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| The
Dakar Framework for Action |
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Education
For All:
Meeting Our Collective Commitments |
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Text
adopted by
the World Education Forum
Dakar, Senegal, 26-28 April 2000 |
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1. Meeting in Dakar, Senegal, in April 2000, we,
the participants in the World Education Forum, commit ourselves
to the achievement of education for all (EFA) goals and targets
for every citizen and for every society.
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2. The Dakar Framework is a collective commitment to action.
Governments have an obligation to ensure that EFA goals and
targets are reached and sustained. This is a responsibility
that will be met most effectively through broad-based partnerships
within countries, supported by cooperation with regional and
international agencies and institutions.. |
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3. We re-affirm the vision of the World Declaration on
Education for All (Jomtien 1990), supported by the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights
of the Child, that all children, young people and adults have
the human right to benefit from an education that will meet
their basic learning needs in the best and fullest sense of
the term, an education that includes learning to know, to do,
to live together and to be. It is an education geared to tapping
each individual's talents and potential, and developing learners'
personalities, so that they can improve their lives and transform
their societies. |
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4. We welcome the commitments made by the international community
to basic education throughout the 1990s, notably at the World
Summit for Children (1990), the Conference on Environment and
Development (1992), the World Conference on Human Rights (1993),
the World Conference on Special Needs Education: Access and
Quality (1994), the International Conference on Population and
Development (1994), the World Summit for Social Development
(1995), the Fourth World Conference on Women (1995), the Mid-Term
Meeting of the International Consultative Forum on Education
for All (1996), the Fifth International Conference on Adult
Education (1997), and the International Conference on Child
Labour (1997). The challenge now is to deliver on these commitments. |
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5. The EFA 2000 Assessment demonstrates that there has
been significant progress in many countries. But it is unacceptable
in the year 2000 that more than 113 million children have no
access to primary education, 880 million adults are illiterate,
gender discrimination continues to permeate education systems,
and the quality of learning and the acquisition of human values
and skills fall far short of the aspirations and needs of individuals
and societies. Youth and adults are denied access to the skills
and knowledge necessary for gainful employment and full participation
in their societies. Without accelerated progress towards education
for all, national and internationally agreed targets for poverty
reduction will be missed, and inequalities between countries
and within societies will widen. |
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6. Education is a fundamental human right. It is the key to
sustainable development and peace and stability within and among
countries, and thus an indispensable means for effective participation
in the societies and economies of the twenty-first century,
which are affected by rapid globalization. Achieving EFA goals
should be postponed no longer. The basic learning needs of all
can and must be met as a matter of urgency. |
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7. We hereby collectively commit ourselves to the attainment
of the following goals: |
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 (i)
expanding and improving comprehensive early childhood care
and education, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged
children;
(ii) ensuring that by 2015 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;
(iii)
ensuring that the learning needs of all young people and
adults are met through equitable access to appropriate learning
and life skills programmes;
(iv) achieving a 50 per cent improvement in levels of adult
literacy by 2015, especially for women, and equitable access
to basic and continuing education for all adults;
(v)
eliminating gender disparities in primary and secondary
education by 2005, and achieving gender equality in education
by 2015, with a focus on ensuring girls' full and equal
access to and achievement in basic education of good quality;
(vi)
improving all aspects of the quality of education and ensuring
excellence of all so that recognized and measurable learning
outcomes are achieved by all, especially in literacy, numeracy
and essential life skills.
