UAE-based not-for-profit educational organisation, the Varkey Gems Foundation, and Unesco, have announced the ‘10,000 Principals Leadership Programme.’

This is the largest principals training programme in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s history- involving a private foundation.

The programme was announced as a ‘commitment to action’ at the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting in New York today (September 25).

Former US President Bill Clinton is the honorary chairman of the Varkey Gems Foundation.

The first phase of the programme will involve Kenya, Ghana, and India, with 10,000 school principals being trained, across each country over four years, the organisation said in a statement.

School principals in many developing countries receive little, if any, leadership and development training. This initiative will up-skill those school leaders and the multiplier effect will benefit thousands of teachers and up to 10 million children. 

The initiative reflects calls from Unesco and the Varkey Gems Foundation for the private sector to assist NGOs, IGO’s and governments in supporting the UN Millennium Development Goals, including the need for access to quality education, it said.

The private education sector brings unique advantages in education that can compliment the work of the non-profit sector. 

Director general of Unesco, Irina Bokova, said: “This partnership between Unesco and the Varkey Gems Foundation is an excellent example of the new platforms for cooperation the world needs today. Tackling complex, global challenges requires innovative and far reaching partnerships between the public and private spheres.”

“Gems Education works for education as a force for development, for individual realisation, tolerance and dialogue, and indeed as a basic human right,” she said.

The Varkey Foundation is supported by Gems Education, the world’s largest education provider from kindergarten to grade 12.

Gems has over 10,000 employees including a team of world renowned educators who have excelled in education reform, curriculum development, and teaching and learning practices.

Speaking at the launch of the initiative, founder of Varkey Gems and chairman of Gems Education, Sunny Varkey, said: “I believe the private sector can work with NGOs and governments, powerfully, to provide more education to those less fortunate. The fact that 67 million children around the world have no access to education is intolerable.”

“Education is the most important issue in the world today.  For us to confront, collectively, some of the world’s biggest challenges such as poverty, conflict, prejudice and intolerance, we need to lift the standards of education worldwide,” he said. 

The Varkey Gems Foundation is committed to providing leadership development, enhancing teacher effectiveness and professional development courses to improve the skills and knowledge of 10,000 school principals, it said. – TradeArabia News Service