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From 12 to 21 October, Capacity-Building Workshop on GCED for Pakistani Educators was held upon the request of the UNESCO Islamabad Office. APCEIU provided a 10-day training programme for 15 district education officers from Pakistan on GCED, Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and educational development in Seoul, Republic of Korea.

The workshop was composed of two modules. The first module focused on raising awareness about GCED/ESD in the context of SDGs, deepening their understanding of core themes of GCED/ESD, and introducing innovative policies and practices in Korea related to GCED/ESD. Through the second module, experiences of Korean education, including teacher development models, good cases, and innovative educational policies and practices were shared to broaden the participant’s perspectives on educational development. Each module was composed of lectures, discussions, hands-on workshops, and study visits to relevant sites in Korea.

The participants learned about the concept of GCED, its principles, policies and practices. Through the relevant sessions, they were able to understand the interconnectedness and interdependency of the society we live in and the challenges we face, recognizing GCED as a transformative educational initiative to effectively deal with the global issues. This inspired the participants to rethink what it means to be a global citizen. Moreover, through sessions on the thematic areas, including gender equality, human rights, and climate crisis, participants could deepen their understandings of global issues and important role of education in coping with global challenges.

To observe educational practices in Korea, the participants visited schools and educational institutions, including Daejeon Seobu Office of Education, National Institute for Lifelong Education, Seoul Munsung Elementary school, and Daejeon Moonjung Middle School. Through the study visits, participants witnessed educational system and practices in Korea and learned about how GCED/ESD is practiced at institutions and schools. Also, through active Q&A, they could learn details of school curriculum, culture and learners’ experiences at schools in Korea and how they coped with challenges, including learning gaps caused by COVID-19.

Through the Workshop, participants were empowered and motivated to take the lead and help their communities to work together towards sustainable development and quality education. After the workshop, one of the participants said, “I could get to know new concepts of GCED/ESD and moreover how these are practiced in schools and communities. Visiting various institutes/organizations not only broadened my horizon but also helped to observe the innovative and technology oriented methodologies being followed there.”  The participants shared that they will share their learning experiences with fellow educators in their regions and incorporate GCED/ESD in education policies of their respective districts.

URL: 
http://www.unescoapceiu.org/post/4606