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8. To achieve these goals, we the governments, organizations,
agencies, groups and associations represented at the World Education
Forum pledge ourselves to: |
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(i)
mobilize strong national and international political commitment
for education for all, develop national action plans and
enhance significantly investment in basic education;
(ii)
promote EFA policies within a sustainable and well-integrated
sector framework clearly linked to poverty elimination and
development strategies;
(iii)
ensure the engagement and participation of civil society
in the formulation, implementation and monitoring of strategies
for educational development;
(iv)
develop responsive, participatory and accountable systems
of educational governance and management;
(v)
meet the needs of education systems affected by conflict,
national calamities and instability and conduct educational
programmes in ways that promote mutual understanding, peace
and tolerance, and help to prevent violence and conflict;
(vi)
implement integrated strategies for gender equality in education
which recognize the need for changes in attitudes, values
and practices;
(vii)
implement as a matter of urgency education programmes and
actions to combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic;
(viii)
create safe, healthy, inclusive and equitably resourced
educational environments conducive to excellence in learning
with clearly defined levels of achievement for all;
(ix)
enhance the status, morale and professionalism of teachers;
(x)
harness new information and communication technologies to
help achieve EFA goals;
(xi)
systematically monitor progress towards EFA goals and strategies
at the national, regional and international levels; and
(xii)
build on existing mechanisms to accelerate progress towards
education for all.
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9. Drawing on the evidence accumulated during the national
and regional EFA assessments, and building on existing national
sector strategies, all States will be requested to develop or
strengthen existing national plans of action by 2002 at the
latest. These plans should be integrated into a wider poverty
reduction and development framework, and should be developed
through more transparent and democratic processes, involving
stakeholders, especially peoples' representatives, community
leaders, parents, learners, non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
and civil society. The plans will address problems associated
with the chronic under-financing of basic education by establishing
budget priorities that reflect a commitment to achieving EFA
goals and targets at the earliest possible date, and no later
than 2015. They will also set out clear strategies for overcoming
the special problems facing those currently excluded from educational
opportunities, with a clear commitment to girls' education and
gender equity. The plans will give substance and form to the
goals and strategies set out in this Framework, and to the commitments
made during a succession of international conferences in the
1990s. Regional activities to support national strategies will
be based on strengthened regional and subregional organizations,
networks and initiatives. |
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10. Political will and stronger national leadership are
needed for the effective and successful implementation of national
plans in each of the countries concerned. However, political
will must be underpinned by resources. The international community
acknowledges that many countries currently lack the resources
to achieve education for all within an acceptable time-frame.
New financial resources, preferably in the form of grants and
concessional assistance, must therefore be mobilized by bilateral
and multilateral funding agencies, including the World Bank
and regional development banks, and the private sector. We affirm
that no countries seriously committed to education for all will
be thwarted in their achievement of this goal by a lack of resources. |
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11. The international community will deliver on this collective
commitment by launching with immediate effect a global initiative
aimed at developing the strategies and mobilizing the resources
needed to provide effective support to national efforts. Options
to be considered under this initiative will include: |
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(i)
increasing external finance for education, in particular
basic education;
(ii)
ensuring greater predictability in the flow of external
assistance;
(iii)
facilitating more effective donor coordination;
(iv)
strengthening sector-wide approaches;
(v) providing earlier, more extensive and broader debt
relief and/or debt cancellation for poverty reduction, with
a strong commitment to basic education; and
(vi) undertaking more effective and regular monitoring of
progress towards EFA goals and targets, including periodic
assessments.
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12. There is already evidence from many countries of what can
be achieved through strong national strategies supported by
effective development cooperation. Progress under these strategies
could - and must - be accelerated through increased international
support. At the same time, countries with less developed strategies
- including countries in transition, countries affected by conflict,
and post-crisis countries - must be given the support they need
to achieve more rapid progress towards education for all. |
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13. We will strengthen accountable international and regional
mechanisms to give clear expression to these commitments and
to ensure that the Dakar Framework for Action is on the agenda
of every international and regional organization, every national
legislature and every local decision-making forum. |
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14. The EFA 2000 Assessment highlights that the challenge
of education for all is greatest in sub-Saharan Africa, in South
Asia, and in the least developed countries. Accordingly, while
no country in need should be denied international assistance,
priority should be given to these regions and countries. Countries
in conflict or undergoing reconstruction should also be given
special attention in building up their education systems to
meet the needs of all learners. |
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| Build
on existing mechanisms to accelerate progress towards EFA |
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15. Implementation of the preceding goals and strategies
will require national, regional and international mechanisms
to be galvanized immediately. To be most effective these mechanisms
will be participatory and, wherever possible, build on what
already exists. They will include representatives of all stakeholders
and partners and they will operate in transparent and accountable
ways. They will respond comprehensively to the word and spirit
of the Jomtien Declaration and this Dakar Framework for Action.
