Education does not take place in a vacuum, nor does it normally create its own income to cover the costs of resources and salaries. As a social service, it has historically been dependent upon the generosity of governments, charities or philanthropists. As a site for learning, education has traditionally focused on understanding already existing knowledge. As a key to sustainable development, it has been, and continues to be, contingent on up-to-date research. The previous sections have identified new trends in learning that involve more stakeholders and call for greater interaction with local communities. These trends are dependent upon the nurturing of partnerships.

Partnerships

As discussed in Chapter 6, governments have the ultimate responsibility for meeting the targets of SDG4. However, schools are dependent upon the support of other actors in society. Agenda 2030 states categorically that “all countries and all stakeholders, acting in collaborative partnership, will implement this plan”. SDG17 focuses on partnerships that build upon common values, a shared vision, and goals that place people and the planet at the centre of development. Although many of the targets of SDG17 deal with issues of funding, technology transfer, trade and policy coherence, the targets also emphasize the need to encourage and promote effective public– private and civil society partnerships that share experience, knowledge and credible information.

Parents

The Covid-19 pandemic was an eye-opener for many educators and parents. Almost overnight, parents were faced with the task of home-schooling or no schooling for their children. The traditional role that parents had had in education was dramatically altered and a new reality dominated the lives of families for many months. Instead of merely helping children occasionally with their homework, parents needed to constantly oversee and facilitate their children's learning. In many countries, parents became assistants to teachers who were only able to communicate briefly with their students online. The school lockdowns resulted both in increased recognition of the value of schools as an arena for care-taking, socializing and acquiring knowledge, as well as a heightened recognition of the important role parents play.