The Council for Education in the Commonwealth (CEC) mourns the death on 17 December 2021 of one of its most active members, Professor Lalage Jean Bown, at the age of 94.  She had a fall at her home in Shrewsbury on December 13 and died in Shrewsbury Hospital four days later.

Lalage Bown was a truly remarkable woman whose many activities and achievements are recounted in the obituary notice by Robert Hamilton of the University of Glasow already posted on this website.  This chronicles her major contributions both in scholarly activity and in advancing the causes of universal access to education, women’s empowerment and community development and pride in one’s cultural heritage.  This short tribute will not cover that same ground but will focus on Lalage’s important contribution to the work of the Council for Education in the Commonwealth (CEC) and to Commonwealth educational cooperation.

CEC Stalwart, Emeritus Professor Lalage Bown, OBE died in Shrewsbury hospital on 17 December 2021, aged 94 following a fall at home.

An eminent women’s literacy advocate, she dedicated her life’s work to improving education for the disadvantaged, especially women, seeking to bring university opportunities to the widest possible sections of society.

Lalage was emersed in a tradition which regarded adult education as a catalyst for significant social change. Her ideas were informed by a post-war world in which many believed that the kind of injustices suffered under colonial rule had to end. But, beyond this, in her radical way, she also saw the need to develop new inclusive, post-colonial approaches to education, including the reform of university curricula. She devoted her life to this mission, inspiring and challenging all she met- professionals and learners- across many countries in Africa and Europe.

In advance of the Global Education Summit 2021, co-hosted by the Governments of Kenya and the United Kingdom, Commonwealth Partners for Education* launched a virtual roundtable as an official side-event, which is also available on the GE Summit portal.

Watch | Mobilising resources for education: the crucial role of Commonwealth countries

The virtual roundtable was chaired by Hon. Mehnaz Akber Aziz, MNA, Pakistan with panellists including Rt Hon. Patricia Scotland, QC, Commonwealth Secretary-General; Dr Sara Ruto, Chief Administrative Secretary at the Ministry of Education in Kenya; Professor Keith Lewin, Emeritus Professor of International Development and Education at the University of Sussex; Pamella McLaren, Adviser and Head of Debt Management Unit at the Commonwealth Secretariat; and Dr Musarrat Maisha Reza, Chairperson of the Commonwealth Students Association.

Education, the Pandemic and Global Solutions for a Sustainable Future

Dates: 29 and 30 July 2021 | Times: 11:00 to 13:00 (GMT+1) each day | Venue: Virtual

Download flyer HERE

The CEC Annual Conference 2021 will showcase innovative approaches developed by teachers and educational professionals, in the face of the pandemic, to deliver education to young people, wherever they might be located.

The conference will:

• Offer a wide range of examples from a mix of countries including Ghana, India, Tanzania, United Kingdom, Zambia
• Provide a forum for delegates to discuss and contribute from their own experiences, including through parallel workshops
• Review the impact of Covid on the delivery of education and the implications for achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals for education
• Consider how to encourage the global dissemination of innovations and facilitate the sharing of ideas for the benefit of students, wherever they might be located

Baroness Williams of Crosby, Shirley Williams, who died on April 11 at the age of 90, was closely associated with the Council for Education in the Commonwealth (CEC) for over 50 years. 

Her support for the Council and its work spanned her whole Parliamentary career which began as Labour MP for Hitchin in 1964, continued through two periods of Labour Governments when she held senior ministerial posts in education, succeeded by a decade in the Social Democratic Party as one of the ‘Gang of Four’ and in her final three decades as a Liberal Democrat Peer in the House of Lords

Just over two years ago Frank Judd, as a Parliamentary Patron of the Council for Education in the Commonwealth, hosted supper in the House of Lords for all the main participants in the CEC’s Westminster Briefing on menstrual hygiene. It was typical that he found time to do so on a day when he was fully engaged in parliamentary business and debate.