The functions of these mechanisms will include, to varying degrees,
advocacy, resource mobilization, monitoring, and EFA knowledge
generation and sharing. |
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16. The
heart of EFA activity lies at the country level. National EFA
Forums will be strengthened or established to support the achievement
of EFA. All relevant ministries and national civil society organizations
will be systematically represented in these Forums. They should
be transparent and democratic and should constitute a framework
for implementation at subnational levels. Countries will prepare
comprehensive National EFA Plans by 2002 at the latest. For
those countries with significant challenges, such as complex
crises or natural disasters, special technical support will
be provided by the international community. Each National EFA
Plan will: |
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(i)
be developed by government leadership in direct and systematic
consultation with national civil society;
(ii)
attract co-ordinated support of all development partners;
(iii)
specify reforms addressing the six EFA goals;
(iv)
establish a sustainable financial framework;
(v)
be time-bound and action-oriented;
(vi)
include mid-term performance indicators; and
(vii)
achieve a synergy of all human development efforts, through
its inclusion within the national development planing framework
and process.
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Where these processes and a credible plan are in place, partner
members of the international community undertake to work in
a consistent, coordinated and coherent manner. Each partner
will contribute according to its comparative advantage in support
of the National EFA Plans to ensure that resource gaps are filled. |
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18. Regional activities to support national efforts will be
based on existing regional and subregional organizations, networks
and initiatives, augmented where necessary. Regions and subregions
will decide on a lead EFA network that will become the Regional
or Subregional Forum with an explicit EFA mandate. Systematic
involvement of, and coordination with, all relevant civil society
and other regional and subregional organizations are essential.
These Regional and Subregional EFA Forums will be linked organically
with, and be accountable to, National EFA Forums. Their functions
will be: coordination with all relevant networks; setting and
monitoring regional/subregional targets; advocacy; policy dialogue;
the promotion of partnerships and technical cooperation; the
sharing of best practices and lessons learned; monitoring and
reporting for accountability; and promoting resource mobilization.
Regional and international support will be available to strengthen
Regional and Subregional Forums and relevant EFA capacities,
especially within Africa and South Asia. |
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19. UNESCO will continue its mandated role in coordinating EFA
partners and maintaining their collaborative momentum. In line
with this, UNESCO's Director-General will convene annually a
high-level, small and flexible group. It will serve as a lever
for political commitment and technical and financial resource
mobilization. Informed by a monitoring report from the UNESCO
International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP), the
UNESCO International Bureau of Education (IBE), the UNESCO Institute
for Education (UIE) and, in particular, the UNESCO Institute
of Statistics, and inputs from Regional and Subregional EFA
Forums, it will also be an opportunity to hold the global community
to account for commitments made in Dakar. It will be composed
of highest-level leaders from governments and civil society
of developing and developed countries, and from development
agencies. |
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20. UNESCO will serve as the Secretariat. It will refocus its
education programme in order to place the outcomes and priorities
of Dakar at the heart of its work. This will involve working
groups on each of the six goals adopted at Dakar. This Secretariat
will work closely with other organizations and may include staff
seconded from them. |
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21. Achieving Education for All will require additional financial
support by countries and increased development assistance and
debt relief for education by bilateral and multilateral donors,
estimated to cost in the order of $8 billion a year. It is therefore
essential that new, concrete financial commitments be made by
national governments and also by bilateral and multilateral
donors including the World Bank and the regional development
banks, by civil society and by foundations. |
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| 28
April 2000 Dakar, Senegal |
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Expanded
Commentary on the Dakar Framework for Action
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| This
document provides details on each goal and strategy of the draft
Framework for Action on the basis of the many suggestions provided
before and during the World Education Forum, most notably from
its 24 strategy sessions |
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prepared
by the World Education Forum Drafting Committee
Paris,
23 May 2000
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I
INTRODUCTION
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1. The Dakar Framework for Action is a re-affirmation of the
vision set out in the World Declaration on Education for All
in Jomtien a decade ago. It expresses the international community's
collective commitment to pursue a broad-based strategy for ensuring
that the basic learning needs of every child, youth and adult
are met within a generation and sustained thereafter. |
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2. The World Education Forum in Dakar provided the opportunity
to assess the achievements, lessons and failures of the past
decade. The EFA 2000 Assessment represents an unparalleled effort
to take stock of the state of basic education in the world.
