Latin America's education

An estimated 2 million primary-age children and 20 million secondary-age children in Latin America don't attend primary or secondary school according to the Latin America and Caribbean Regional Report, published by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Presenting data from nineteen countries gathered over the 1998 school year, the report stresses that, while overall enrolment has improved in the region, quality of education remains a major concern.
Drop-out and repetition rates are high in several countries. In Brazil, 24 per cent of primary-school pupils and 18 per cent of secondary school students are repeaters.
For every 100 children who enter primary school in Nicaragua, only 55 reach Grade 5. Argentina has the highest "survival rate", with 94 per cent of pupils reaching Grade 5.
Available (in print and PDF) from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics
e-mail: uis.resource-centre@unesco.org
web: www.unesco.org/statistic

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Draw me Peace

"If one day UNESCO resolved to involve children in building peace, it would find them of immense help in infusing new life into this society...", said Maria Montessori, an Italian educator.
UNESCO has taken up this challenge and launched a drawing and painting contest to promote a culture of peace among young children. Draw me Peace, open to all children aged 4 to 7, will provide an opportunity to appreciate children's vision and listen to their views on self-respect and respect for others, on sharing, tolerance, war and peace, and reconciliation.
Teachers and educators are invited to help children invent a story in pictures around six themes: respect for all life, non-violence, sharing, listening to understand, preserving the planet, and tolerance and solidarity. The deadline for participation: 30 June 2002.
Contact: B. Combes, UNESCO, Paris
e-mail: b.combes@unesco.org
web:www.unesco.org/education/painting/

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Mind your language

About half of the 6,000 or so languages spoken in the world are under threat, according to the second edition of the Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger of Disappearing, presented on International Mother Language Day (21 February).

UNESCO encourages multilingualism and has celebrated International Mother Language Day since 2000. In November 2001, the UNESCO General Conference adopted the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity, encouraging the international community to protect intangible heritage including languages.

To help teachers incorporate indigenous knowledge, local languages, and inter-cultural understanding into their educational practice, UNESCO is developing guidelines and is coordinating the publication of educational materials on linguistic diversity.
Contact: L. King, UNESCO Paris
e-mail: l.king@unesco.org
web: www.unesco.org/education/imld_2002

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Pipeline to learning

Since the adoption of UN Resolution 986 in 1995 creating the "Oil for Food" Programme, UNESCO has been building or renovating schools in Northern Iraq and providing them with educational materials. This has greatly assisted in allowing over 40,000 new entrants into primary schools and over 43,000 at the secondary level.
As the lead agency for education under the Programme, UNESCO also focuses on activities relating to tertiary and technical and vocational education.
Contact: Mohamed Djelid, Oil for Food
Programme, UNESCO Paris
e-mail: m.djelid@unesco.org

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The value of experience

Globalization is significantly influencing skills in demand and the way work is organized today. Some 40 per cent of computer scientists and programmers in the United States, for example, have no formal qualifications.

To help countries cope with these new challenges, UNESCO has updated its standard-setting document, the Revised Recommendation concerning Technical and Vocational Education. The new version was adopted last November by the Organization's General Conference.

UNESCO believes that the document will help countries develop systems that encourage coalitions between employers, government, unions, educators and local communities. To ensure that the Recommendation is understood and applied nationally, regional workshops will be organized with policy-makers from Ministries of Education and Labour.
Contact: Mohan Perera, UNESCO Paris
e-mail: m.perera@unesco.org

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Street children dream

"If I have children, I won't beat them.
I'll tell them what I did so they won't turn out like me." This is how Oscar Luis Hernandez sees himself as a parent.

Oscar frequents a street children shelter in Honduras. He was among the 100 boys and girls invited to express their fears and desires for the future through texts and drawings in The White Book of our Future.

The White Book project is launched by UNESCO in co-operation with P.A.U. Education, a Spain-based publisher. Its aim is twofold: to encourage street children to think about their lives and to raise the awareness of decision-makers, public authorities and the general public to the plight of these children. Its methodology can be used in any country. In Mali, for instance, after 200 children took part in the project, the Malian authorities promulgated (November 2001) a decree giving street children shelters a legal base.
Contact: Florence Migeon, UNESCO Paris
e-mail: f.migeon@unesco.org

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50 candles for UIE

June 2002 marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the UNESCO Institute for Education (UIE) in Hamburg, Germany.

Over the last half-century the Institute has gained world-wide recognition as a centre of excellence in adult education and lifelong learning. A milestone in UIE's work was the organization of the Fifth International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA V) held in Hamburg in 1997, which ushered in a new vision of literacy and non-formal education.
Contact: M. Elfert, UIE
e-mail: m.elfert@unesco.org

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Education Today, Executive Office, Education Sector, UNESCO
7, place de Fontenoy - 75352 Paris 07 SP - France - Tel: 33 1 45 68 21 27 - Fax: 33 1 45 68 56 26/27
E:mail: t.murtagh@unesco.org