Recently, we had the pleasure of participating in the 19th International Conference on Education Research at Seoul National University (SNU) in the Republic of Korea. GPE was a cooperating organization to this year’s conference, which gathered education and development researchers and practitioners in Korea and beyond to discuss “Education for Democracy and Social Justice ”.
This theme fit within the broader and more recent shift in Korea’s development approach, toward a focus on peace, human rights and democracy. Many of the conference presentations examined education’s role in promoting peace and fostering global citizenship.
There were also discussions of the changing role of social media, and the need for students to develop critical digital literacy skills to help them navigate a 21st century global and increasingly interconnected digital environment. One compelling presentation by Sheldon Schaeffer, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Asia-Pacific Regional Network for Early Childhood Education (ARNEC), reminded participants of the ongoing global crisis of access to and quality of education, observing that inclusive education is a “prerequisite to social justice.” With this in mind, Dr. Shaeffer’s presentation also attempted to reframe perspectives on why children are excluded from school, arguing that the global community should also share some of the responsibility.