It includes national assessments of the progress achieved since
Jomtien in 183 countries, the problems encountered and recommendations
for future action. Synthesis reports summarise the main findings
of these assessments by region. In addition, fourteen special
thematic studies were undertaken, surveys were conducted on
the quality of learning achievement in over 30 countries, and
a comprehensive collection and synthesis of case-studies on
the involvement of NGOs in education was prepared. |
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3. The Assessment is a rich store of information and analysis.
Five regional EFA conferences (sub-Saharan Africa, Johannesburg;
Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok; Arab States and North Africa,
Cairo; the Americas and the Caribbean, Santo Domingo; Europe
and North America, Warsaw) and a conference of the nine high-population
(E-9) countries (Recife), discussed and translated the outcomes
of the Assessment into regional frameworks for action which
are an integral part of this document and underpin the Dakar
Framework for Action. |
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4. The vision of Jomtien remains pertinent and powerful. It
provides a broad and comprehensive view of education and its
critical role in empowering individuals and transforming societies.
Its key points and principles include universal access to learning;
a focus on equity; emphasis on learning outcomes; broadening
the means and the scope of basic education; enhancing the environment
for learning; and strengthening partnerships. Tragically, reality
has fallen far short of this vision: millions of people are
still denied their right to education and the opportunities
it brings to live safer, healthier, more productive and more
fulfilling lives. Such a failure has multiple causes: weak political
will, insufficient financial resources and the inefficient use
of those available, the burden of debt, inadequate attention
to the learning needs of the poor and the excluded, a lack of
attention to the quality of learning and an absence of commitment
to overcoming gender disparities. There can be no doubt that
the barriers to achieving Education for All are formidable.
Yet they can and must be overcome. |
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5. The Assessment shows that progress has been achieved, proving
that Education for All is a realistic and achievable goal. But
it needs to be frankly acknowledged that progress has been uneven
and far too slow. At the start of a new millennium, the EFA
2000 Assessment shows the following: |
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(i)
Of the more than 800 million children under six years
of age, fewer than a third benefit from any form of early
childhood education.
(ii) Some 113 million children, 60 per cent of whom are
girls, have no access to primary schooling.
(iii) At least 880 million adults are illiterate, of whom
the majority are women.
