Suffer the Children

Universal education is the foundation of human progress. It is the basis for shared knowledge, innovation, and economic development. And, through the traditional classroom environment, it remains the single most effective means of nurturing, inspiring and socialising young people - creating far-reaching opportunity and benefit for them and the communities in which they live and work.

But one-by-one, education infrastructures are buckling. And, just as we have seen with climate management, we need to rethink how the business community can take more of the strain.

Both, after all, relate directly to a more sustainable future.

It’s a contentious debate of course. A moral conundrum on a par with Church and State. And one in which commercial and national interests have often collided. But a combination of changed future workforce needs and a pandemic that has wiped out 20 years of education gains*, means our choices are narrowing.

The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) estimates that, at its peak, COVID-19 left more than 1.6 billion children cut off from education. For those living in low and lower middle-income countries and communities, the opportunity to return to the classroom has significantly diminished. 

Even in economies with a sufficiently stable digital infrastructure to support online learning, it is now recognised that extended periods of home-schooling deprive children of essential social skills, including the less recognised benefit of incidental information exchange – something we have written about previously in relation to hybrid workforce solutions. 

Elsewhere, the mental health issues associated with remote learning or limited access to education are profound. We simply don’t yet know what the impact will be.

What we do know is that a system that promotes an inclusive and equitable quality education is one of the few things that now comes between us and an untenable future. It is perhaps in that context that organisations need to look more closely at the role they play in supporting that fundamental need.

That doesn’t mean sponsorship initiatives or brand campaigns. We have to move beyond that. It does mean determining their role in contributing to more effective learning environments. Where the specific focus lies is something that requires careful and considered thought, understanding where support might be most impactful. 

But of course, business intervention in the provision of quality education cannot be singular. It demands a mindset shift across industries and the public and private sector. That’s not easy. Nor is it straightforward. But the motivation to do so is.

The consequence of a depleted learning environment diminishes access to new thinking, new ideas and innovation – the very things on which business thrives. Quality education and better business are intrinsically linked.

*United Nations | Department of Economic and Social Affairs