LONDON, 20 September, 2016 (A World at School): When a humanitarian emergency strikes, a quick response is key to ensuring children are still getting an education.
Children on the move after a natural disaster or during a conflict urgently need text books, school buildings and teachers. Internet access can help them get access to digital learning. And transportation can get them to school.
That's why an innovative emergency database has been launched today that will match the private sector to where their help is most needed in a crisis.
Bredt erhvervs-netværk
The Global Business Coalition for Education says the REACT (Rapid Education Action) Database will provide a fast, efficient and coherent response that draws on the widest possible network of businesses.
Tom Fletcher, Director for Global Strategy at GBC-Education, said: "Already over 30 companies – including Google, BMW and Tata – have joined our database, offering to be on the frontline of the next crisis. We are in touch with many more, who we are confident will follow.”
Giving examples, he said education providers could supply text books, teacher organisations could mobilise volunteers to supplement teachers and transport companies could help take students to school.
Nogle firmaer donerer penge
Fletcher said other companies could come together to fund a top-level team of coordinators to support the UN and host government.
Some businesses will contribute money directly to the Education Cannot Wait fund, to be used for research, humanitarian action and recruitment.
The fund was set up in May at the World Humanitarian Summit in Turkey for education in emergencies. It aims to help more than 13 million children over the next five years and 75 million by 2030.
One in four of the world’s school-age children – nearly 500 million – live in countries affected by crises such as conflicts, natural disasters and disease outbreaks.
About 75 million of them are either already missing out on their education, receiving poor quality schooling or at risk of dropping out of school altogether.
Sarah Brown, Executive Chair of the Global Business Coalition for Education, said: "GBC-Education is working with the Education Cannot Wait Fund to identify the gaps in the existing education response. We are sharing detailed research on the specific obstacles to education for displaced Syrians, and where business can best help.
"We want tangible, practical requests for support that we can take to our members, partners and the wider private sector. If they tell us they need books, we will find the books. If they tell us they need technology, we will find the technology.
"That way we can see if this model works, and – if so – scale it up so that business can better play its role at the heart of the education response.”
Bliv registreret i databasen: http://gbc-education.org/emergency-database/
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