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6. These figures represent an affront to human dignity and denial
of the right to education. They stand as major barriers to eliminating
poverty and attaining sustainable development, and are clearly
unacceptable. |
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7. The Dakar Framework sets six major EFA goals and proposes
twelve major strategies. It puts forward twelve major strategies
informed by the experience of the past decade and the changing
global context. These include the international development
targets for education to which national governments and the
international community are already committed. |
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8. Starting from early childhood and extending throughout life,
the learners of the twenty-first century will require access
to high quality educational opportunities that are responsive
to their needs, equitable and gender-sensitive. These opportunities
must neither exclude nor discriminate. Since the pace, style,
language and circumstances of learning will never be uniform
for all, there should be room for diverse formal or less formal
approaches, as long as they ensure sound learning and confer
equivalent status. |
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9. The right to education imposes an obligation upon States
to ensure that all citizens have opportunities to meet their
basic learning needs. Primary education should be free, compulsory
and of good quality. The education systems of tomorrow, however
diversified they may be, will need to be transparent and accountable
in how they are governed, managed and financed. The indispensable
role of the State in education must be supplemented and supported
by bold and comprehensive educational partnerships at all levels
of society. Education for All implies the involvement and commitment
of all to education. |
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II
ACHIEVEMENTS AND CHALLENGES
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| Achievements
and lessons |
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10. The EFA 2000 Assessment conducted at national, regional,
and global levels show progress has been made over the last
decade towards the vision reflected in the Jomtien Declaration. |
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11. Worldwide, primary school enrolments increased by some 82
million pupils since 1990, with 44 million more girls in school
in 1998 than in 1990 - figures which more than any other symbolise
the serious efforts of many countries to advance in the face
of often severe economic constraints and continued rapid population
growth. At the end of the 1990s, developing countries as a whole
had achieved net enrolment rates in excess of 80 per cent. Repetition
and dropout rates had declined. There has been some improvement,
albeit limited, in gender equality in primary enrolment in many
regions, with the critical exception of sub-Saharan Africa.
Early childhood care and education have expanded modestly, mainly
in urban areas. Virtually all countries in the world have ratified
the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and
have thereby accepted an obligation to ensure the right of every
child to a basic education. There has been a gradual growth
in non-formal education and skills training. While levels of
illiteracy remain unacceptably high, a measure of progress has
been achieved. The overall adult literacy rate has risen to
85 per cent for men and to 74 per cent for women. Increased
levels of education have enabled men and women to make more
informed choices about family size. This is having an impact
on demographic growth rates, a factor of great importance for
both education and development. |
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| 12.
These quantitative achievements tell nothing of the plight of
the millions who are still excluded from education or of alienated
youth and their painful struggle to find a place and retain
their values in changing societies. Information is also sparse
on the nature and quality of teaching and learning and of educational
outcomes at all levels in education systems |
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13. There is a powerful correlation between low enrolment, poor
retention and unsatisfactory learning outcomes and the incidence
of poverty. Experience in the post-Jomtien decade, however,
has demonstrated that significant progress can be made towards
the goals of Education for All where there is a strong political
commitment, backed by new partnerships with civil society and
more strategic support from funding agencies. It is also clear
that ensuring that girls and boys benefit equally from education
requires nothing less than the integration of gender equality
concerns into the design and implementation of sector policies
and strategies. The importance of gathering and carefully analysing
reliable gender-disaggregated data at national and sub-national
levels is evident. |
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14. The many factors that impinge on the demand for education
are now better understood, as are the multiple causes that exclude
children, young people and adults from learning opportunities.
The range of actions required to increase the participation
and retention of girls in school has received widespread attention.
Knowledge about the effectiveness of teachers and other educators,
the central role of appropriate learning materials, the need
for a context-specific mix of 'old' and 'new' technologies,
the importance of local languages for initial literacy and the
major influence of the community in the life of schools and
other education programmes has increased. The value of early
childhood care and education for later school success and the
need for strong linkages between the different sub-sectors of
education and among basic education, health, nutrition, safe
water and the natural environment have received greater attention
and are better understood. |
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| Challenges
and opportunities |
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15. The tangible but modest gains overall of the past decade
still call for caution. Many countries continue to face the
challenges of defining the meaning, purpose and content of basic
education in the context of a fast-moving world and of assessing
learning outcomes and achievement. Many of the qualitative and
informal aspects of education have still not been clearly assessed.
