Sunny Varkey, education entrepreneur and philanthropist launched the first worldwide representative body for the K-12 independent education sector – the Global Independent Schools Association (GISA). This was launched with the urgent call for greater knowledge sharing between independent sector and governments to help improve education across the world.
GISA aims to be a valued partner in achieving SDG4: ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education for all by 2030. The global association seeks to co-ordinate, represent and give a voice to the global K-12 independent education sector filing a representation void’ of a sector which educates 350 million children around the world.
It aims to become the ‘go to’ voice for the independent education sector, showcasing its impact and acting as a resource for the world’s governments and global institutions to tap into, talk to and in times of crisis, lean on. It also aims to work with policymakers and governments around the world to help raise standards in schools.
“Getting the independent sector to raise its voice in service of the public good is hugely important. Tomorrow’s economy will be unforgiving for those without a strong education and skills for the future. Unless the independent sector joins others – governments, business, NGOs – to work out how we educate and skill up a new generation, valuable expertise will remain siloed, and solutions will be lost,” said Andreas Schleicher, Director of Education and Skills for the OECD.
“The window of opportunity is fast closing to fulfil the promise of providing every child with their birthright of a good education by 2030. Until now, there has been a void in the representation of the global independent sector and lack of co-ordinated effort in the search for solutions to this urgent crisis,” Sunny Varkey, Founder of GISA.
“GISA members will be as diverse as the communities they serve, contributing frontline experiences of educating children across every possible income scale, culture, and border. GISA will also become a genuine partner in delivering SDG4, supporting policymakers and facilitating collaboration between its members to keep innovating and transforming education for the greater good. Together, we will work with governments to help them meet their educational and economic goals.”
With 35 percent of children in least developed countries (as classified by the UN) attending schools in the non-state sector and 18 percent in fragile and conflict affected situation according to the World Bank, GISA particularly hopes to share the impact and innovations from these schools to help deliver a quality education in parts of the world where it is most urgently needed. GISA believes this is more important with data showing that on average, students globally are eight months behind where they would have been due to the pandemic (McKinsey, 2022).
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