The 9th Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning (PCF9), co-organised by the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) and The Open University (OU) was hosted in Edinburgh from 9-12 September 2019.
Mindful of relevant international statements including:
The Nadi Declaration from the last Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM) in 2018, which encouraged the implementation of specific actions to provide the opportunity for at least 12 years of quality education and learning for girls and boys by 2030 by investing in skilled, motivated and supportive teachers, educational facilities, and focusing on education reforms, guided by the principle to leave no one behind;
the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG 4 of ensuring ‘inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all’;
the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2018 youth forum actions which include: skill sharing, entrepreneurship education and greater opportunities for young people to access enterprise funding;
And The 2016 Kuala Lumpur Declaration as established by the delegation at PCF8: promoting lifelong learning through appropriate technologies; reinforcing skills development for sustainable livelihoods; encouraging research and innovation to promote access and equity; enhancing teacher training through policy and practice; emphasising the role of leadership and learner-centered pedagogies in facilitating inclusivity; and reinforcing the commitment of the commonwealth through ODL to collaboratively support small island nations and developing countries to address economic, energy and climate change challenges and build resilience for the future.
Forum partners from over 60 countries believe that it is possible to significantly accelerate progress towards the aim and targets of SDG4 by prioritising the several collective actions now. These actions are outlined in the Edinburgh Statement.
This article is based on the abstract from the Edinburgh Statement 2.0.