The huge diversity of contexts makes performance and achievements
difficult to measure and compare. Moreover, growing educational
disparities within and between countries are a matter for serious
concern |
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16. Many governments and agencies have focused their efforts
on the easy to reach and they have neglected those excluded
from a basic education, whether for social, economic or geographic
reasons. What is clear is that quality must not suffer as access
expands and that improvements in quality should not benefit
the economically well-off at the expense of the poor, as has
happened, for example, in the expansion of early childhood care
and education. |
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17. The education of girls remains a major challenge: despite
the international attention that it has received, 60 per cent
of all children without access to primary education are girls. |
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18. South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, where progress has been
most difficult to achieve, clearly present a much deeper challenge
than world averages imply and will require particular attention
if the goals of Education for All are to be reached in each
and every country. In the Americas and the Caribbean, deep differences
between regions and social groups based on income inequality
continue to hamper progress towards Education for All and must
receive due attention |
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19. A key challenge is to ensure that the broad vision of Education
for All as an inclusive concept is reflected in national government
and funding agency policies. Education for All must encompass
not only primary education, but also early childhood education,
literacy and life skills programmes. Using both formal and non-formal
approaches, it must take account of the needs of the poor and
the most disadvantaged, including working children, remote rural
dwellers and nomads, and ethnic and linguistic minorities, children,
young people and adults affected by conflict, HIV/AIDS, hunger
and poor health; and those with special learning needs. It is
encouraging that many governments, funding agencies and civil
society organizations are increasingly rallying to this more
inclusive and comprehensive view of education. |
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20. Ensuring that Education for All is provided with adequate,
equitable and sustainable resources is the foremost challenge.
Many governments do not give education sufficient priority in
their national budgets. Too many do not use resources for education
effectively and efficiently and often subsidize better-off groups
at the expense of the poor. At the same time, stabilization
programmes often fail to protect education budgets. As a direct
consequence, user charges continue to be a major deterrent to
poor children attending school and to young people and adults
in need of non-formal learning. In some countries, passing the
cost burden on to poor parents has had a devastating impact
on enrolment and retention. Education must neither exclude nor
discriminate. Every government has the responsibility to provide
free, quality basic education, so that no child will be denied
access because of an inability to pay. |
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21. Governments need to explore more actively alternative and
innovative ways of increasing the resources available to support
Education for All and to develop clearly defined strategies
for achieving EFA goals, for which they take real and sustained
ownership. Debt relief to the poorest countries remains inadequate,
with too little being provided to too few countries too late.
Debt reduction programmes should offer governments an opportunity
to give priority to education within overall poverty reduction
frameworks. |
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22. While the proportion of international assistance allocated
to basic education increased in the 1990s, there was an overall
decline in total development assistance. The first trend should
be supported and the second reversed. There is considerable
scope for the international community to demonstrate, in a co-operative
and accountable way, that it can be effective in supporting
well-defined national sector strategies and in helping to release
the significant additional resources that many funding agencies
are willing to provide. |
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23. New ways of working that are emerging within the wider development
context also represent opportunities for achieving EFA goals.
Greater co-operation between national and international agencies
at the country level, through structures and mechanisms such
as Comprehensive Development Frameworks, Poverty Reduction Strategy
Plans and United Nations Development Assistance Frameworks,
offers the potential for resource-related partnerships for basic
education. |
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24. Genuinely participatory development is more likely to occur
where there is a stronger and more vocal recognition of education
as a fundamental human right and where representative democracy
has taken root. The growing importance of participatory poverty
assessments and household surveys also highlights a positive
trend in the development of education programmes and systems
that are genuinely responsive to well-defined needs and priorities. |
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25. While inadequate institutional capacity and weak political
processes still prevent many governments from responding to
the priorities of their citizens, the spread of democratic principles
around the world, the growing contribution of civil society
to democratic processes, the fight against corruption and the
process of decentralisation that is ongoing in many countries
all have the potential to contribute greatly to building a solid
foundation for the achievement of effective, equitable and sustainable
Education for All. |
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26. Globalization is both an opportunity and a challenge. It
is a process which must be shaped and managed so as to ensure
equity and sustainability. Globalisation is generating new wealth
and resulting in the greater interconnectedness and interdependence
of economies and societies. Driven by the revolution in information
technologies and the increased mobility of capital, it has the
potential to help reduce poverty and inequality throughout the
world, and to harness the new technologies for basic education.
