February 2021 has been really eventful for us and we wanted to share some highlights.
On 2 February, our CEO Girish Menon took part in a panel discussion organised by UCL’s Institute of Education (IOE). Girish spoke alongside Alice Albright (CEO, Global Partnership for Education), Marelize Gorgens (Senior Specialist, The World Bank), Elaine Unterhalter (Professor of Education and International Development, UCL IOE) and Moses Oketch (Professor, International Education Policy and Development, UCL IOE) The panel discussion focused on how the pandemic has impacted efforts to improve girls’ access to education, and what action is needed now.
Girish said: “We recognise that we work in a social environment where there are huge barriers to education, so it is vital to understand how girls see themselves in a school. It is key to develop their self-esteem and also ensure a school environment that is emotionally and physically safe. We’re grateful to the IOE for the opportunity to take part in this debate and look forward to continuing this conversation.”
We are also pleased to share that STiR was represented by Swarnali Das, District Lead in our Delhi team, in a panel discussion organised by UNESCO’s International Institute for Educational Planning on 16 February. The session aimed to raise awareness of the impact of Covid-19 on the education workforce and to reflect on potential implications for the profession. Swarnali spoke alongside David Edwards (General Secretary, Education International), Quenita Walrond-Lewis (Head, Directorate of the National Centre for Education Resource Development, Guyana) and Moti Ram Phuyal (Senior Vice-President, Institutional School Teachers Union, Nepal).
“We unite in pain more than in happiness. All the countries miles apart, exploring similar opportunities amidst unprecedented challenges, in the best possible innovative ways and resonating with each other. I was enthralled to see Delhi’s model on social emotional wellbeing of teachers and students being appreciated globally. It was a great learning experience for me”, says Swarnali.
Finally, we are pleased to share our contribution to the Impact Capital Festival organised by Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN). Sanya Sagar, Senior Manager, Design and Programme Readiness took part in the “Grandstand on Education” on 25 February. She spoke on “Co-creating with the government to build sustainable educational programmes.” Sanya answered some vital questions during the discussion on the sustainability of development programmes: What can we do to ensure that interventions and programmes sustain and thrive under the direct ownership of government systems? How can we ensure that they respond to and align with system priorities?
You can find Sanya’s section from 27:00 in the video below:
