The Kenyan national and county governments together with The Action Foundation launched the Disability-Inclusive Early Childhood Development (DIECD) Strategy. The challenge lies now with implementing the strategy that will see the transformation of systems that support children with disabilities and their caregivers. By embedding rehabilitation, early learning, and caregiver support within public systems, the initiative seeks to create lasting change.
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[Webinar recording] Inclusion and intersectionality: Webinar and summary from UKFIET 2025 conference theme
UKFIET has published the recordings of their webinars that followed the 2025 conference.
One is on inclusion and intersectionality, titled: Beyond Buzzwords: Reimagining Inclusion and Intersectionality in Education. The sessions intended to deepen the understanding of inclusion and intersectionality and how multiple complex identities intersect and interact with education systems and societal norms. A deep and varied explanation exposes structural barriers to inclusion, whilst also revealing opportunities to design equitable and responsive learning environments.
The sessions explored what works and for whom, while really amplifying youth voices and Southern epistemologies.
[Report] Education aid cuts: A broken promise to children
UNICEF has published a report “Education aid cuts: A broken promise to children”. This analysis shows that international aid to education is projected to fall by US$3.2 billion by 2026 – a 24 per cent drop.
If the announced cuts to official development assistance (ODA) become a reality, UNICEF estimates that 6 million more children risk being out of school by the end of 2026, 30 per cent of them in humanitarian settings. This is equivalent to emptying every primary school in Germany and Italy combined. It would raise the estimated number of out-of-school children from the current 272 million to 278 million.
[Report] Plan International: 250 girls share child marriage experiences
Child marriage remains a huge threat to girls worldwide. This research from Plan International reveals how this harmful practice puts girls in danger and limits their opportunities. Vulnerability and violence were key themes from the testimonies. Leaving school was another theme:
“Child marriage often results in girls leaving school early, severely hindering their opportunities in the future. The report found that over 1 in 3 (35%) dropped out of school after marriage and that 63% are not in employment, education or training.”
[Blog] Regional collaboration strengthens education in Pacific Island countries
Pacific Islands are working together to raise the quality of education throughout the region by addressing shared challenges. The island nations in the Pacific Ocean share similar challenges to ensuring equitable access to quality education, including hard-to-reach populations in remote locations and vulnerability to climate disasters that disrupt education. A key priority for Pacific Education Ministers is incorporating culture and identity in curriculum development, teacher training programs and delivery. A regional workshop brought together participants from across the region to explore traditional knowledge systems and the opportunities to weave Pacific culture into mainstream education, empowering future generations with a curriculum deeply rooted in their identity.
[Webinar] World Summit for Social Development: Realising the Right to Education: Reclaiming Public Systems for Equity and Inclusion
Date: 3 November 2025.
Time: 2.00-3.30pm (UTC).
Languages: Event will be held in English and interpreted into Arabic, French and Spanish.
Education is one of the foundational commitments of the 1995 Copenhagen Summit and a pillar of poverty eradication, inequality reduction and social integration which are central to the Doha summit. Education is not simply a service; it is a legal right and public good that creates possibilities for empowerment, inclusivity, and upward mobility and a cross-cutting enabler that underpins WSSD2’s broader ambitions.
This virtual panel discussion will take place during the World Social Summit for Development (WSSD) to explore strategies for realizing the right to education through strategic litigation, the localization of international human rights standards, and collaboration with social movements. It will focus on tackling educational inequality and ensuring that no one is left behind.
[Seminar] DARE-RC vision: Evidence for equity in Pakistan
Date: 11 November 2025.
Time: 13:00 – 14:00 GMT.
Location: Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, Donald McIntyre building, Room GS5 – ground floor. 184 Hills Road Cambridge CB2 8PQ United Kingdom.
Dr M Aslam will share the Data and Research in Education Research Consortium’s vision for empowering marginalised learners.
This seminar is hosted by the Research for Equitable Access and Learning Centre at the University of Cambridge. The Data and Research in Education Research Consortium is an FCDO-funded research programme in Pakistan. DARE-RC envisions a future where every child in Pakistan, especially the most marginalised, can learn, thrive and reach their full potential. It supports this through equitable, resilient and scalable education solutions informed by high-quality evidence.
DARE-RC generates and leverages rigorous evidence on “what works” to inform and encourage coherent, data-driven education policies and programmes to expand access to, and continuity in, quality education at scale, especially for marginalised children and communities in Pakistan. Its aim is for this evidence to support building education systems that empower marginalised learners. This session will present the vision of the programme, what it aims to achieve and what it has achieved to date through commissioned research.
[Symposium] International symposium on the future of the right to education: Renewing global commitments and charting future direction
Date: 9 December 2025.
Time: 9.30 a.m. to 6 p.m., European time.
Location: UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, France (and livestream)
UNESCO is hosting an International symposium on the future of the right to education: Renewing global commitments and charting future direction on the occasion of World Human Rights Day, and to mark the 65th anniversary of the 1960 Convention against Discrimination in Education. The Symposium will also serve as the official closing of the 11th Consultation on the 1960 Convention and the launch of the 2025 global report on the Right to Education. It will provide a platform to take stock of progress, discuss ongoing and emerging challenges, and renew momentum around this fundamental human right.
[Webinar] The Road to COP 30: Putting Child Rights at the Center of the Climate Change Agenda
Date: 30 October 2025.
Time: 2 p.m. (Amsterdam, Berlin, Rome).
Location: Online (Zoom)
Children are the least responsible for climate change and also the most vulnerable to it. Investing in children, from the early years through the life course, builds resilience and is a powerful strategy to combat climate change. Unfortunately, including children in policy solutions and action plans remains on the periphery of global climate negotiations. In this webinar, you’ll hear from partners leading efforts to shift the discourse and learn how to help in influence the planning process in your country.
[Blog] Keeping learning alive in the hardest places. Humanitarians in the State of Palestine and Syria share why they dedicate their lives to children’s education above all else
In this blog, we hear from four humanitarians who share their stories on education.
For example, Noureldeen Salah, Education Officer, Gaza, State of Palestine, said: “I recently met a seventh-grade girl who ran to her mother after a few hours in a learning space, saying, ‘I can’t stop learning! There is so much I don’t know yet.’ Learning made her feel ‘like I’m flying, and education is the key to rebuilding our country.’”
And Mohamad Kinan Turkawi, Education Officer, Syria, said: “One moment I’ll never forget was when UNICEF supported children with visual impairments to learn in Homs. The number of children attending classes doubled. Seeing their smiles and the hope in their parents’ eyes was powerful. For many, it felt like the start of a new life.”