Davos 2021 Highlights: Reimagining education

Closure of the digital gap, new global education approach, unity and innovation. Here’s how the future of education was discussed during Davos 2021.

This year’s Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos was held virtually under the theme “A Crucial Year to Rebuild Trust”. As expected, the focus of all discussions was the need for adaptation due to the COVID-19 pandemic and more efficient global cooperation. Davos 2021 brought together 1,700 participants from governments, businesses and civil society from more than 80 countries who worked together to address the world’s newest economic, environmental, social, technological and educational challenges.

Among else, the panelists discussed the question of what digital skills, policies, practices and partnerships are needed to elevate future-ready employability skills.

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, 188 countries closed their schools, affecting 1.54 billion students.

These disruptions provide an opportunity to reset the skills that need to be prioritized in primary and secondary education and beyond.

As a part of panels on the topic of Reimagining education, Henrietta H. Fore (the Executive Director of UNICEF), John Goodwin (the CEO of LEGO Foundation), Angela Duckworth (professor of psychology and popular science author) and others, discussed many aspects of the future of education. We selected the highlights of their discussions for you with an aim to raise awareness about global educational challenges as well as their potential solutions. If you wish to watch all panels of Davos 2021, click right here:

The Davos Agenda

The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that no institution or individual alone can address the economic, environmental, social and technological challenges of our complex, interdependent world. The pandemic itself will not transform the world, but it has accelerated systemic changes that were appare…

World Economic Forum

Right to education is becoming right to connectivity

Once again, the pandemic showed how important it is to close the digital gap. Students and schools that didn’t have equipment for online learning, were left out during the global lockdown. Therefore, improving digital literacy will be a no. 1 priority in the years to come. There are already many initiatives working on solving this challenge. Closing the digital gap will enormously help the problem of inclusivity since this is a „once generational opportunity to give everyone access to education.“ However, the panelists also agreed that it is important to continue working on building the community of learners – because where the internet can’t reach students, people can.

Innovation,innovation,innovation

You could hear this word on all panels of Davos 2021. When it comes to the future of education, everyone agreed that it is necessary to prepare the young generation for a new workforce that will be needed in the world post COVID.

Innovative thinking was outlined as a crucial future skill for employees.

That’s why education needs to nurture foundational skills, creativity in problem-solving and critical thinking, not only writing and counting skills.

A new approach to education

A change in a global education approach is underway. Educational institutions will strive forwards a more holistic approach that will integrate interpersonal skills, ability to be a team player and a team leader. There are two challenges to this change – measurement (standardized test scores are useless in that sense), and how to help educators intentionally cultivate these skills. The panelists shared that currently there is a race for knowledge retention. We are perfecting the measurement of something that is not relevant anymore. It doesn’t help us in raising active contributors to society.

That’s why we need less much less focus on knowledge retention during early years. Acess to knowledge has expanded, so why do we educate in a same way?

Global unity

In order to achieve closure of the digital gap and implementation of a new educational approach,  we need global unity. Financing of the educational system is in an even worse situation than before COVID. That’s why investment from the private sector will be especially needed. The panelists concluded that we need more of a global initiative, rather than just discussions.

By The Novak Djokovic Foundation

CONTINUED:

• Novak Djokovic still has a 'good chance' of playing in the Australian Open
• His visa was torn up on Thursday because he  'didn't meet requirements of entry'
• But he is now fighting for his right to play in the Federal Court of Australia
• One lawyer says the matter might be delayed for weeks or months
• In this case, the judge has the power to allow him to play in the meantime

There's a 'good chance' Novak Djokovic will be allowed to play at the Australian Open - but not necessarily because he'll win his appeal to have his visa cancellation overturned.

Top media and litigation lawyer Justin Quill suggested there is a 'pretty good chance he will be playing at the Australian Open' due to the lengthy appeal process.

'I suspect not so much because he is going to win his case, but that there needs more time, and he will be allowed to stay in the country, compete in the Australian Open, then the lawyers will argue about this in the weeks and months to follow,' he told Herald Sun.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison revealed Djokovic's visa had been cancelled because he 'didn't meet the requirements of entry'.

He had reportedly received a medical exemption from Tennis Australia and the Victorian Government to enter the country, but upon further questioning from border force it was determined he did not satisfy the conditions.

Djokovic's legal team took the matter to the Federal Court of Australia in an attempt to have the decision swiftly overturned.

On Thursday, the court ordered Djokovic could remain in the country until at least Monday 4pm. It's hoped the matter will be settled in court that day.

Tennis Australia have indicated they want a decision as to whether Djokovic can play in the Grand Slam no later than Tuesday 'for scheduling purposes'.

