UN Chief Guterres Urges World To Come Together To Tackle Global Education Crisis
— July 12, 2024
UNITED NATIONS (AIA) The global crisis in education needs a “dramatic shift” to shape a more peaceful, sustainable, and just world, said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at a special event on transforming education, part of the ongoing High-Level Political Forum (HLPF). The event also set the tone for the upcoming Summit of the Future in September.
Thursday’s event was a call to action, with Guterres calling on all countries to create genuine learning environments that provide learning opportunities from childhood to adulthood. Given the stakes, the world cannot afford to shortchange education,” Guterres said. “But by nearly every measure, that is exactly what we are doing.”
The UN chief warned that around 84 million children will remain out of school by 2030 unless action is taken to transform education worldwide. This means that Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4), which aims to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all,” is unlikely to be reached.
Currently, only one-sixth of countries are on course to achieve the SDG4 target of universal access to quality education. Guterres noted that secondary-level completion rates are rising far too slowly, learners lack the skills needed to succeed in a changing world, and early childhood and adult learning are often seen as optional. “It’s truly shocking that some 70% of children in sub-Saharan Africa are unable to read a basic text by age 10,” he said.
Moreover, finances to provide quality education are insufficient to meet the challenge. In 2023, the UN Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) estimated that developing nations would need to invest $100 billion annually to achieve SDG4, a figure that increases by about 50% when considering the costs for the digital transformation of education.
Additionally, Guterres highlighted that four of every 10 people globally live in nations where governments spend more on debt servicing than on education or health.
In 2022, over 140 countries committed to addressing this crisis at the Transforming Education Summit, but “progress is far too slow and uneven. Something has to change,” Guterres said.
The President of the General Assembly, Dennis Francis, echoed Guterres’ statements on the need for transformation. During recent visits to South Sudan, he observed that at least 70% of eligible children are out of school due to dire poverty. He also noted the denial of girls’ right to education in Afghanistan and the inability to access education in Ukraine and Gaza due to constant attacks as clear indicators of an intractable crisis.
Beyond access, we must ensure quality education for all, fostering inclusive, equitable, and lifelong learning opportunities that empower every individual to thrive in a rapidly changing world,” Francis said. “We must combine our political will with clear, targeted actions to decisively address these urgent needs.”
Guterres proposed a four-point plan at the event to end the global education crisis and build momentum towards achieving SDG4 by 2030. This plan includes closing the financing and access gap, supporting teachers on the front lines of education, and revolutionising education systems with a focus on critical thinking and problem solving.
Education is intrinsic to the achievement of our common goals in sustainable development, peace, and human rights,” Guterres concluded, adding that education speaks to the very fabric of our societies and has an essential contribution to make.
“Education is the single-most important investment any country can make. In its people. And in its future,” he said, urging the world to come together to end the global education crisis.