Teach Middle East Magazine Apr - Jun 2020 Issue 3 Volume 7 | Page 14

Sharing Good Practice
ACHIEVING EQUITABLE QUALITY EDUCATION
FOR ALL USING VIRTUAL SCHOOLING
BY: GAVIN MCLEAN
The global educational
disadvantage
As part of the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development, all United
Nations member states agreed
on a set of goals including the
improvement of education by the
year 2030. One of these goals (goal 4)
aims to ensure inclusive and equitable
quality education and promote
lifelong opportunities for all learners
across the globe. 
There are, however, widespread
challenges faced by countries across
the globe seeking to achieve this
goal, one of which is 
educational
disadvantage.
“Children living in poverty face many
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Term 3 Apr - Jun 2020
barriers to accessing an education.
Some are obvious — like not having a
school to go to — while others are more
subtle, like the teacher at the school
not having had the training needed
to help children learn effectively.”
Global Citizen, 10 Barriers to Education
Around the World
With more and more reports emerging
around the growing educational
disadvantage, the need for an
educational equalizer is clear. A quality
education can be the cornerstone in
society’s development and economic
growth, as well as emotional
development and wellbeing. We have
the power to nurture and shape our
future societies for the better, but quite
often this powerful, game-changing
tool remains neglected. 
Class Time
“Increasing access to education
can improve the overall health and
longevity of a society, grow economies,
and even 
combat climate change.”
Global Citizen, 10 Barriers to Education
Around the World
The lack of classrooms, untrained
educators in specialized fields and
learning materials, coupled with
distance from home to school and the
expense of education can all create
significant barriers to quality education
for each and every student. But we live
in the age of modernization, the age
where technology can cross borders,
so why should education continue to
be overlooked? Why should quality
education continue to be a privilege
that only the lucky few can experience?