But there are some suggestions the matter could blow out for weeks or even months.

Mr Quill theorised the court will take some time to come to a decision given the unique nature of the situation.

Never before have we seen an athlete of Djokovic's calibre and status left in limbo following a bureaucratic bungle.

'The imposition on Djokovic not being allowed to compete is arguably greater than the imposition on the Minister for Home Affairs. So, I suspect the court is going to land there and say, ''I'm going to allow you to stay in the country while we sort this out over the following weeks and months'',' Mr Quill explained.

Djokovic's lawyers will ultimately have to prove the decision taken by Border Force was legally incorrect.

The onus is on them to have the decision reversed and prove the legitimacy of Djokovic's exemption.

However, if the matter does extend beyond the games, it mightn't matter so much.

The court could rule that Djokovic is free to play while it's all being hashed out, Mr Quill suggested.

'We don't know exactly what they are going to be arguing, but we do know they will be saying the decision to deport him was wrong at law,' he said.

By Brittany Chain

CONTINUED:

Dramatic scenes unfolded at Sydney’s ATP Cup on Wednesday night when tennis star Nikoloz Basilashivili began struggling to breathe early in his match against Stefanos Tsitsipas, forcing play to be cancelled.

Australia’s vaccination rules mandate all players taking part in the ATP Cup to be fully vaccinated, a rule that caused Novak Djokovic to withdraw from the tournament last month.

Basilashivili, who is ranked No. 22 in the world, was representing his country Georgia on Wednesday and was serving 4-1 down in the first set when play was suddenly halted.

The 29-year-old walked slowly to his team’s bench and tried to take some deep breaths and sip some water as he waited for the physio to come on to court. The pair had a conversation before another doctor joined as hand gestures suggested he was feeling tightness in his chest.

The Georgian tennis star was overheard saying:

“Every shot I’m out of breath.”

Former British tennis star Colin Fleming said on commentary:

“This is concerning, very concerning I would say.

If you feel like you can’t take any kind of deep breath at this level and this intensity, that’s an issue.”

Basilashvili headed off the court with the medics while Tsitsipas kept warm by rallying with one of his Greek teammates. However, when he returned, the players shook hands and the umpire confirmed the withdrawal.

By The COVID World

CONTINUED:

Novak’s principled stance has only served to highlight the fact that millions of Australians have allowed themselves to be abused for the past two years. And no one wants to admit that.

It is far easier to demonise a Serbian millionaire who took a stand than it is to agree that we have been bullied into submission by politicians and health bureaucrats.

How else to explain the unhinged reaction to the world Number One tennis player being allowed to defend his Australian Open title? And how else to understand the glee with which his subsequent visa rejection was greeted?

When news broke earlier this week that Novak was going to be allowed to play in Australia, a Victorian journalist tweeted: ‘If we still have crowds at the Australian Open by the time it starts, it’s the duty of every Australian to boo Novak relentlessly between sets. Shit is absolutely f***ed.’

Urging 14,000 people under the Rod Laver Arena roof to exhale in unison to protest an airborne virus is the kind of dumb you can only be when you’re smack bang in the middle of a rabid mob.

Not to be outdone, a prominent Melbourne journalist tweeted that the Australian Open was ‘a tournament fans were scared to come to in the first place and won’t want to attend now’.

Really? People were scared that the medically cleared Grand Slam winner might walk onto a fenced-off court, cough during a rally, and infect everyone in the stadium with the plague? Get a grip. He’s a tennis player, not the Grim Reaper.

No one seriously believes Novak is a health risk. And no one seriously believes that kicking him out of the country is protecting Australians.

Australia recorded more than 60,000 Covid cases in the past 24 hours. It’s not like Novak – someone who is perfectly healthy and who has natural immunity from having beaten the virus earlier – was going to ruin Melbourne’s (mythical) Covid-Zero utopia.

Novak’s crime was to have insisted that a person’s medical information should be private – something we all believed as recently as 2018.

He then successfully argued his case before an independent panel of six doctors as well as the Victorian Health Department. As a result, he was cleared to ply his trade as a free man, with a clean bill of health.

You see the problem here, don’t you? Novak kept his medical history private while we all agreed to flash our medical history to a stranger in exchange for the right to enter Kmart.

Novak fought for and won the right to earn a living on his own terms while we all consented to making a series of unending injections a condition of being able to earn a livelihood.

Damn!

