Sheldon Shaeffer
Sheldon Shaeffer is Chair of the Board of Directors of the Asia-Pacific
Regional Network for Early Childhood (ARNEC), a member of the Executive Leadership Council of the Early Childhood Development Action Network (ECDAN), and regional coordinator of the World Forum Foundation’s Global Leaders programme in Asis and the Pacific. A citizen of Canada, he was educated in history (B.A.), anthropology (M.A.), and comparative international education (Ph.D.) at Stanford University. He has taught, done research, and worked in development programmes in Southeast Asia for over 35 years including as the regional education advisor for UNICEF in Bangkok. Prior to his retirement in 2008, he was Chief of UNICEF’s global education programme in New York and then Director of UNESCO’s Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education in Bangkok. His professional interests include early childhood development, language policy in education, inclusive education, teacher development and management, and the impact of COVID- 19 and climate change on the wellbeing of children.
Abstract:
The world is facing a “polycrisis” — a conjunction of COVID-19, environmental degradation, and climate change along with the mass population displacement and more frequent and severe conflict which will likely be its result. This polycrisis will make the future which children of today experience as adults very different from the present they live in today. ECCE systems and educators must clearly understand this difference and help provide young children with the skills and knowledge not only to mitigate the impacts of this polycrisis but also to survive and thrive within it.