructure, outdated curricula, limited teacher capacities, focus on theoretical learning, lack of industry exposure, gender disparities and limited access to quality education, especially in rural or underprivileged areas.
Reflecting on their curriculum and teaching methods, participants highlighted the lack of relevance and effectiveness of the current education system, noting significant skill gaps in their education - unaligned with market needs and global trends.
Strategies to promote inclusion and equality in the education system were discussed, with a focus on addressing violence, discrimination, and stereotypes that limit participation of marginalized groups.
Participants highlighted the need for accessible infrastructure, learning material and tailored teaching methodologies for students with disabilities and other marginalized groups.
Identified various barriers that limit youth participation in decision-making spaces and expressed a need for more platforms to channelize opinions and concerns regarding education policies.

Poster Activity

In addition to the dialogues, youth groups organized and designed posters depicting their vision of education transformation. A photo session was held where they displayed these posters, capturing the essence of their advocacy. This activity aimed to foster creativity and collective action among youth to advocate for improvement in the education sector.

Recommendations

Based on the discussions and activities conducted, recommendations generated are as follows:

Increase investment in education and allocate more resources to improve educational infrastructure.
Guarantee fulfilment of national and international commitments in true spirit, by ensuring everyone has access to education, particularly girls, disabled learners and students living in remote areas.
Strengthen accountability mechanisms and improve teacher-training programs.
Conduct a thorough assessment to understand learner needs and ensure education is learner-centred and addresses/ prioritizes their needs.
Modernize curricula to align with contemporary needs. Incorporate skill-based, well-rounded/ holistic education that better prepares students for the future.
Create accessible and safe spaces for marginalized learners. Use focused initiatives i.e. incentivizing education, involving communities and developing gender-sensitive curricula to retain them in schools.
Engage and educate parents, local authorities and communities at the grassroots to address barriers to education.
Utilize technology to bridge accessibility gaps in remote areas.
Take concrete measures to improve youth visibility in decision-making spheres by restoring student unions, establishing youth advisory councils and investing in youth-led initiatives.

Lesson Learnt/ Impact Stories

Our first cohort of youth leaders who led this campaign passionately shared their learnings and how this campaign affected them. Below are their reflections.

Participating in the GAWE campaign was an enriching experience. It was an opportunity to test my leadership abilities, which I successfully demonstrated by organizing the activities. I was surprised to find that participants were well aware of educational problems but lacked the right platform to voice them. I am proud that we provided that platform. Additionally, I gained valuable insights into teamwork and the impact of collective action on education. Zaryab Afridi - PCE's Youth Leader

It was indeed a very enlightening activity. I got to know what my fellow actually think and what their concerns are regarding their education. Moreover, it made me realize that our youth is well aware of how they can equip themselves with better education if given the right chance and opportunity. Wardah Aziz - PCE's Youth Leader

My experience was quite enlightening and helped me understand how different minds can come together to generate impactful solutions that contribute to society. It enabled me to polish my leadership skills along with communication and public speaking. Witnessing young people's awareness of educational issues and their proposed solutions was truly inspiring. Ali Hasnain - PCE's Youth Leader

I gained a deeper understanding of the barriers to accessing quality education, the importance of inclusive practices, and the power of collaboration. I learned the value of resilience, which reinforced my commitment to advocate for educational equity by providing practical insights from discussions. I gained insights into how effective advocacy and public awareness can drive meaningful change. Dur e Nayab - PCE's Youth Leader

This experience was truly transformative, and I am grateful for this opportunity to develop my management skills, learn the value of teamwork, and witness the impact of dedicated efforts on a noble cause. Being part of a group that shares my passion for education and empowerment was a privilege, and I am thankful for the unforgettable memories and valuable lessons that I'll cherish forever. Javed Ali Khan - PCE's Youth Leader

Organizing this campaign was a transformative experience, equipping me with leadership, teamwork, and effective communication skills. The campaign not only helped me develop my skills but also instilled a sense of purpose and fulfilment. I felt a deep connection with my fellows and the experience left me feeling inspired and motivated to continue making a positive impact. Mehak Alam - PCE's Youth Leader

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