On Wednesday this week, the UNESCO General Congress adopted the Education 2030 Framework for Action. This is particularly exciting for the Open Education community, as this framework calls for OER to be part of the agreed-upon action items to ensure equal access to affordable, high-quality education.
The Framework is in support of the Sustainable Development Goal #4, Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning The Sustainable Development Goals were approved by the UN General Assembly in September this year.
The sections of the Education 2030 Framework that cite OER are:
Target 4.3: By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university.
Point 43. A well-established, properly regulated tertiary education system supported by technology, open educational resources and distance education can increase access, equity, quality and relevance, and can narrow the gap between what is taught at tertiary education institutions, including universities, and what economies and societies demand. The provision of tertiary education should be made progressively free, in line with existing international agreements.
The Education 2030 Framework for Action can be downloaded here: http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/ED/ED_new/pdf/FFA-ENG-27Oct15.pdf
You can see the Open Education Consortium’s blog post on this here: http://www.oeconsortium.org/2015/11/education-2030-includes-oer/
Kudos to UNESCO and to everyone who worked on the Framework, its discussions and action plans!
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Mary Lou Forward
Executive Director | Open Education Consortium
tel +1 802.347.1373 | mobile +1 603.369.8113
