At the back of the UNICEF conference, two factions are debating the best way to pursue global access to higher education in STEM fields. Unlike other committees, the leaders of the two draft resolutions, P.A.T.H.W.A.Y and C.A.R.E.S, are in agreement. They understand that establishing access to STEM education for displaced children is paramount, not only to the refugees who are able to secure higher-paying jobs but also for the macroeconomic benefit of the host countries. Because of this, almost every sponsor is a signatory on the opposing paper, and the differences in their methods are minimal.
The P.A.T.H.W.A.Y.S plan, spearheaded by the U.K., Australia, Denmark, and Poland, and under the ardent support of Germany, aims to encompass all levels of development for all countries. After speaking to the leaders, the press has learned that the major tenets of this plan include making sure that LCDs and emergent nations are not dependent on funding from developed countries, providing resources without pushing a core curriculum so that cultural norms are respected and upholding, and demanding that donors to the program are anonymous so as to avoid government corruption. As the 3rd highest country in education rankings and a leader in STEM education, Germany’s guidance on the P.A.T.H.W.A.Y.S plan, derived from our own implementation of these practices, has been integral to the development of an approach that has been proven to work effectively. In Germany, such practices include requirements for children to attend primary and secondary school, nonprofit organizations which train teachers in STEM while also teaching them how to combat sexism, racism, and classism in a school setting, and the creation of a core education that covers the five main subjects as well as physical education and education in the arts. In STEM alone, Germany has developed more than 2,900 obtainable degrees offered at local universities, which contributes to data points indicating that STEM education in Germany is more popular than in any other country.
Alternate to the P.A.T.H.W.A.Y.S plan is the C.A.R.E.S plan, which is supported by the Russian Federation, U.S.A, and Andorra, and offers an approach to global STEM education that centers upon outreach to developing nations. The sponsors of this draft resolution aim to integrate refugees into existing programs within their host nations and implement an Educational Review Board which allows donors to track the progress of educational development in the countries they financially support. Although Germany has shown its support of this plan by signing on as a sponsor, the press has spoken to the delegate from Germany, who believes that P.A.T.H.W.A.Y.S is the most broadly effective plan because it is simultaneously comprehensive and flexible. As a supporter of the Sustainable Development Goals, including the development of equitable education through the eradication of barriers such as poverty and sexism, Germany firmly believes that education is a human right, to which all countries, regardless of financial status, should have access.