Novak probably wouldn’t have agreed to a 9pm curfew. He probably wouldn’t have forbidden his children from visiting playgrounds. And he probably wouldn’t have missed out on precious time with family because an unelected, unrepresentative bureaucrat said ‘science’. Novak probably would have stood up to all that nonsense. And how we hate him for it!

We have to hate him… If Novak is not the devil, then we are all fools – fools for acquiescing to increasingly nonsensical demands and fools for agreeing to endlessly shifting Covid goal posts.

Novak’s Australian Open entry did not mean that we had all been played by politicians. It was Novak who was the problem – not the tyrannical rules to which we so meekly submitted. Rules that made us so angry because Novak refused to be enslaved beside us. It wasn’t fair. Why should Novak resist when we had not?

He should be booed. He should be boycotted. He should get sick with Covid!

At least, that’s what some people seriously suggested, whilst claiming they were concerned about ‘public health’, of course.

On and on it went. Vitriol heaped upon disdain, piled upon contempt.

The Project’s Peter Helliar tweeted: ‘Margaret Court relieved she won’t be the most unpopular person at Rod Laver Arena this year.’

Leaving aside the fact that using the story of Novak’s medical exemption as an excuse to kick a 79-year-old woman did Helliar no favours, how do we explain Helliar’s assertion that Novak – who has harmed no one and who has broken no law – is suddenly the most reviled person in the country?

‘Rules are rules,’ Prime Minister Scott Morrison insisted, when announcing to the baying Twitter mob that Novak’s visa had been cancelled.

Most of us just thought it was good of the Prime Minister to finally turn up for something… But I digress.

‘Our strong border policies have been critical to Australia having one of the lowest death rates in the world from Covid, we are continuing to be vigilant,’ he said.

Vigilant in what? Protecting a Covid-ravaged populace from a healthy man with natural immunity?

One suspects it might have more to do with the fact there is an election coming up and it suits to have an unpopular foreigner upon whom to focus community anger.

Novak’s real crime was to have stood up for himself and, in so doing, exposed our cowardice.

Don’t think of Novak as a tennis player who got special privileges. He did not.

And don’t think of Novak as a selfish athlete who is disrespecting Australia. He is not.

Think of Novak as a mirror in whom we saw an unflattering reflection of ourselves. Our first response was to smash the mirror. Then we cheered that the mirror was to be marched onto a plane and sent back to where it had come from.

But there is no escaping what we have seen of ourselves – or the bad luck that’s sure to come with breaking that mirror.

By James Macpherson

CONTINUED:

• Novak Djokovic won appeal to overturn government's cancellation of his visa
• Despite some reports saying he has been arrested, that is not the case
• He is free to play in the Australian Open in a humiliating loss to the government
• At the heart of decision was a procedural error made by Australian Border Force
• They concede he was not given long enough to consult with legal professionals
• But the Minister for Immigration has the power to personally cancel the visa

Novak Djokovic has successfully challenged the Australian Government’s decision to cancel his visa, paving the way for him to play in the Australian Open after five days of chaotic bureaucracy.

But police have since swarmed his lawyer Paul Holdenson's office in Melbourne, where he was permitted to go during the hearing, with his family in Serbia claiming the authorities planned to 'lock him up'.

But Djokovic has not been arrested, according to government and tennis sources.

An official escorted by a team of five police officers wheeled a navy suitcase into Mr Holdenson's office at about 8.15pm, as the star's luggage was finally given back to him after five days.

Immigration minister Alex Hawke is, however, understood to be still considering whether to again cancel the player's visa.

Hordes of fans, followed by police, were quick to arrive at Djokovic’s lawyer’s office building after the matter concluded in court.

Federal Court Judge Anthony Kelly ordered the 34-year-old tennis world No.1 to be freed from detention at Melbourne's Park Hotel by no later than 5.46pm on Monday, having already gone to his lawyer's office to view the hearing.

Within 30 minutes, the back exit of the building was swarming with dozens of police officers who created a shield around the gates of the parking garage.

The situation has since calmed down, but a handful of police remain on guard, directing traffic leaving the busy office block.

With several discrete exits to choose from, it’s hard to know if Djokovic is still in the building, but fans milling out the back are hopeful he’ll make an appearance.

Speaking on Serbian TV, his brother Djordje said Australian authorities wanted to 'capture and lock up Novak again. That’s the last info, we are currently consulting with PRs about our next steps.

'He is at the moment with his lawyers in the room they were during the hearing, thinking about his options.'

One of his lawyers was seen leaving the building before 8pm on Monday, indicating no re-detention was pending.

At the heart of the case was a procedural error made by the Australian Border Force when officers first stopped Djokovic at Melbourne airport last Wednesday evening.

