2023国际教育日陈一丹撰文：教育如何推动社会发展与公平
文摘
教育
2023-01-24 08:00
中国香港
将教育放在首位，就是将社会和经济进步放在首位。通过一丹奖得奖者的积极探索，一丹奖致力于以教育提升人类福祉。
联合国大会将于2023年1月24日庆祝第五个国际教育日，值此之际，一丹奖基金会回顾教育界在2022年取得的巨大进步，并为新的一年设定核心发展议题。今年，国际教育日的主题为“投资于人，教育为先”。正如联合国教科文组织所述：“只有终身教育才能打破贫困，提升健康状况，让人们有能力从事体面的工作……并缓解气候危机。”研究成果证实了学习改变生活的力量。2020年，我们携手维特根斯坦人口和全球人力资本中心，发布了一份研究报告，展示了教育、收入和认知能力之间的关联。该报告整合了过去70年的研究，最终发现：教育可以提升人们抽象思维和风险评估能力，改变人们的思维方式。这些变化帮助我们做出更合理的选择，带来更加长久、健康和卓有成效的生活。2022年一丹教育研究奖得主琳达·达林哈蒙德（Linda Darling-Hammond）博士将教育视为迈向成功的基石。职业生涯初期，她在美国公立学校任教，亲眼目睹了学校资金分配不均对学生教育资源、教师授课能力和学生成绩的影响。
自此以后，达林哈蒙德博士将注意力从教学转向学术研究与政策制定，重点关注如何提供公平的学习环境。她强化了教师发展项目，评估了不同教育方法，并据此设计了更优秀的学校——一切都为了让每位学生得到公平的教育机会。朱永新教授是2022年一丹教育发展奖得奖者，也是苏州大学教育学院教授。对朱教授而言，整体不仅是各部分的总和。他认为，为了真正地给学生带来显著改变，学习必须走出课堂，此外，还要考虑到影响学习方式及成效的诸多因素。因此，朱教授发起的新教育实验邀请学生、教师和家长共同阅读和写作。新教育实验的“书香校园”邀请社区成员广泛参与阅读和学习的过程。
新教育实验还推行“家校合作共育”，学校与家庭携手，在家中营造更积极的学习环境。重要的是，建立起一个支持社区，鼓励农村教师交流合作，体现自身价值。这一模式也培养了教师的领导技能，帮助他们获得职业认同感。新教育实验从一所学校，成长为8,300所学校参与的网络，惠及数百万名学生，其中大部分来自偏远农村地区。新教育实验为每位学生带来可以量化的切实影响。研究表明，新教育实验的学生在阅读兴趣、学习能力和学校归属感等方面都得到提升。达林哈蒙德博士和朱教授的工作响应了联合国可持续发展目标4（SDG 4），该目标明确表明了“为全民提供包容和公平的优质教育”的重要性。新冠疫情给可持续发展目标4的实现带来了巨大的障碍。过去两年间，约1.47亿名学生错失了一半以上的线下授课。如今，我们还剩下既定时间的一半来实现联合国2030议程，更看到教育的作用愈发清晰，尤其因为我们的下一代很快就会在气候变化、就业及科技、健康与福祉和社会治理上承担重要的角色。从达林哈蒙德博士以及朱永新教授的教育项目中，我们看到全球教育界涌现出众多创新、变革、可持续的解决方案。教育影响力开始先在社区体现，再贯穿至国家层面：2021年一丹教育研究奖得主埃里克·哈努谢克（Eric Hanushek）教授的工作表明，比起自然资源或人口规模，一个国家GDP的长期增长在很大程度上取决于该国劳动力的教育水平，即“知识资本”。更重要的是，哈努谢克教授还证明，以教育推动经济增长时，教育的质量比数量更为关键。驱动教育进步的因素不仅仅是更长的在校学习时间，或国家层面更高的教育投入；各国应该利用科学研究，来确定传授知识最有效的教育方法和体系。教育可以为个人的未来打下基础，为整个社区提供更多机遇，并推动经济增长。但若要实现上述目标，合作才是关键。政策制定者应与教育实践者和研究者并肩作战，协助他们开展工作。师资力量短缺是全球教育界都面临的一个难题，对此，教育界齐力发声的重要性更是不言而喻。通过推广创新的教育理念与洞察，并与全球专家通力合作，我们可以助力塑造教育体系，迎接未来挑战。优秀的理念无处不在。无论在发达还是发展中国家，教育创新与研究项目从不止步于此，它们正在改变世界各地的学习和生活。不论是在撒哈拉以南非洲为学生打造学习社区；在孟加拉为儿童提供寓教于乐的机会；还是通过在线模拟在世界各地开展STEM教育，这些令我们赞叹不已的教育实践遍及世界每个角落。今年，国际教育日的主题彰显了我们的坚定信念：社会进步，归根结底靠教育。通过发掘具有影响力、能够激发潜能的教育创新，我们可以帮助人们提高生活质量，透过教育创造更美好的世界。How education spurs social growth and equityTo prioritise education is to prioritise social and economic progress. Through the work of its laureates, the Yidan Prize Foundation is creating a better world through education.As the UN General Assembly marks the fifth International Day of Education on January 24, 2023, the Yidan Prize Foundation reflects on the leaps made by the education community in 2022 and places one theme into focus for the year ahead.This year, the International Day of Education shinesa spotlight on how prioritising education is an investment in people. As Unesco says: “Only lifelong education can break the cycle of poverty, improve health outcomes, prepare people for decent jobs … and mitigate the climate crisis.” Education changes everythingThe life-changing power of learning is borne out by research. In 2020, we partnered with the Wittgenstein Centre to publish a report demonstrating the links between people’s education, income and cognitive capacities. By collating research from the past 70 years, the report reveals that education literally changes our minds by making us more capable of abstract thinking and calculating risks. These changes help ensure individuals make choices that lead to longer, healthier and more productive lives. Bringing change to the most marginalisedOur 2022 Yidan Prize laureate for education research, Linda Darling-Hammond, sees education as the foundation that sets people up for success. Beginning her work as a public school teacher in the US, she saw first-hand how inequitably distributed school funding affected student resources, teaching capacity and student outcomes.Since then, Darling-Hammond has focused on levelling the playing field after moving from teaching to academia and policymaking. She’s strengthened teacher-development programmes, evaluated different educational methods and designed better schools — all in pursuit of equitable education for every child.Education as an ecosystemFor Yongxin Zhu, the 2022 Yidan Prize laureate for education development and professor at Soochow University’s Schoolof Education, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. To truly