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Ammon News - Queen Rania Teacher Academy (QRTA) Sunday kicked off the 2021 Teacher Skills Forum dubbed ‘Learning Skills Gained in the Time of COVID-19.’

Featuring a distinguished group of educational speakers from around the world, the forum is accessible online for free upon registration, Jordan News Agency Petra reported.

The two-day online forum seeks to highlight the learning skills students have acquired during the coronavirus pandemic, while emphasising how students have overcome unprecedented challenges to develop and gain skills.

The new skills have proven vital to students’ education and will become increasingly important in their future careers, according to Petra.

In his welcoming remarks, QRTA CEO Osama Obeidat, stated: "We need to encourage school leaders and teachers to think flexibly and reconsider what is offered to students in terms of quantity, duration and assessment methods.

"Even after this forum comes to a close, we hope that the door to dialogue will remain open on how educational systems, policymakers and schools can capitalse on the positive impact brought on by the pandemic, especially regarding students’ new learning skills."

Keynote speaker Harry Patrinos, Practice Manager for Europe and Central Asia at the World Bank Education, said: "Millions of children have been out of school and there has been considerable learning loss. It is paramount that we draw attention to the urgent need to prioritise education."

"At the same time, our children and teachers, as well as parents, have learnt new skills," Patrinos added. "As we approach normalcy, it’s important that we nurture these new skills, address their learning needs, and give our students and teachers the support they deserve."

Keynote speaker Dirk Van Damme, Senior Research Fellow at the U.S.-based Center for Curriculum Redesign, explained the COVID-19 pandemic was "a real shock for all teachers, students, schools and the entire education system."

"Education suffered, but also demonstrated its resilience and capacity to transform itself to better serve our students," Van Damme noted. "Instead of restoring the old ‘normal’ as soon as possible, it is now critically important to reflect on and discuss the lessons learnt and to see how we can do better in the future.

The Queen Rania Teacher Academy Forum is a wonderful opportunity to do so. Not many systems take the time and have the courage to examine what has happened."

The forum is aimed at facilitating educators’ exchange of experiences gained and lessons learnt during the pandemic, while showcasing the basic skills and competencies required to meet learner needs.

The forum reiterates the significant roles of key educational stakeholders – namely policymakers, teachers and school principals – in identifying the skills that students have obtained relative to pre-pandemic expectations in order to amend instructions, allocate resources and build on these successes.

More than 5,000 participants from more than 45 countries have registered with the forum, in addition to 35 speakers from prestigious international educational institutions.

The forum comprises several discussion sessions, including, ‘School closures during COVID-19: Costs and opportunities for building back better’, ‘Capitalising on gains and sustaining positive change: Response of education systems post-Covid’, ‘What is normal and what’s coming next? How should we adapt teacher preparation and development to meet these new challenges’, ‘Reimagination of education: Students’ perspectives’, ‘Leading during crises'.