BRICS education agenda: Childhood care, courses on par with market demand

The BRICS nations have agreed to collaborate on Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) and Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN), as outlined in the New Delhi Declaration from the 18th BRICS Summit. They further welcomed the results of the 13th BRICS Education Minister’s meeting in Bhubaneshwar. The declaration emphasizes mutual recognition of qualifications, digital literacy, and safe, ethical use of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence in education. It also calls for stronger institutional partnerships.

Moreover, the declaration highlights the BRICS Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Cooperation Alliance (BRICS-TCA) as a crucial platform for project cooperation, information exchange, and resource sharing, aiming to advance joint TVET development among member states. The BRICS nations are committed to aligning training programs with evolving market demands and sustainable development by promoting closer links between TVET institutions and industries.

The declaration reaffirms the BRICS countries' support for ongoing cooperation through existing education mechanisms, including the BRICS Network University. It also encourages the inclusion of traditional, indigenous, and local knowledge systems in the network's International Thematic Group. Furthermore, the BRICS nations encourage collaborative efforts to improve institutional governance, enhance education quality and accessibility, and promote exchange and scholarship programs at various levels, particularly in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and TVET-industry linkages to foster innovation and create more job opportunities.