NEW YORK, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed has stated that despite global promises and progress, around 263 million children and young people worldwide are currently out of school. This indicates that achieving quality education for all by 2030 is “seriously off track”. The issue was discussed at the latest session of the Commission on Population and Development (CPD), which was held at UN Headquarters in New York on Monday.
Ms. Mohammed highlighted the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan who have been banned from high school and university, calling it “one of the gravest educational challenges of our time”. She stressed the importance of education as a crucial long-term investment for a sustainable future, for people and the planet.
She further mentioned that countries are facing “a triple crisis in education one of equity and inclusion, quality and relevance, to equip current and future generations with the skills they need to thrive in a fast-changing world”. Ms. Mohammed stated that the millions of children worldwide who are not attending school represent just one challenge for the international community.
nother concern is that many students simply are not learning, with nearly 70% of children in poorer countries unable to understand a basic text by age 10, mainly due to chronic factors such as poverty and malnutrition. Ms. Mohamed stressed that it is crucial to reimagine and transform educational systems if they are to be fit for purpose. She also highlighted the importance of learning how to learn throughout our lives and learn to live in peace with one another and with nature.
Ms. Mohammed called for initiatives to get all learners “climate-ready” and connected to the internet and the world of digital innovation, which is especially important for girls and women from the Global South, who are the most excluded. She also emphasised the need to consider how to benefit from the world’s “demographic diversity”, with some countries having a median age of around 50, and others just 15. This also applies to older persons, who will comprise the majority of the global population by 2050, and to persons with disabilities.
Lastly, Ms. Mohammed stressed the need to ensure inclusive education for women and girls and encourage them to pursue studies in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, the so-called STEM fields.
Source: Emirates News Agency