Whilst attentive to all the niceties of hosting a successful meal, he also asked questions throughout, especially of our Kenyan participant, who had flown over for the occasion. He really wanted to know what she thought and what was happening to young African women whose lives could be blighted by the lack of good facilities and guidance for hygiene. Frank’s was an ever enquiring mind rather than one which sought to lay down adamant prescriptions. He was learning all the time, but he also had the capacity to turn this knowledge into action.

The disruption aggravated by the COVID-19 crisis to already overstretched education systems combined with economic shocks and increased pressure on public finances create a potentially fatal cocktail for education funding. However, while education is clearly a victim of the pandemic, it can also be the solution to the longer-term recovery if funded properly.

By Senator Dr Getrude Musuruve Inimah, International Parliamentary Network for Education, and Hon Harriett Baldwin MP, International Parliamentary Network for Education

We live in unprecedented times. At the time of writing almost 2.5 million people around the world have lost their lives to COVID-19 and face the worst economic global crisis since the Great Depression.

The health and economic emergency caused by the pandemic has also exacerbated the global learning crisis, affecting both the funding and the delivery of education globally, and hitting the world’s poorest countries and most vulnerable learners the hardest.

GETTING ON TRACK: ACTION TO DELIVER THE GLOBAL PROMISE OF QUALITY EDUCATION FOR ALL

Date: 8 March 2021 | Time: 11:00 to 12:30 | Venue: Virtual (Zoom)

Speakers:
Hon Senator Dr Getrude Musuruve & Hon Harriett Baldwin MP

Chair:
Sonny Leong CBE, Chair, Council for Education in the Commonwealth

The closure of schools, universities and educational programmes in the wake of the COVID pandemic has led to a disruption in learning of a magnitude never experienced in recent history.

The pandemic has amplified social, economic and digital inequalities, putting a generation at risk of a learning catastrophe. But it has also reminded us of the centrality of education for every society, as a common good and the bedrock of social cohesion, well-being and opportunity.

But even prior to the pandemic the international community’s commitment in the form of Sustainable Development Goal 4 to ‘ensure inclusive and equitable quality education for all’ was at serious risk.

In this joint presentation to mark Commonwealth Day the founding co-chairs of the International Parliamentary Network for Education, Senator Dr Getrude Musuruve of Kenya and Harriett Baldwin MP of the United Kingdom will explain why growing political leadership in support of education is essential to accelerating educational progress.

They will share recommendations for governments and multilateral organisations, including the Commonwealth, can secure more and better funding for education, improve learning outcomes and ensure that no child is left behind.

Download the flyer HERE

Watch it HERE

Agenda 2030: Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals - How might the Commonwealth deliver success?

The Annual Gladwyn Lecture 2020 was held virtually on Wednesday, 11th November 2020. The keynote speaker was Stephen Twigg, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Secretary-General.

Speaking at the Annual Gladwyn Lecture, the CPA Secretary-General focused particularly on quality education (SDG4) and peace, justice and strong institutions (SDG16). The UN SDGs were adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Agenda 2030: Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals - How might the Commonwealth deliver success?

Speaker: Stephen Twigg, Secretary-General, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association

Chair: Sonny Leong CBE, Chair, Council for Education in the Commonwealth

Venue: Virtual (Zoom) | Date: Wednesday, 11th November 2020 | Time: 18:00 – 20:00

One third of the world’s population live in the 54 countries of the Commonwealth. Engaging together they offer a
tremendous opportunity, offering direction and initiating approaches to help everyone achieve the ambitions of the SDGs.
The scale of this challenge was always immense, but it has been increased further by the impact of COVID-19.

This year’s Gladwyn Lecture will address the importance of the Commonwealth’s active involvement, particularly in relation
to education (SDG4) and good governance (SDG16). Stephen Twigg will focus on issues that most affect young people
across the Commonwealth. He will also consider the vital role of all parliamentarians, wherever located, in the delivery of
Agenda 2030.