During the month of February, R4D Managing Director, Nicholas Burnett provided remarks and moderated an e-discussion for the 2011 Annual Ministerial Review of United Nations Economic and Social Council, entitled, "Education: Closing the Gap". Expert moderators guided discussions over the course of five weeks on topics including: quality in education; access to education and learning; and innovation in education. 

During Burnett's closing remarks he noted that, "non-state actors can potentially provide education more effectively than state ones, both by being closer to the students and by being able to spend more efficiently." He added that, "technology has enormous promise for education and we need to take a more scientific approach to learning, including, but not dominated by neuroscience."

Burnett stressed that continued focus is needed to; 1) address what might be done to stimulate the non-state sector; 2) explore the direct linkage of innovative financing and innovation in education and 3) address access issues for the poor and disadvantaged to all levels of education.

An outcome document will be prepared summarizing the ideas and action agenda produced by the e-discussion, and be presented at the Global Preparatory Meeting (April 2011) as well as at the ECOSOC’s Substantive Session in Geneva (July 2011).