Press
Release No.2002-23
Joint Statement for the second Dakar anniversary
by the Heads of UNESCO, UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, and World Bank
26 April 2002
CLOSING THE GAPS TO ACHIEVE EDUCATION FOR ALL
Paris, April 26 - In a world where
global economic prosperity is increasing, about 113 million primary
age children are not in school, nearly 60 percent of them girls.
Some 24 million of those enrolled drop out before completing 5
years of primary education, a level essential for basic literacy
and numeracy. Children of previous generations who never entered
or completed school are today's 850 million illiterate adults.
Here, too, the majority are females. Denying this many people
access to knowledge and the benefits of the global economy is
a great danger to world peace and prosperity.
New obstacles confront us. In Africa
for instance there are about 13 million AIDS orphans for whom
the prospects of receiving any kind of education are dim, unless
they can benefit from targeted interventions. The disease is also
killing off teachers, leading to widespread absenteeism and debilitating
entire education systems. Some countries are losing more teachers
every year to AIDS than the number they are gaining in new recruits.
In the absence of a cure, education remains the best defense against
the pandemic.
Today, out of 155 developing countries,
36 have achieved universal primary education and 31 are likely
to reach this goal by 2015. At current trends, some 88 countries
are unlikely to guarantee five years of primary education for
all children by 2015.
Yet there is growing consensus
that the goal set in Dakar two years ago - that of providing quality
basic education for all by 2015 - is both feasible and affordable.
The commitment taken in Dakar was reaffirmed at the Millennium
Summit, which was signed by 147 heads of State and Government.
Education for All is a core objective of the Millennium Development
Goals. We are committed to achieving that goal. Our approach consists
of helping countries close four gaps: the policy gap, the financing
gap, the information gap and the capacity gap.
Governments have the responsibility
of providing basic education for all. Access to basic education
is a fundamental human right. Millions of people legitimately
expect to have access to quality education, but public investments
and policy reforms have not always been adequate or appropriate.
This policy gap is unacceptable, for we know that political commitment
is the key. Countries like Brazil, Eritrea, the Gambia, Guatemala,
Malawi, Nicaragua and Uganda have registered improvements of 20
percentage points or more in primary completion rates in less
than a decade.
Uganda has set 2003 as the deadline for putting all primary school-age
children in school. Improving the lives of tens of millions of
children is now within reach if only the collective political
will can be mustered. Countries will need to make suitable policy
reforms such as adopting longer and more flexible school years,
making teacher recruitment and management more responsive to communities,
expanding the use of local languages, investing more in textbooks
and other learning materials, and, last but not least, eliminating
school fees.
Such reforms have a price. Estimates
of additional external financing for primary schooling alone run
from just under $5 billion to over $10 billion annually. But these
figures assume that countries will direct more of their own resources
to education and use them effectively. Nevertheless, a financing
gap will persist for cash-strapped nations. As the cost of filling
this gap becomes clearer, the donor community will have to face
up to its responsibility. Pledges have been made. These promises
must now be translated into significant additional support to
EFA.
The two years since Dakar have
provided invaluable insights into what works in education. But
an information gap still persists at all levels. While new technologies
are creating the age of world networks, ushering in unprecedented
opportunities, many countries are still excluded from these networks.
In some countries, lack of good data on learning achievement or
on workable policies is weakening planning efforts. Roughly 70
per cent of developing countries are reported to lack the management
and statistical information required to plan their EFA agendas
effectively.
We are committed to help countries
build national capacity to meet the education for all challenge.
Planning for EFA offers the opportunity to facilitate more inclusive
and participative processes that engage civil society and local
communities. Improving the learning environment and making a difference
in the classroom calls for better training, deployment and working
conditions for teachers.
Of the challenges facing education
for all, achieving gender equality is one of the most acute. Girls
tend to meet more hurdles on the road to education than boys,
and are often doubly disadvantaged when they belong to poor families
or ethnic minorities, or live in rural areas or conflict zones.
Yet, educating girls is a most effective way of achieving economic
growth and social well-being. Governments must step up their efforts
to overcome the various obstacles which keep girls out of school.
We are committed to promoting gender equality and will make this
a particular focus, in line with the goals set for 2005, to ensure
that structural barriers are removed, appropriate policies put
in place and real reforms take root.
Let us never forget the central
role education plays in promoting equitable and sustainable development.
Basic education provides young people with the skills they need
to make the right choices and live responsible and healthy lives.
Governments must commit themselves to ensure that learning promotes
positive human values, celebrates diversity and enhances inter-cultural
dialogue.
We pledge to continue to work together to help close these gaps
and to assist developing countries in formulating and funding
their EFA strategies. Experience since Dakar suggests that only
by working together concretely can we successfully support poor
nations in their struggle to achieve education for all. Examples
such as the United Nations Girls' Education Initiative (UNGEI)
and the UNAIDS education programme for HIV-prevention lead the
way.
We are all enormously encouraged
by the outcomes of recent meetings of international financing
institutions. There now seems to be a new international consensus
around enhanced and well-coordinated financing for EFA this year.
In response, we are determined to work with countries on practical
strategies and measures to make EFA a reality. Together, we pledge
to do whatever it takes and to explore or create any new avenues
required to ensure that this happens. Partnership remains the
key to education for all.
Koïchiro Matsuura
Director-General
UNESCO
Mark Malloch Brown
Administrator
UNDP
Thoraya Obaid
Executive Director
UNFPA
Carol Bellamy
Executive Director
UNICEF
James D. Wolfensohn
President
World Bank
***
The second anniversary of the
World Education Forum, held in Dakar, Senegal, from April, 2000
More information on the follow-up
to the Dakar Forum is available on line at www.unesco.org/education/index.shtml