make a marked difference to students’ lives, he says, learning extends far beyond the classroom, with many factors influencing how (and how well) we learn.To this end, Zhu’s New Education Initiative (NEI) programme invites students, teachers and parents to read and write together. Its programme also includes an extended school library, where the wider community can collectively learn.NEI works with families to create positive learning environments at home. Importantly, Zhu’s work also builds a supportive community and helps rural teachers feel connected and valued. This model fosters leadership skills and helps teachers find fulfilment within their careers.The programme has expanded from a single school to encompass 8,300 schools across China. Now, it reaches millions of children, many in remote, rural areas. For each child, the individual impact is quantifiable. Research shows that for NEI students, there’s an uplift in reading interest, academic abilities and all-round sense of belonging at school. The work of both Darling-Hammond and Zhu resonates with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4), which spells out the importance of ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education for all.The pandemic has created serious setbacks in achieving SDG 4. Over the last two years, an estimated 147 million children missed more than half of their in-person lessons. Now, as we arrive at the mid-point since the adoption of the UN 2030 Agenda, the role of education has never been clearer, especially as this new generation will soon be shaping progress around climate change issues, jobs and technology, health and wellbeing and governance.In projects and programmes like those of Darling-Hammond and Zhu, we see innovative, sustainable and transformative solutions emerging in the global education community.But what about the broader social and economic impact of change at such scale?The impact of education ripples far and wideFirst across communities, then across countries: our 2021 education research laureate, Eric Hanushek, has shown that long-term growth in gross domestic product (GDP) is largely determined by how educated its workforce is — the ‘knowledge capital’ of the country — rather than its natural resources or population size.Crucially, Hanushek proves that such economic growth through education is determined by quality over quantity. More hours spent in school or more dollars invested by a nation aren’t the factors that drive progress; instead, governments should use scientific research to determine which methods and systems impart the most knowledge.Collaboration is vital for transformationEducation can lay the groundwork for an individual’s future, open opportunities for entire communities and unlock economic growth. But to achieve this potential, collaboration is key.Policymakers must support educators and researchers by working alongside them. With severe teacher shortages worldwide, it’s never been more important that the education community have their voices heard. Then, by sharing ideas and insight and working with experts globally, we can help shape education systems that are fit to meet future challenges.Shining a light on changemakersGood ideas are everywhere. Education initiatives and research projects in developed and developing economies are changing learning and lives worldwide. And these ideas go beyond the stories highlighted here.Whether it’s creating communities of learners in sub-Saharan Africa, helping children learn through play in Bangladesh or spreading Stem education worldwide through online simulations, the work we recognise reaches far and wide.This year, the International Day of Education highlights what we firmly believe: education is the ultimate driving force for social progress. By uncovering innovations with impact — ones that increase human potential — we can help people lead better lives and create a better world through education.By Dr. Charles CHEN Yidan, Founder of the Yidan Prize
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