MANILA, PHILIPPINES — The Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines, in partnership with UNICEF, will hold a webinar “The Right to Equitable Access to Education: Learning Continuity in the Philippines Amid COVID-19” on 9 December 2021, 10 AM, via Zoom which will be streamed live at EU in the Philippines Facebook Page.
The webinar is in celebration of Human Rights Day (10 December).
The right to education – recognized in international instruments such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and, in the EU, the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights –, has been hampered worldwide because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The pandemic has exacerbated pressing learning issues in the Philippines and threatened to widen further the gaps in education. Many children and young people have experienced severe and long-term effects of prolonged in-person learning disruptions, while others are struggling with distance learning.
The virtual dialogue aims to answer the question, “How do we move toward the future of learning and teaching?”
The two-hour activity will provide a platform to discuss learning continuity in the Philippines during COVID-19 times and how the country will move forward to resuming in-person classes and to ensuring the equitable access to quality education for all children.
This event falls under the EU’s and UNICEF’s advocacy for the rights of children to have access to education despite the pandemic.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on children, from education to sexual exploitation and abuse. More than ever, the European Union is at the forefront to uphold the rights of children and this will remain one of our human rights top priorities for the years to come”, said EU Ambassador Luc Véron. “I look forward to the resumption of in-person classes and to continuing to exchange views and best practices on how the EU and the Philippines ensure learning continuity,” he added.
“COVID-19 is a child rights crisis. We at UNICEF stay committed to providing the support needed to safely resume in-person classes and successfully implement the Department of Education’s learning continuity strategy. Together with our partners and relevant agencies and stakeholders, we continuously work to provide a better and brighter future for our children,” said UNICEF Country Representative Oyunsaikhan Dendevnorov.
Ambassador Véron and UNICEF Country Representative Oyunsaikhan Dendevnorov will provide the opening messages during the webinar. Ambassadors Jana Šedivá, Ambassador of the Czech Republic, and Juha Pyykkö, Ambassador of Finland, will provide the European perspective.
Panelists who will discuss the transition to in-person classes and the future of education are Roger Masapol, Director of the Planning Services, Department of Education; and Isy Faingold, Chief of Education, UNICEF Philippines; Mariella Castillo, Health Specialist, UNICEF Philippines; Willy Rodriguez, President, Parents-Teachers Association, National Philippines; Lien Wence Castro, student leader of Regional Sub-Committee for the Welfare of Children, Region VI; Aujel Orosco, student leader of Regional Sub-Committee for the Welfare of Children, Region V; and Regina Sibal, Lead Convenor, Aral Pilipinas.
Interested participants may register at https://forms.gle/vPD8QyEvdTrbJ6gc8
Further updates are available at the @EUDelegationToThePhilippines on Facebook.
