The Parallel Forums provide opportunities for the wider Commonwealth education community to meet, network and exchange ideas and engage in dialogue.  It also allows for members of key stakeholder groups to communicate their priorities and concerns to Ministers. The Commonwealth education community includes representatives from national and international agencies, academics, teachers, youth/students, NGOs, civil society and the private sector engaged in education at all levels in the Commonwealth. The programme will include the Commonwealth Teachers' Symposium which will form part of the Teachers' Forum. There will also be an educational showcase and educational visits for delegates. There will be three Parallel Forums:

• Stakeholders' and Post-secondary Leaders' Forum;
• Youth Forum;
• Teachers' Forum (including Teachers' Symposium).

Each forum is a major event in its own right, and will bring participants together from across the Commonwealth to discuss issues of critical importance to achieving progress in education. The Parallel Forums will present statements to the Ministerial Meeting on the last day of the meeting (June 26). There will also be opportunities for participants of these Forums to engage with ministers during various events.

TEACHERS' FORUM

Since the 16CCEM in Cape Town, a Teachers' Forum has taken place concurrently with the Ministerial Conference. As highlighted in the 2013/14 Education for All Global Monitoring Report, investing wisely in teachers can contribute tremendously to the process of long-term equitable development through the educational enrichment of individuals and societies. The Forum will provide the opportunities for Commonwealth teachers to review the critical role that teachers can play in progressing towards the new development targets in light of factors such as the global financial crises, increasing privatisation of education and use of Information and Communication Technologies.

YOUTH FORUM

At the 17CCEM Youth Forum, the youth of the Commonwealth (many of whom are students or recent graduates) expressed the need for their collective voice to be heard at all levels of decision making.  The Commonwealth Students Association is the student body mandated to keep the issues facing students and young people current within Commonwealth policy deliberations. The role of youth and students will be explored through an interactive programme designed to inspire and motivate participants. Young people will express their opinions and exchange ideas on how to improve student contributions to education systems across the Commonwealth.

STAKEHOLDERS' FORUM

The Stakeholders' Forum (SF) has been a part of CCEMs since 1997. It is recognised that, in education, the non-state sector is uniquely rich and diverse and an integral part of national education systems. It comprises many agencies and individuals with great expertise in delivering and supporting education. In the majority, if not all Commonwealth countries, the non-state sector is a long established provider of education, in addition to being a supplier to, supporter and consumer of state education. Therefore the Stakeholders' Forum is not simply an "NGO" forum, but an opportunity to bring together a diverse range of stakeholders with significant experience and expertise to share one another, with delegates of other forums, and with government delegations. The Stakeholders' Forum at the 19CCEM will, for the first time, include the Post-secondary Leaders' Forum.