Six goals for world education

Six Goals for World Education UNESCO Prepared by Carla Piper, Ed. D. Extracts from the "EFA Global Monitoring Report 2008" Website

UNESCO Education Goals Expanding and improving early childhood care and education Ensuring access to free and compulsory primary education Ensuring the learning needs of young people and adults Achieving a 50% improvement in adult literacy Eliminating gender disparities Improving the quality of education Website

Where Do We Stand? 2000 - 2007

Early Childhood Children’s health, nutrition, well-being and cognitive development has improved. Comprehensive care and education of children below age 3 remains neglected Child mortality rates have dropped. Early childhood care and educaton still does not reach the poorest and most disadvantaged children. Early childhood programs remain scarce across sub-Saharan Africa and the Arab States.

Early Childhood Mission of UNESCO Early childhood requires an integrated approach to the child's care, development and learning. Early childhood care and education (ECCE) is more than a preparatory stage assisting the child’s transition to formal schooling. Early childhood policies are placed within a broader context Social development Gender equity Poverty reduction

Early Childhood Early Childhood Website UNESCO Policy Brief on Early Childhood Critical need to support the early childhood stage of development Child poverty Ill health Special needs Primary role of parents and families in rearing children should be protected and encouraged.

Early Childhood Needs Need strong government investment, regulation and supervision, children's services Preschool helps children acquire the values on which our society is based. The inviolability of human life Individual freedom and integrity The equal value of all people Equality between the genders Solidarity with the weak and vulnerable

Free Compulsory Primary Education Sharp increase to access to and participation in primary education. Number of out-of-school children dropped from 96 million to 72 million between 1999 and 2005. Compulsory education laws now exist in 95% of 203 countries and territories.

Primary Education Participation levels increased most rapidly in sub-Saharan Africa (23%), and South and West Asia (11%). Thirty-five fragile states account for 37% of all out-of-school children. Children from poor, indigenous and disabled populations are also at a systematic disadvantage, as are those living in slums.

Primary Age Children Not in School

Young People and Adults Goal has been neglected. Difficult to define, document and monitoring. Many young people and adults acquire skills through informal means. Non-formal education is the main route to learning for many disadvantaged youth and adults in some of the world’s poorest countries.

Contrasts between Rich and Poor Secondary Students

Adult Literacy Goal of achieve a 50% Improvement not reached. 774 million adults still lack basic literacy skills. 64% of them are women.

Adult Literacy Three regions include the vast majority of the one in five adults around the world still denied the right to literacy East Asia, South and West Asia Sub-Saharan Africa Little progress during the past decade in reducing the large number of illiterate adults (except in China).

Why is Literacy Important? Literacy a human right, a tool of personal empowerment and a means for social and human development. Educational opportunities depend on literacy. Literacy is at the heart of basic education for all: Essential for eradicating poverty Reducing child mortality Curbing population growth Achieving gender equality Ensuring sustainable development Peace and democracy

Literacy and Education for All Literacy is at the core of Education for All (EFA). A good quality basic education equips pupils with literacy skills for life and further learning Literate parents are more likely to send their children to school Literate people are better able to access continuing educational opportunities Literate societies are better geared to meet pressing development challenges

Gender Disparities Only 59 countries with data had achieved gender parity in primary and secondary education by 2005 75% of countries with data are at parity or close to it at primary level 47% are close to reaching the goal in secondary education. Boys’ underparticipation and underachievement are of growing concern in secondary education. Only 18 out of 113 countries that missed the gender parity goal at primary and secondary level in 2005 stand a chance of achieving it by 2015.

Gender Disparities Gender equality remains elusive: Sexual violence Insecure school environments Inadequate sanitation Girls’ self-esteem, participation, and retention disproportionately affected Textbooks, curricula and teacher attitudes continue to reinforce stereotypes on gender roles in society.

Why is Gender Equality Important? Gender equality and the well-being of children go hand in hand. Healthy, educated and empowered women have healthy, educated and confident daughters and sons. Gender equality will not only empower women to overcome poverty and live full and productive lives, but will better the lives of children, families and countries as well. Gender equality furthers the cause of child survival and development. Gender equality benefits both women and children.

Why is Gender Equality Important? Women’s equal rights and influence in the key decisions that shape their lives and those of children must be enhanced in three distinct arenas: The household The workplace The political sphere A change for the better in any one of these realms influences women’s equality in the others, and has a profound and positive impact on child’s well-being and development.

Why is Gender Equality Important? Gender equality is not only morally right, it is pivotal to human progress and sustainable development. Promoting gender equality and empowering women will also contribute to achieving other goals: Reducing poverty and hunger to saving children’s lives Improving maternal health Ensuring universal education Combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases Ensuring environmental sustainability.

Improving the Quality of Education Survival rates to the last grade of primary school improved between 1999 and 2004 in most countries with data. Quality remains low in two areas: Sub-Saharan Africa (median rate of 63%) South and West Asia (79%). Unequal learning achievement in language and mathematics characterize many countries worldwide. Many developing countries suffer from: Crowded and dilapidated classrooms, Too few textbooks Insufficient instructional time

Improving the Quality of Education Pupil/teacher ratios have increased in sub-Saharan Africa and in South and West Asia since 1999. Eighteen million new primary school teachers are needed worldwide to reach universal primary education by 2015. Many governments are hiring contract teachers to save costs and rapidly increase the teaching force, but where such teachers lack adequate training and service conditions, this practice could have a negative impact on quality in the future.

Education for All by 2015 Will we make it? UNESCO Website News Reports Bangkok Arab States Santiago Early Childhood Primary Education Secondary Technical and Science Education Higher Education Global Monitoring Africa Arab States Asia and the Pacific Europe and North America Latin America and the Carribean

Six goals for world education

More Related Content

What's hot

Viewers also liked

Similar to Six goals for world education

More from Carla Piper

Recently uploaded

In this document

Six goals for world education