Regular readers will notice this edition of Enabling Education Review (EER) is arriving about six months later than usual. In this article, we share some reasons for the delay and reflect on why we prioritise wellbeing over publication deadlines.
Multiple challenges
EER is primarily edited and designed by three team members. When they face challenges, the production process is inevitably delayed. Challenges faced by EENET’s wider team and the authors also impact the editorial team’s progress. Some of these challenges faced in recent months include:
- COVID-19 illness and other serious illness;
- the pernicious impact of long-COVID;
- supporting sick relatives;
- caring for elderly relatives;
- bereavements;
- the impact of having family members living under siege during the genocidal war in Gaza.
Our team is not unique. Every team in every development/humanitarian organisation and education institution regularly faces diverse personal and health challenges.
Pulled in opposite directions
Wellbeing coaches abound these days, especially online. They constantly tell us to ‘set boundaries’ to ensure we look after ourselves first. We are advised to see work as something that enables us to live the lives we want, not as our sole purpose for living.
Unfortunately, many of us work in sectors where external crises and more powerful actors pull us in the opposite direction! Donors, senior managers, boards of directors, clients and other decision-makers often have ambitious and inflexible expectations and choose deadlines that block our attempts to ‘set boundaries’ and look after ourselves. There is mounting pressure to do more, faster, and with less money across the education and NGO sectors – fundamentally at odds with worker wellbeing.
Embracing diversity
EENET’s team is diverse. We have volunteers and consultants of different ages and genders in different countries, with and without disabilities. We are a supportive place for neurodiverse team members. Like an inclusive classroom, EENET adapts to ensure that each team member is supported to do their work in the most effective and comfortable way.
Wellbeing and inclusivity are our priority
If our team members are struggling with personal or health challenges, or need support with disability and neurodiversity requirements, we believe we should prioritise that even if it means we need to rethink some deadlines.
Why wouldn’t we? The alternative would be to push people to work until they drop, or ignore their inclusion needs and contradict everything we stand for. Luckily, publishing EER is a project we have full control over – we can determine what we do and when we do it. So, when our team faces challenges, we simply adjust the EER publishing timeline and reduce the pressure.
Of course, we’re not always in full control of timelines when working with clients and donors. It’s our hope that other organisations increasingly recognise the well-being impact that deadlines and other pressures in the sector have on workers. It is important to do more to welcome and promote flexibility for the sake of well-being.