They did not give the tennis star an acceptable amount of time to consult with his legal team after notifying him of their intent to cancel his visa, with Djokovic given little to no sleep and no ability to consult with his representatives.

'We all play by the same rules... those rules were not observed,' Judge Kelly said. The message is similar to Prime Minister Scott Morrison's statement hours after Djokovic was initially given his marching orders.

'Rules are rules, especially when it comes to our borders. No one is above these rules,' Mr Morrison said at the time.

Judge Kelly quashed the decision to tear up Djokovic's visa and ordered that all his personal belongings be returned, asking the court: 'What more could this man have done?'

The decision is a huge blow to the Department of Home Affairs which had claimed Djokovic had relied on out-of-date ATAGI advice to enter the country.

But Christopher Tran, who was leading the government's case, warned immigration minister Alex Hawke may still use his personal power to revoke Djokovic's visa - a decision that would almost certainly land the parties back in court.

Judge Kelly noted if Djokovic were to be deported in that manner, he'd could be forbidden from returning to Australia for three years, though there would be discretion to allow him back in for next year's Open.

He told the court in no uncertain terms, that if the government does consider this motion he must be given ample notice to prepare for future proceedings.

Until then, Djokovic is free to enter Australia and compete at the Open - which starts on Monday, January 17 - where he will bid to become the most-decorated men's singles player of all time.

The Serb is currently level with Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal on 20 Open titles each. Federer is out of this year's tournament with injury, but Nadal will be competing in Melbourne.

The court was due to hear from the lawyer representing the Department of Home Affairs from 3.15pm and he had an additional 90 minutes to plead his case.

Instead, he sought a further adjournment and returned at 5.15pm to tell the court the Federal Government had agreed to revoke the decision to cancel the visa.

Djokovic supporters had high hopes for the case after Judge Kelly said he was 'agitated' learning all the steps the world No.1 took to assure he'd be welcome in Australia and free to play his favourite Grand Slam event.

'A professor and qualified physician provided the applicant a medical exemption, the basis of which was given by an independent expert panel established by the state government... that document was in the hands of the delegate,' Judge Kelly said.

'The point I'm somewhat agitated about is, what more could this man have done?'

While Djokovic is now free to begin training again and remain in Australia, the debacle has prompted fierce backlash online, with many saying the incompetence of the Australian government has been thrust into the spotlight.

Djokovic was originally granted a 408 visa which lets a person come to Australia to participate in events which are endorsed by the Australian Government.

Fellow tennis star Andy Murray says the uncertainty over Djokovic's situation is 'really bad' for tennis and claims the scenario has 'shocked' the athletes.

Murray said: 'I think everyone is shocked by it to be honest. I'm going to say two things on it just now.

'The first thing is that I hope that Novak is OK. I know him well and I've always had a good relationship with him and I hope that he's OK.

'It's really not good for tennis at all, and I don't think it's good for anyone involved.'

There has been outrage that Djokovic - one of the world’s greatest sportsmen - has been detained in a $109-a-night hotel alongside refugees and detainees.

Protesters gathered outside for days on end arguing for the freedom of the detainees inside.

‘9 years. Human zoo,’ one of the residents wrote on a handwritten note stuck to the window of his room.

One of Djokovic's lawyer's, Nick Wood SC, said the star went beyond what was required of him by providing evidence of his medical contraindication when he was detained at the airport.

He said government entry requirements specify a traveller must declare they can prove their exemption, but does not state they will have to do so.

'He was not required to provide evidence, even though as a matter of fact, he did,' Mr Wood said.

Mr Wood also noted Djokovic felt pressured when giving evidence to border force officials after touching town from 25 hours of long-haul travel.

He claimed an officer expressed that his 'shift was ending soon' and questioned whether this affected the decision to renege on an agreement to give Djokovic several hours rest and time to consult his legal team.

Djokovic had asked for any further questioning to be delayed until 8.30am to give him time to consult with his team and it's understood this was initially agreed to.

Later, he was told it was in his interest to proceed immediately, and his visa was cancelled about 7.40am.

The court heard Djokovic told border officers: 'If you let me talk to people, although you've taken my phone from me, I will try and get you what you want.'

Mr Wood told the court it was 'spurious rationale' to tell Djokovic it was in his interest to allow the visa cancellation without consulting his team.

'There was no reason, no intelligible reason, not to allow him that more time,' he said.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC VISA SAGA: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

What happened when Djokovic arrived in Australia?

Novak Djokovic touched down in Melbourne about 11.30pm on Wednesday night, and was swiftly taken in for questioning by Border Force officials.

