Blog

UKFIET has published the opening and closing plenary sessions of the 2025 UKFIET conference. The first keynote speaker was Ahmed Kamal Junina, Assistant Professor and Head of the English Department, Al-Aqsa University, Gaza. Ahmed joined virtually from Gaza city as it was being attacked by Israel.

He reminded the participants of the fragility of education – more than 650,000 students in Gaza are being denied education for a third year. Nearly every school has been damaged, many turned into overcrowded shelters. Universities, too, have been flattened, leaving tens of thousands without access to higher education. An entire generation’s future hangs in the balance.

The second keynote speaker was Yusuf Sayed, Professor of International Education, REAL Centre, University of Cambridge. Yusuf reminded the participants that in Gaza, for the last two years, a classroom of children are being killed every day. This killing is not only physical but also in every other way (relating to hopes, dignity and human rights for example).

Watch the video and listen to the keynote speakers.

In this blog, Dr Ashmeet Kaur introduces the reader to the Multi-grade and Multi-level Approach (MGML) as an educational method exemplary of teaching children by their strengths (and weaknesses) regardless of their age and grade.

Dr Kaur argues: “Embedded in decolonial thinking, MGML highlights how eurocentric learning systems remain incompatible with the interests and abilities of the marginalised and least advantaged learners and teachers especially in low-resource settings.” And:

“The MGML model is based on principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and acknowledges diversity in learning experiences wherein every student learns (at) and develops her own pace based on the learning ladder. The methodology by its design supports each learner (slow or fast paced) in becoming independent and goal-directed by choosing a path that is most appropriate for them, becoming a model for child-centric learning.”

Read the blog.

GPE KIX has published three KIX research briefs that summarise key findings from their studies. These briefs are available in English, Spanish, and French.

Read the brief on supporting children’s education in emergency contexts.

Read the brief on gender equality and social inclusion in education.

Read the brief on supporting teachers.

“Teaching in a low-income government school in Bangladesh, I see how climate change is pushing the most vulnerable students even further behind in their access to quality education,” writes Md. Redwan Jakir, Teach for Bangladesh Fellow and GPE youth leader.

Despite the urgency of the crisis, Bangladesh’s curriculum still lacks meaningful climate education. The author describes how he teaches about the climate crisis and the results these teachings have.

“When my students explored local waste management patterns […] and then identified the impact of the pollutants and organized awareness campaigns, they did not just become learners. They became leaders for their communities. They started understanding that they had agency to tackle the climate crisis.”

The blog features also learnings from Nigeria.

Read the blog.

We have added an article to EENET’s library about a Tanzanian organisation called Potential Limitless:

“In the town of Moshi, nestled at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, the dreams of many children are at risk of fading. Some are street children forced to fend for themselves, others are children with disabilities who remain unseen and unheard in formal education systems. This is where Potential Limitless steps in. Since we began our journey, we have been working closely with children who are homeless, living with disabilities, or facing extreme poverty, to support their return to school and ensure they have the tools to succeed.”

Read more about Potential Limitless.