Mongolia commits to transform its education system

The Transforming Education consultations were held as a part of the United Nations member states supported Our Common Agenda, a policy blueprint aimed at accelerating progress towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially after the damages and backslides caused by COVID-19 pandemic. The United Nations Secretary General’s Transforming Education initiative put forward at Our Common Agenda facilitation discussion with heads of states in 2021, was broadly accepted as a basis for achieving all SDGs by 2030. Hence United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office in Mongolia, UNICEF and UNESCO co-organized the consultations and dialogues held with a broad range of stakeholders in Mongolia.

“Transformation of education is essential to unlock a breakthrough towards a safer, more equal and peaceful future.  In this context, countries are encouraged to hold inclusive, multi-sectoral consultations to develop a shared vision and commitments at highest level to transform education, “ said the UN Resident Coordinator in Mongolia, Tapan Mishra, addressing the participants of the national consultation. “Progress in SDG 4 on Education plays pivotal role for advancing the multi-dimensional and integrated nature of the 2030 Agenda.”

At the Transforming Education pre-summit held in June in Paris, Mongolia showcased some notable achievements in digital learning set in place during COVID-19 lockdowns and school closures. However, there were challenges as well. Thus, according to the Ministry of Education and Science data, one out of three school children in Mongolia is at a high risk of learning loss due having been unable to access distance learning. Children with disabilities, children from vulnerable social groups, and children who live in violence were reported to having experienced a digital divide due to lack of access to technologies and/or ability to beneficially use those for extracting information and facilitating knowledge.