He spent about six hours speaking with officials before a decision was made to cancel his visa on the basis that he could not validate his medical exemption to arrive in Australia without a Covid-19 vaccine.

He was swiftly taken to a detention centre in the heart of Melbourne, where he remained up until Monday.

Why is Djokovic in court?

Immediately after his visa was cancelled, Djokovic and his team indicated they would fight the decision.

They appeared before the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia on Thursday afternoon, where the matter was postponed until Monday, 10am.

Who is responsible for the bungle?

Court documents and leaked letters have helped piece together the puzzle of how the messy visa situation occurred.

Since Djokovic was detained, officials have hand balled responsibility between themselves.

Djokovic was informed by Tennis Australia that he was exempt to travel to Australia and play. It's understood his application was assessed by two bodies - one assigned by TA and the other by the Victorian state government.

On Saturday night, it was revealed via court documents that Djokovic had also received correspondence from the Department of Home Affairs - a federal body - which indicated he was free to travel to Australia.

But this has been revealed to be an arrivals assessment form, and not official confirmation he was granted quarantine-free travel.

No single party has accepted responsibility for the debacle, and at least one other tennis player has been sent home after they were initially approved with the same exemption.

Will Djokovic play in the Australian Open?

Now that his visa cancellation has been thrown out, the star looks set to play in the tournament.

Lawyers for the Department of Home Affairs indicated in submissions made about 10.30pm on Sunday night they had the ability to contest a decision in Djokovic's favour.

In fact, they say they could cancel his visa all over again, leaving him in perpetual limbo just a week before the Open begins.

Their submission states Djokovic is of a 'greater health risk' of spreading the virus than a vaccinated person and that infecting others would 'burden the health system'.

But the tennis ace's lawyers said he posed a minuscule risk to the health of Australian citizens given his reduced risk of reinfection so soon after recovering from the virus.

They also noted NSW and Victoria were already recording tens of thousands of new cases each day by the time the decision to cancel his visa was made.

Djokovic's high powered legal team argued border officers acted unjustly and made critical jurisdictional errors in cancelling his temporary worker visa in the early hours of Thursday.

They claim the Australian Travel Declaration assessment, which arrivals on most visas must complete before boarding, said he had met quarantine-free arrival requirements.

Results of the assessment are processed by a computer in just 60 seconds, with the government saying the document isn't official proof someone can enter the country and exists purely to give travellers an idea of whether they're eligible to enter or not.

ATAGI website guidelines which Djokovic and his team based their understanding of his 'medical exemption' on, state 'PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection,' is a valid reason for a temporary medical exemption.

'Vaccination can be deferred until 6 months after the infection,' the guidelines state.

In these circumstances, a person would be considered exempt from getting the jab if they can prove they've been diagnosed with Covid in the last six months.

The statement echoes what NSW’s chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant advised on Friday, which is that a person could wait up to six weeks after their symptoms passed to get vaccinated.

How Australian authorities have handballed responsibility over the Djokovic visa saga

Victorian acting Sports Minister Jaala Pulford says:

'The Federal Government has asked if we will support Novak Djokovic’s visa application to enter Australia. We will not be providing Novak Djokovic with individual visa application support to participate in the 2022 Australian Open Grand Slam.

'We’ve always been clear on two points: visa approvals are a matter for the Federal Government, and medical exemptions are a matter for doctors.'

Home Affairs Minister Jaren Andrews says:

'The ABF did not request Victorian government support for a visa. The ABF reached out to the Victorian government to validate their public statements about their support for Mr Djokovic’s entry, and whether Victoria had further information related to his medical exemption documentation.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says:

'Tennis Australia, as I understand, said that he could play and that is fine, that is their call. But we make the call on the border and that is where it is enforced.

'I am unaware of the Victorian government position on whether they were prepared to allow him to not have to quarantine or not.'

Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley says:

'The Commonwealth lets you into the country. Tennis Australia, in partership with the state, lets you into the tournament... Someone issued Novak Djokovic a visa, and it wasn't the Victorian government.

'I'm not blaming the Commonwealth for anything. All I'm saying is there is a two-step process to get into the country... You get into the country, that's the Commonwealth of Australia's responsibility.

Novak Djokovic's brother Djordje says:

'He had the same document as several tennis players who are already in Australia. Novak and his team had no way of contacting federal authorities. The only way to make contact was via Tennis Australia. Novak didn't apply, Tennis Australia did.'

By Brittany Chain

Davos 2021 Highlights: Reimagining education

Davos 2021 Highlights: Reimagining education Closure of the digital gap, new global education approach, unity and innovation. Here’s how the future of educa...

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