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An
international strategy to operationalize
the Dakar Framework for Action on Education for All (EFA)
Executive
Summary
[PDF]
The vision
In the World Declaration on Education for All, adopted in
1990 in Jomtien, Thailand, the world community adopted an
expanded vision of what basic education means, calling for
a learning environment in which everyone would have the chance
to acquire the basic elements which serve as a foundation
for further learning and enable full participation in society.
This vision implied both access to education for everybody,
and meeting the diverse learning needs of children, youth
and adults. It focused on learning societies, and saw broader
and deeper partnerships at every level as the way forward.
So why an 'International Strategy'?
If EFA is about partnership, governments, civil society, NGOs
and international organisations need to know how best to support
each other in pursuing EFA strategies. The International Strategy
presents five major actions which are essential in the common
thrust towards EFA, and lists ways in which the international
community should support the implementation of national EFA
plans.
How will the International Strategy be used?
Governments, bilateral and multilateral agencies, NGOs and
civil society networks will use it as a reference guide to
the essential elements of EFA and to the kinds of mutual support
that they can expect.
The Dakar Framework for Action
In Dakar in 2000, the World Education Forum re-affirmed this
vision, and adopted a Framework for Action that emphasized
the need for quality in basic education as well as access
to it. Focus was placed squarely at the national level and
on the responsibility of national governments towards education.
The Dakar Framework clearly states the commitment to create
the right conditions for EFA in each country, recognizing
that some countries will need help in doing so, and recognizing,
too, the responsibility of those with the means to make such
help available. In a globalized world, it is not only unacceptable,
it is dangerous to allow a situation of educational 'haves'
and 'have-nots' to persist.
Where did the International Strategy come from?
The International
Strategy was specifically requested by the EFA High Level
Group in October 2001, with the aim of clarifying:
the major actions to be taken
within specified time-lines;
the roles and responsibilities
of partners;
the linkages among activities,
including a clear description of how flagships are to be integrated
into country-level activities; and
a consensus on the global
initiative.
What is the Strategy?
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The
International Strategy:
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The
International Strategy is not:
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| complements the Dakar
Framework for Action |
a repetition of the
Dakar Framework for Action |
| maps key EFA processes
and mechanisms |
a blueprint for what
countries should do |
| focuses on support
to the national level |
merely a list of 'should's'
'ought's' or 'must's' |
| specifies roles and
responsibilities |
a particular agency's
view of EFA |
| is a living document |
a once-and-for-all statement |
| reflects and fosters
collective ownership |
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Outline of the Strategy
Part I spells out what the
Strategy is and what it is not and proposes a way of making
it a living - and therefore relevant and useful - document.
Part II presents five major
actions which are essential to achieving the Dakar goals and
which will be the content of partnerships at national, regional
and international levels.
Part III addresses the implementation
of the twelve Dakar strategies, enumerating the links between
the national and international levels.
Part IV discusses the time-line
associated with achieving the Dakar goals.
The appendices trace the broader context and background of
EFA and add some detail to complement the main text; they
also present a summary mapping of donor interventions by theme
and by location.
Major actions
The key principle in the international co-ordination of
EFA is partnership. All the recommendations and approaches
of the International Strategy must be viewed through this
lens. Partnerships between the national and international
actors, and among the international community focus on five
major actions:
planning for
EFA: plans developed in EFA forums at national level which
are inclusive - with civil society participating; plans
in context of poverty reduction and of the entire educational
sector.
advocacy and
communication: pro-active advocacy strategies at national
and international levels, using the web, media, dissemination
of materials, global EFA week, awareness-raising at international
events.
financing
EFA: international co-operation in a financing framework,
first to tackle primary education, then all six Dakar goals;
World Bank Action Plan to close four gaps: data, policies,
capacity, finance, including a 'fast-tracking' initiative.
monitoring and evaluation:
reinforce national monitoring; work to improve/extend indicators;
produce authoritative annual EFA Monitoring Report.
international
and regional mechanisms: focus the work of the EFA Working
Group and High Level Group at international level; utilize
'flagship programmes' to focus energy on overcoming special
obstacles to EFA; strengthen inclusive national EFA forums
as places of policy formulation.
Implementing the twelve Dakar strategies
The International Strategy
presents actions to implement each of the twelve strategies
of the Dakar Framework for Action, emphasising for each
one two aspects:
i) international
action to support national implementation, and
ii) action to enhance coherence and co-operation among
international partners.
Targets and timelines
Date-------------------Target/Event
June 2002: EFA Financing Framework to be in place
Sept 2002: Financing for 'fast-track' initiative in place
Dec 2002 : EFA plans in place at national level, as part
of education sector plan, PRSP, or other
Jan 2003: Start of UN Literacy Decade
2005: eliminating gender disparities in primary and secondary
education
2005: Regional EFA evaluation conferences
2010: International EFA evaluation conference
2015: ensuring that all children, particularly girls,
children in difficult circumstances and those belonging
to ethnic minorities, have access to and complete, free
and compulsory primary education of good quality
2015 : achieving a 50 per cent improvement in levels of
adult literacy, especially for women, and equitable access
to basic and continuing education for all adults
2015: achieving gender equality in education, with a focus
on ensuring girls' full and equal access to and achievement
in basic education of good quality.
2015: International EFA assessment
Full
text of the International Strategy
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