Strengthening Social and Emotional Learning in Hybrid Modes of Education: Building Support for Students, Teachers, Schools and Families

This Discussion Paper focuses on the essential role of social and emotional learning (SEL) in the global movement to transform education and amplify its social, economic, environmental and personal impacts in a rapidly changing world. It explores how the mainstreaming of SEL into educational policies and practices can contribute to realizing future visions of education that are flexible, reflective, innovative, and impactful. Specifically, the Paper focuses on six topics that, as a whole, reflect global experiences in integrating and implementing SEL in its various forms both during and in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Its main objective is to animate discussion on how to integrate a SEL dimension in hybrid modes of teaching and learning. This introductory overview presents the overall purpose and scope of the Paper, defines its underlying concepts and introduces the topics brought to this forum through the lenses of a diverse group of educators from Africa, the Arab States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America.