Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — The G20 Education Working Group (EWG) met this week in Riyadh for the first time under the Saudi G20 presidency to discuss priorities for 2020. The meeting focused on equitable access to quality early childhood education and internationalization of education.

The meeting was officially opened by the Saudi Chair, Dr. Abdulrahman Alamri, who welcomed delegates from G20 member countries and guest countries, as well as international organizations. Troika members Italy and Japan joined Saudi Arabia to chair discussion sessions.

In line with the spirit of collaboration and engagement, which is a key focus of the Saudi G20 presidency, the working group invited representatives from UNICEF, the OECD, UNESCO, and the World Bank, as well as the C20 and W20 Engagement Groups.

UNICEF presented the latest research on recent trends in education, while the OECD provided an update on the current status of equitable access to quality early childhood education globally. The OECD also presented recent studies on the use and impact of information and communication technology in early childhood education. UNESCO presented on internationalization in education.

The EWG will meet again in April 2020 prior to the education ministers’ meeting in Riyadh.