EDUCATION FOR ALL

OVERVIEW

Education is a right, like the right to have proper food or a roof over your head. Article 26 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “everyone has the right to education”. Education is not only a right but a passport to human development. It opens doors and expands opportunities and freedoms. It contributes to fostering peace, democracy and economic growth as well as improving health and reducing poverty. The ultimate aim of Education for All (EFA) is sustainable development.

In the year 2000, the world’s governments adopted the six EFA goals and the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the two most important frameworks in the field of education. The education priorities of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) are shaped by these objectives.

The two sets of goals are an ambitious roadmap for the global community to follow. They offer a long-term vision of reduced poverty and hunger, better health and education, sustainable lifestyles, strong partnerships and shared commitments.

The EFA goals and MDGs are complementary: as Irina Bokova, UNESCO’s Director-General, says: “When you fund education, you are securing progress towards all the Millennium Development Goals”.

Education for All Goals

• Goal 1: Expand early childhood care and education
• Goal 2: Provide free and compulsory primary education for all
• Goal 3: Promote learning and life skills for young people and adults
• Goal 4: Increase adult literacy
• Goal 5: Achieve gender parity
• Goal 6: Improve the quality of education

Millennium Development Goals

• Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
• Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education
• Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
• Goal 4: Reduce child mortality
• Goal 5: Improve maternal health
• Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
• Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability
• Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development

EFA really is for ALL

The six EFA goals stress that everyone should benefit from basic education – from young children in the family context and in pre-school programmes, to primary-school children, to adolescents, young people and adults – either through either formal secondary, technical and vocational education or non-formal adult education and learning, including skills training.

Learning does not always happen in formal situations. It begins well before primary school and continues throughout life, families and communities must be encouraged not only to create environments that encourage education but get involved at all stages so as to ensure its relevance and quality.

Suggested activities for students:

International Literacy Day

Commemorate International Literacy Day (8 September) through various activities such as exhibitions, seminars, round tables, etc. Invite representatives of local organizations working with street children, marginalized youth, adult literacy, refugees and other disadvantaged groups to your school and organize a discussion day with them. Enquire about eventual volunteering with a local association or civic organization working on literacy or informal educational projects and share your skills and knowledge. Organize evening literacy classes for adults in your school and, in return, invite them to share their oral history and traditions with the students for a mutual learning experience. Use Facebook, Twitter and your local media to publicize all such actions.

Celebrate World Teachers’ Day (5 October)

Held annually on 5 October since 1994, World Teachers’ Day is an occasion to celebrate the essential role of teachers in providing quality education at all levels. In Uganda, 5 October has even been designated as a national holiday as a token of the government’s appreciation for the contribution of teachers to national development. The Philippines held a “Teachers’ Month” campaign and encouraged students to send a “Thank you,” card or letter to at least one teacher who made a difference in their lives. Find a way you, your class or your whole school could celebrate this day and pay tribute to teachers who are at the very core of education. Share on Facebook, Twitter and in your local media.

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." - Nelson Mandella