Who We Are

At the Council for Education in the Commonwealth (CEC), we are dedicated to advancing high-quality early childhood education and foundational learning across the Commonwealth. By building international partnerships and advocating for children's rights, we empower educators, communities, and governments to create lasting educational impact. Our mission is to address global inequities in education, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to thrive.

Early Childhood Education

Early childhood education (ECE) plays a critical role in building strong foundations for future learning, with significant returns on investment throughout a child’s life. Yet as of 2019, half of pre-primary age children were not enrolled in ECE. Noting the Commonwealth’s leading work on this issue, including the development of the Early Childhood Care and Education toolkit, CEC is committed to advocating to ensure every child has the best start to their learning journey.

Foundational Learning

Nearly two-thirds of 10-year-olds globally are unable to read and comprehend a simple story. This shocking statistic reflects the urgent need to improve education and ensure children are not just going to school, but learning once they are there.

Education in Emergencies

As of June 2023, 224 million school age children globally were affected by crisis - with significant consequences for their education. Nearly half of all refugee children are out of school, and even when in school, many struggle to achieve proficient levels of learning. With the Commonwealth home to not only some of the biggest refugee hosting countries, but also many disaster-prone nations, education in emergencies could be an important sub-theme for CEC to focus on.

Climate Resilient Education

The climate crisis is already having a devastating impact on education in the Commonwealth, one that will only worsen as the crisis deepens. Commonwealth nations, including Small Island Developing States (among many others), are at the forefront of this crisis. It is essential, therefore, that the Commonwealth works together to mitigate the very worst impacts of climate change, while also preparing education systems for the shocks we know are coming. With its many networks and platforms for discussion, the Commonwealth offers an ideal space to connect across disciplines to build sustainable and resilient education systems that integrate knowledge beyond the sector. CEC advocates for and supports this approach.