Yet globalisation carries with it the danger of creating a market
place in knowledge that excludes the poor and the disadvantaged.
Countries and households denied access to opportunities for
basic education in an increasingly knowledge-based global economy
face the prospect of deepening marginalization within an increasingly
prosperous international economy |
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27. The threat posed by HIV/AIDS to the achievement of EFA goals
and to development more broadly, especially in sub-Saharan Africa,
presents an enormous challenge. The terrifying impact of HIV/AIDS
on educational demand, supply and quality requires explicit
and immediate attention in national policy-making and planning.
Programmes to control and reduce the spread of the virus must
make maximum use of education's potential to transmit messages
on prevention and to change attitudes and behaviours |
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28. The significant growth of tensions, conflict and war, both
within nations and between nations and peoples, is a cause of
great concern. Education has a key role to play in preventing
conflict in the future and building lasting peace and stability. |
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III
GOALS
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| "Basic
learning needs…comprise both essential learning tools…and the
basic learning content required by human beings to be able to
survive, to develop their full capacities, to live and work
in dignity, to participate fully in development, to improve
the quality of their lives, to make informed decisions, and
to continue learning." (World Declaration on Education for All,
Article 1, paragraph 1). |
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29. The goals and strategies set out below establish a Framework
for Action that is designed to enable all individuals to realise
their right to learn and to fulfil their responsibility to contribute
to the development of their society. They are global in nature,
drawn from the outcomes of the regional EFA conferences and
the international development targets to which countries are
already committed. Individual countries, through a process of
consultation among all stakeholders in education and with the
assistance of the wider international community and EFA follow-up
mechanisms, should set their own goals, intermediate targets
and timelines, within existing or new national education plans. |
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| 1
Expanding
and improving comprehensive early childhood care and education,
especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children |
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30. All young children must be nurtured in safe and caring environments
that allow them to become healthy, alert, and secure and be
able to learn. The past decade has provided more evidence that
good quality early childhood care and education, both in families
and in more structured programmes, have a positive impact on
the survival, growth, development and learning potential of
children. Such programmes should be comprehensive, focusing
on all of the child's needs and encompassing health, nutrition
and hygiene as well as cognitive and psycho-social development.
They should be provided in the child's mother tongue and help
to identify and enrich the care and education of children with
special needs. Partnerships between governments, NGOs, communities
and families can help ensure the provision of good care and
education for children, especially for those most disadvantaged,
through activities centred on the child, focused on the family,
based within the community and supported by national, multi-sectoral
policies and adequate resources. |
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31. Governments, across relevant ministries, have the primary
responsibility of formulating early childhood care and education
policies within the context of national EFA plans, mobilizing
political and popular support, and promoting flexible, adaptable
programmes for young children that are appropriate to their
age and not mere downward extensions of formal school systems.
The education of parents and other caregivers in better child
care, building on traditional practices, and the systematic
use of early childhood indicators are important elements in
achieving this goal. |
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| 2
Ensuring that by 2015 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 |
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32. All children must have the opportunity to fulfil their right
to quality education in schools or alternative programmes at
whatever level of education is considered 'basic'. All states
must fulfil their obligation to offer free and compulsory primary
education in accordance with the United Nations Convention on
the Rights of the Child and other international commitments.
The international agreement on the 2015 target date for achieving
Universal Primary Education (UPE) in all countries will require
commitment and political will from all levels of government.
For the millions of children living in poverty, who suffer multiple
disadvantages, there must be an unequivocal commitment that
education be free of tuition and other fees, and that everything
possible be done to reduce or eliminate costs such as those
for learning materials, uniforms, school meals and transport.
Wider social policies, interventions and incentives should be
used to mitigate indirect opportunity costs of attending school.
