Speakers at UN event urge stronger leadership & financing to ensure education for
all
Sept 26, 2013: Dignitaries, activists and education leaders gathered on Wednesday
at the United Nations in New York stressed the need for stronger leadership and financing
to deliver on the pledge made a year ago to provide all children with quality education.
The
Global Education First Initiative, launched last September by Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon, aims to put every child in school, improve the quality of learning, and foster
global citizenship. “Our efforts are bearing fruit. Education is regaining its rightful
place on the global agenda,” Mr. Ban stated in a video message for the first anniversary
of the initiative. “There is new momentum in countries with the greatest needs, such
as those affected by conflict, which are home to half of all children lacking education.
“But
we must do more – much more,” he stressed. “Educating the poorest and most marginalized
children will require bold political leadership and increased financial commitment.”
Noting that aid for education has dropped for the first time in a decade, the Secretary-General
emphasized the need to reverse this decline, forge new partnerships, and bring much
greater attention to the quality of education.
The initiative has rallied together
a broad range of actors and spurred a global movement to put education at the heart
of the social, political and development agenda. “Each of us is playing a key role
in the success of this initiative,” noted Irina Bokova, Director-General of the UN
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). “Now we need to take this
forward, to accelerate progress because we are not on track to meet our promises.”
The
numbers remain “staggering,” she said, pointing out that 57 million children remain
out of school. In addition, UNESCO estimates that 250 million children are illiterate
due to the poor quality of education. Enrolment has increased in many countries but
drop out rates remain “unacceptably high.” Too many young people are graduating without
relevant knowledge, without skills, Ms. Bokova told a special event to mark the initiative’s
one-year anniversary, and this is happening at a time when aid is decreasing and governments
are cutting back on education.
“Let us be clear. Cutting back on education
means cutting the most powerful investment a country can make. Reducing aid to education
means undermining the sustainability of all development,” she stated. “To reach those
left behind, we need resources to match will and we need stronger cooperation between
governments and development partners. We must ensure children not only get to school
but get the education they need.”
Wednesday's event was held on the margins
of the annual high-level debate of the General Assembly and moderated by Gordon Brown,
the UN Special Envoy for Global Education. It brought together world leaders, heads
of major organizations, education activists and representatives of the private sector.
In
her remarks, Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani schoolgirl who was shot by the Taliban
for attending classes, called on leaders to focus on education to resolve the world’s
problems. “This is our demand, our request to all the responsible people – that instead
of sending weapons, instead of sending tanks to Afghanistan and all these countries
that are suffering from terrorism, send books. Instead of sending tanks, send pens.
Instead of sending soldiers, send teachers. This is the only way we can fight for
education...“I believe that if we work together, if we are united for the cause of
education, we can achieve our goals.”