IDEAS: Equity

Think Equal is a non-profit charity registered in the UK and USA. We aim to promote best practice quality education, inclusion and equality in early childhood development and to collaborate with governments and global actors to bring this early childhood development programme successfully to scale. We believe that there is a “missing subject”, and that every child across the world has an inalienable right to be nurtured with values, life skills and competencies which enable healthy and positive life outcomes. We ask: “How can it be deemed compulsory for a child to learn mathematics, but it is optional for that child to learn how to value another human being or to lead healthy relationships?”

In the Early Years, when the child’s personality and moral framework are still developing, we must ensure that our children’s hearts are educated, and not just their heads. We must commit to a holistic approach to education which will result in a new generation of equal-thinkers and global citizens who can rise to the challenges of the 21st century.

Hedreich Nichols is a curriculum designer and Middle Years Program district edtech lead from North Texas. She is also an author and equity consultant helping teachers and districts amplify the voices of all students. Hedreich also hosts a YouTube series and podcast, SmallBites, with the same focus.

The World Inequality Database on Education (WIDE) highlights the powerful influence of circumstances, such as wealth, gender, ethnicity and location, over which people have little control but which play an important role in shaping their opportunities for education and life. It draws attention to unacceptable levels of education inequality across countries and between groups within countries, with the aim of helping to inform policy design and public debate.