Development of a Pacific regional education system resilience toolkit

 

The Pacific region, with its unique geographical, socio-economic and cultural contexts, faces significant challenges such as natural disasters, political instability and limited resources, making resilience-building essential for education systems. The COVID-19 pandemic and school closures due to natural disasters in the region highlighted critical gaps in education system resilience. These gaps include inadequate contingency planning, lack of preparedness for disruptions and insufficient support for the socio-emotional wellbeing of learners and educators.

This project will examine the meaning and practices of education system resilience across the Pacific region and explore how education systems can prepare and respond effectively to anticipated future disruptions. It aims to develop a robust and sustainable education system resilience framework and toolkit tailored to the Pacific context. This toolkit will be informed by evidence-based research, culturally responsive practices and strategic foresight methodologies. It will include best practice strategies and guidelines for implementation. A community of practice will also be established.

The project will focus on several key areas: climate change impacts, political instability, social conflicts, labour mobility, migration, digital technologies and potential future pandemics. By addressing these areas, it seeks to enhance the capacity of education systems to anticipate, prepare for and respond to various disruptions. Gender equality and inclusion will be integrated at all project stages to ensure resilience strategies are inclusive and equitable.

This project is part of the Global Partnership for Education Knowledge and Innovation Exchange’s Observatory on Education System Resilience initiative, a joint endeavour with IDRC.