During 4-7 November 2018, UNESCO Beirut Office and partners successfully organized a first Regional SDG4 meeting on the issue of alignment among curriculum, teachers and assessment at Dead Sea, Jordan.
The meeting, held under the high patronage of H.E. Dr. Azmi Mahmoud Mahafaza, Minister of Education, Higher Education and Scientific Research, Jordan, constitutes the third Arab Regional Meeting on Education 2030 (AR-MED III) encompassing two different, yet related, activities:
1. Technical workshop on aligning curriculum, teachers and assessment (4-6 November 2018); and
2. Meeting of SDG4 national coordinators (6-7 November 2018).
The overall goal of AR-MED III meeting is to advocate the issue of aligning curriculum, teachers and assessment as a means of supporting the implementation and monitoring of SDG4 targets in the Arab countries. The lack of alignment among curriculum, teachers and assessment has been raised in many international and regional meetings, as well as in studies on learning outcomes. This alignment is a prerequisite of setting the education vision and preparing its sound translation into practice through consistent action plans, and thus contribute to the achievement of SDG4.
As shown in previous Regional meetings (such as AR-MED I, and AR-MED II), SDG4 indicators related to assessment (4.1.1), teachers (4.C.1) and Global Citizenship/Sustainable Development Education (4.7) are particularly challenging for Arab countries. AR-MED III meeting therefore tackles consequently the connections between education quality and such SDG4 indicators by addressing short- and longer-term country needs with regard to capacity development for monitoring and evaluation of, and reporting on SDG4 processes, achievements and challenges.
The meeting is fruitful and informative. Representatives from 15 Arab countries exchanged views and experiences, while SDG4 Arab Regional Support Group and UNESCO offices provided technical assistance and policy guide. The meeting concluded by sharing a draft Joint Statement, which is to be presented at the Global Education 2030 Meeting at Brussels, 3-5 December 2018.
