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Educate A Child, a global programme of the Education Above All Foundation, and UNICEF bring opportunity through education access and school-based management committees (SBMC) training. By working together and in collaboration with government authorities in the north-west Nigerian States of Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara, they are helping SBMCs to track out of school children (OOSC) and encourage their caregivers to send them to school.

Against the backdrop of COVID-19 and its impact on education, especially for the most vulnerable out of school children (OOSC), the policy-making community and development actors should renew their commitment towards poverty reduction vis-à-vis the right to education.

In light of the pandemic, not only do we celebrate the tireless work of doctors and nurses but also the extraordinary work of our partners who are working around the clock to ensure continuity of education and learning for the most vulnerable children.

At a moment when COVID-19 has spared not a single aspect of our lives, we all would do well to think critically and creatively about what sustainability means in terms of development over the long haul. Simply put, we need to be resilient and build better to be stronger for longer. Though absolutely essential, it is unwise to rest on the provision of cash transfers, school feeding, distance education and social safety nets, and wait for the day when things get back to normal.

The side-event highlighted strong financial commitments from ODAs, Development Banks and NGOs for out of school children.

COVID-19 is double jeopardy for the hardest-to-reach out of school children.

EDUCATE A CHILD PROGRAMME CONTINUES TO BUILD SUPPORT FOR ITS COMMITMENT TO EDUCATE MILLIONS OUT OF SCHOOL CHILDREN.

Although we are at the beginning of this saga and no one can be certain what toll COVID-19 will ultimately bring to bear, what must be asserted by those working to secure a more sustainable future for the world’s children, is that now, more than ever, our focus has to remain trained on that prospect.

In Cambodia, Educate A Child (EAC), a global programme of the Education Above All Foundation (EAA), and Aide et Action (AEA) have been collaborating through the Education For All: An Integrated Approach project to enrol vulnerable OOSC into primary education and improve the quality of education across the country.

Today, EAA joins the world in marking the International Day of Education, a day proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly to honor education and its centrality to human wellbeing and sustainable development. The theme for 2020 is “Learning for people, planet, prosperity and peace.”

WISE 2019 brought together a formidable array of education stakeholders, development actors, eminent personalities, teachers and students to call attention to the changing nature of the education landscape in the 21st Century and the imperatives of awareness and responsible action. Amid this beehive of activity, EAC planned a wide range of panel discussions, launched its new ZERO Strategy through a landmark plenary session and signed formal agreements to continue to reach OOSC and at-risk children worldwide.

Under the rubric of “Making the United Nations Relevant to All People: Global Leadership and Shared Responsibilities for Peaceful, Equitable and Sustainable Societies”, EAA/EAC had a robust presence through the duration of UNGA 73, assembling critical stakeholders, technical experts and key partners, and taking up important issues in education head on.

Education Above All/Educate A Child launched the “Reaching 10 Million Out of School Children” event in New York City in April, a critical culmination of years of work and determination, and in fact part of broader awareness-raising campaign regarding the SDGs in Paris with UNESCO and the importance of quality education for refugees and IDPs with UNHCR in Geneva in the months prior.

"EAC is not going to rest on its laurels. With the help of our partners, we were able to increase education access to over 10 million out of school children. But, reaching that milestone made us more aware of the work that remains to be done. So, I’m thrilled to announce that EAC is now proactively working to prevent at-risk children from missing out on the right to education," says Dr Mary Joy Pigozzi, Executive Director, Educate A Child (EAC).

After successfully launching the 10 Million Milestone Event at the New York Public Library, EAC organised a partners meeting by assembling the leadership and representatives from almost every member of its vast network on 28 April to assess the progress made and lessons learned.