Global Schools Forum Annual Meeting 2022

Global Schools Forum Annual Meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa: Nurturing collective action to drive education outcomes 

This year’s Global Schools Forum (GSF) Annual Meeting brought together over 100 members, funders, policy makers and partners from around the world for three energising days in Johannesburg, South Africa. Centred around the theme of nurturing collective action, the gathering served as a powerful reminder of GSF’s role as a collaborative community, innovation accelerator and partnership builder dedicated to improving education outcomes for children globally. 

In her opening remarks, GSF Founder and CEO Aashti Zaidi Hai reflected on the spirit of connection underpinning the event: “It’s been amazing to welcome the GSF community to Johannesburg and bring people together. We’re hoping for an enriching three days where we can learn from one another and find new opportunities to partner and collaborate.” 

Nurturing community: creating space to connect and learn 

Day one of the meeting focused on building and strengthening the GSF community. A keynote panel featuring Harry Anthony Patrinos (The World Bank), Corina Gardner (IDP Foundation), Muriel Mafico (UNICEF South Africa) and Zia Akhter Abbas (The Citizens Foundation) explored the role of the non-state sector in a post-Covid world. Data shared in the session underscored the long-term impact of pandemic-related learning loss—and the urgent need for collaborative solutions like blended and accelerated learning models. 

Regional networking sessions allowed members to connect more deeply with peers working in similar contexts. Discussions ranged from scaling government partnerships in India and Indonesia to financial sustainability in East Africa, highlighting a shared desire to collaborate on funding models, cost efficiency and policy engagement. 

Breakout sessions on personal well-being reminded attendees of the importance of self-care and resilience for leadership. These peer-led discussions created space for honest reflection on the pressures of leading in uncertain and sometimes volatile environments. 

“This is my first Global Schools Forum meeting and I’m blown away,” said John Gilmour of LEAP Science and Maths Schools. “It’s refreshing, inspiring and energising to meet fellow pioneers across the sector.” 

Nurturing promising solutions: exploring innovations in action 

On day two, members visited four GSF member schools in Johannesburg—LEAP Science and Maths, SPARK Schools, SmartStart, and Enko Education. The visits provided a unique opportunity to see promising approaches in action and engage with students, teachers and school leaders. 

Corina Gardner, CEO of IDP Foundation and GSF board member, reflected on the power of these visits:  “I’ve had enlightening and inspiring conversations already with the potential for co-funding opportunities and big campaigns. It was truly emotional to see what SPARK Schools have managed to achieve.” 

Afternoon sessions continued the day’s theme of nurturing promising solutions. A panel featuring Rona Bronwin (FCDO), John Rendel (Peter Cundill Foundation) and Faith Rose (BHP Foundation), moderated by Stacey Brewer (SPARK Schools), discussed where innovation is most needed in education and how to unlock it through catalytic funding, long-term investment, and stronger coordination between funders. 

Further sessions explored innovations in secondary education, transitions to work, and teacher-led practices. Members shared approaches like digitised university application systems, micro-financing for post-secondary education, and edtech-supported teacher development. 

GSF is committed to testing promising solutions that address the global learning crisis. These discussions demonstrated the appetite and potential within our community to drive meaningful change through innovation. 

Nurturing partnerships: shaping policy through collaboration 

Day three opened with a breakfast session where GSF launched its new three-year strategy (2022–2025). Centred on community, the strategy outlines three pillars: strengthening and growing a global learning community; testing and diffusing promising solutions; and partnering to shape policy and scale what works. 

Tom Dannatt, CEO of Street Child, spoke to the unique energy of the GSF gathering:
“There’s something in the atmosphere here that’s different. It’s more interesting, more enjoyable and somehow less pressured. Street Child finds it really enriching.” 

Panel discussions throughout the day explored how strategic partnerships can be used to create systemic change. Emily Gustafsson-Wright (Brookings Institution) led a discussion on public-private partnerships (PPPs), with contributions from Pankaj Jain (Gyan Shala) and Harry Patrinos (The World Bank). The panel highlighted lessons learned from PPPs to inform future models—emphasising flexibility, alignment, and shared accountability. 

A session on facilitating strong partnerships brought together speakers from USAID, UNICEF, Digital Skills Foundation and Rising Academies Network. Discussions addressed challenges like short project timeframes, limited trust between stakeholders, and the need to move away from transactional approaches to education reform. 

“Without trust, it’s very challenging to build sustainable partnerships,” said one panellist. “There must be space in the funding mechanism to foster that trust.” 

The role of networks in collective action 

In the final session, Aashti Zaidi Hai joined Pablo Jaramillo (Alianza Educativa) and Suezan Lee (USAID) for a panel on the power of networks. As a community of 75 members and growing, GSF’s evolution has been underpinned by the intentional building of trust across a diverse range of actors. 

The panel explored how networks can act as bridges—not just between organisations, but also across sectors, regions and funding landscapes. Attendees also reflected on the role of student voice, peer-to-peer learning, and local associations in strengthening the collective fabric of the education ecosystem. 

Hasienna Marriot of the Global Teachers Institute captured the spirit of the session:
“Being around like-minded people has really filled my cup. I can see my vision in other people’s eyes. It’s just that sharing and collaboration that I absolutely love.” 

Looking ahead 

Across the three days, the Annual Meeting offered a unique space for members and partners to reconnect, reflect, and recharge. Through school visits, strategy sessions, and discussions on innovation and policy, the meeting reinforced GSF’s role as a platform to seed, support and scale solutions in education. 

We would like to thank everyone who joined us in Johannesburg for their contributions and commitment to collective action. The GSF team will be in touch with follow-up resources, reflections—and details on next year’s gathering.