KPMG and its strategic alliance partners will convene the ‘What Works – accelerated pathways’ by invitation-only side event, with perspectives from CSOs, industry leaders, public and private sector to discuss widening access to education for all. The side events will coincide with the Global Partnership for Education 2021 UK - Africa Education Summit. The What Works – accelerated pathways partners will use the outcomes of the side event to develop a Playbook that showcases the learnings, identified opportunities and proposed solutions that education sector stakeholders and actors can roll out at scale on what works to keep children in schools, particularly girls. From our collective experience, we know that what works, especially in a global crisis is what has always worked. Unified collective action that accelerates change by leaving no-one behind. We know that adaptive and flexible approaches are key drivers in achieving mutual prosperity and social value for all. The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed the disparity between access to quality education for children in urban versus rural settings. The disparity between children whom attend private and generally well-resourced schools whom continue to have some form of learning vs learning in public schools which is less consistent. Inequalities in education leads to further disparities in accessing job opportunities and other economic activities which affect the quality of life. A lower quality of life potentially feeds into the cycle of poverty, which in turn negates the ideals of a resilient future workforce. We invite stakeholders from the private sector, Civil Society, Development partners and Government to participate.
Side Events:
Session one: What works - Accelerating and empowering the future workforce through equitable access to education for all
KPMG’s session will draw upon case studies and lessons learnt to highlight the opportunities and solutions education sector stakeholders and actors can roll out at scale on what works to keep children in schools, particularly girls. We will discuss how governments can mobilise resources to reach the most marginalised. We will also explore how local and national media can bring parents, teachers and learners into decision making processes through mentorship, training and support at the household and community level, empowering them to advocate and demand access to efficient and affordable educational services. Despite the exponential growth of digital literacy and Ed-Tech platforms, progress has been undermined by infrastructure shortages, internet connectivity, data tariffs and the COVID-19 disruptions. The disparity between low, medium and high-end digital solutions, inadvertently continues to create inequalities amongst academic institutions, learners, parents and governments. Our panel will present workable low tech infrastructure and regulatory solutions that lead to an enabling environment which de-risks education sector business models, ultimately levelling the playing field for the future workforce. Public financial management and domestic reforms will be discussed as cross cutting themes.
Session two: What Works – Domestic Financing pathways towards access to education for all
The session will discuss domestic financing approaches and highlight pathways that work, in relation to access to education for all. Poor financial management around the procurement process of curricular materials and education sector assets has caused inefficiencies due to the misuse and misallocation of education sector funds by governments. Improving the capacity of strategic planning, financial management and budget execution at a decentralised government level is key to achieving efficient and affordable education services. We will discuss how academic institutions can maintain their financial health. Our panel will also share lessons learnt on how conducting rolling audits, monitoring financial and procurement processes, supported by capacity building initiatives that support institutions to achieve value for money, allows for investments to be redirected into improving education infrastructure. The session will also highlight how stakeholders can bridge disparities on access to resources between public-private schools.
