The third G20 meeting was concluded in Bhubaneswar on Friday, April 28. An official from the Ministry of Education (MoE) said that the G20 deliberations would help prepare a framework for formalising skilling in mainstream education.
MoE aims to ensure that at least 50 per cent of school students attain training in various skills by 2030, School Education Secretary Sanjay Kumar added. According to him, deliberations at the third G20 Education Working Group meeting focused on formalising skill education in the schooling system, foundation literacy and numeracy, tech-enabled learning, future of work and research collaborations, as per a report by PTI.
What happened during the meetings?
“During the meetings, we deliberated how skilling can be formalised in school education. The new education policy also recommended that skill education be introduced in schools from Class VI,” Kumar said.
A conference on deep technology and transforming logistics for coastal economies, a workshop on the future of work and skill architecture, a seminar on building capacities for lifelong learning were part of the events held as a precursor to the meeting. Earlier in the day, the delegates visited the Konark Sun Temple and explored Odisha’s cultural heritage.
They also visited the exhibition Future of Work on the sidelines of the meeting. A model preschool education centre, vernacular learning-based tech solutions, 3D printed models of various temples with virtual reality experience, and cloud gaming were among the technologies and modules on display. A unique Future of Work experience zone was also set up at the exhibition, where job aspirants could get to know how the future of work will evolve and get a preview of the required advanced technical skills.
"Ahead of the meeting, Indian stakeholders and delegates from Singapore discussed best practices in skills and education adopted in the two countries and the way forward for preparing a future-ready workforce. During the meeting, the delegates carried forward with the discussions on the outcome document. They also emphasised the role learning plays as a key driver of development and enabler for empowerment,” Kumar said.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had inaugurated the exhibition at the CSIR-Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (IMMT) here on Sunday, April 23. More than 100 exhibitors from India and G2O member countries demonstrated their products at the exhibition spread across 34,000 square feet area.
The first G20 was held in Chennai earlier this year, followed by the second in Amritsar last month. Three supplementary meetings of the education group will be held before it arrives at a consensus in June. The next meeting will be held in Pune, as per PTI.
