End of Year Message, Closing off 2020

JET Education Services closes on Friday, 18 December 2020 and will reopen on Monday, 04 January 2021

Most would look back at 2020 as the year that should never have been. The COVID-19 pandemic changed the course of history, and the education sector will probably never be the same again. We have seen instances of incredible agility and responsiveness from non-profits and corporates during the last 10 or more months, and even the large government education machinery did what it could to steer the sector through this period.

At JET we responded to the challenges by mounting a series of research bootcamps which grew from a few themes in South Africa to a presence in Southern Africa and later on also across 55 Commonwealth countries. The unique combination of some 300 volunteer researchers, more than 30 established academics and a wide range of local and international peer reviewers made it possible to provide real-time action research to the sector when it needed it most. You can read more and see some of the research outputs on our website under COVID-19 RESEARCH RESPONSE.

While JET weathered the storm, many of our sister NGOs were not as fortunate, nor were the many previously disadvantaged schools and education institutions that simply did not have the means to cope. There is much to be done to address these deepening inequalities. Leaders also have much to account for when, during times of crisis, the poor and marginalised are deprived even more due to bad planning or blatant corruption.

JET will remain true to its founding principles as an educational research organisation, underpinned by strong activism and the ability to speak truth to power when it matters most. We invite our clients and partners to join forces with us as we continue the good fight for quality education for all, independent of social status and independent of race or gender. There is much to do and the JET staff and Board have skin in the game.

 

Best wishes and hope for the year ahead,

The JET Board and Staff