No one should be denied the opportunity to complete a good quality
primary education because it is unaffordable. Child labour must
not stand in the way of education. The inclusion of children
with special needs, from disadvantaged ethnic minorities and
migrant populations, from remote and isolated communities and
from urban slums, and others excluded from education, must be
an integral part of strategies to achieve UPE by 2015. |
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33. While commitment to attaining universal enrolment is essential,
improving and sustaining the quality of basic education is equally
important in ensuring effective learning outcomes. In order
to attract and retain children from marginalized and excluded
groups, education systems should respond flexibly - providing
relevant content in an accessible and appealing format. Education
systems must be inclusive, actively seeking out children who
are not enrolled, and responding flexibly to the circumstances
and needs of all learners. The EFA 2000 Assessment suggests
a wide range of ways in which schools can respond to the needs
of their pupils, including affirmative action programmes for
girls that seek to remove the obstacles to their enrolment,
bilingual education for the children of ethnic minorities, and
a range of imaginative and diverse approaches to address and
actively engage children who are not enrolled in school. |
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| 3
Ensuring that the learning needs of all young people and adults
are met through equitable access to appropriate learning and
life skills programmes |
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34. All young people and adults must be given the opportunity
to gain the knowledge and develop the values, attitudes and
skills which will enable them to develop their capacities to
work, to participate fully in their society, to take control
of their own lives, and to continue learning. No country can
be expected to develop into a modern and open economy without
having a certain proportion of its work force completing secondary
education. In most countries this requires an expansion of the
secondary system. |
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35. Young people, especially adolescent girls, face risks and
threats that limit learning opportunities and challenge education
systems. These include exploitative labour, the lack of employment,
conflict and violence, drug abuse, school-age pregnancy and
HIV/AIDS. Youth-friendly programmes must be made available which
provide the information, skills, counselling and services needed
to protect them from these risks. |
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36. All young people should be given the opportunity for ongoing
education. For those who drop out of school or complete school
without acquiring the literacy, numeracy and life skills they
need, there must be a range of options for continuing their
learning. Such opportunities should be both meaningful and relevant
to their environment and needs, help them become active agents
in shaping their future and develop useful work-related skills. |
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| 4
Achieving a 50 per cent improvement in levels of adult literacy
by 2015, especially for women, and equitable access to basic
and continuing education for all adults |
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37. All adults have a right to basic education, beginning with
literacy, which allows them to engage actively in, and to transform,
the world in which they live. There are still some 880 million
people who cannot read or write in the world; two-thirds are
women. The fragile levels of literacy acquired by many new literates
compound the problem. Yet the education of adults remains isolated,
often at the periphery of national education systems and budgets. |
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38. Adult and continuing education must be greatly expanded
and diversified, and integrated into the mainstream of national
education and poverty reduction strategies. The vital role literacy
plays in lifelong learning, sustainable livelihoods, good health,
active citizenship and the improved quality of life for individuals,
communities and societies must be more widely recognized. Literacy
and continuing education are essential for women's empowerment
and gender equality. Closer linkages among formal, non-formal
and informal approaches to learning must be fostered to respond
to the diverse needs and circumstances of adults. |
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39. Sufficient resources, well-targeted literacy programmes,
better trained teachers and the innovative use of technologies
are essential in promoting these activities. The scaling up
of practical, participatory learning methodologies developed
by non-government organizations, which link literacy with empowerment
and local development, is especially important. The success
of adult education efforts in the next decade will be essentially
demonstrated by substantial reduction in disparities between
male-female and urban-rural literacy rates. |
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| 5
Eliminating gender disparities in primary and secondary education
by 2005, and achieving gender equality in education by 2015,
with a focus on ensuring girls' full and equal access to and
achievement in basic education of good quality |
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40. Gender-based discrimination remains one of the most intractable
constraints to realising the right to education. Without overcoming
this obstacle, Education for All cannot be achieved. Girls are
a majority among out-of-school children and youth, although
in an increasing number of countries boys are at a disadvantage.
Even though the education of girls and women has a powerful
trans-generational effect and is a key determinant of social
development and women's empowerment, limited progress has been
made in increasing girls' participation in basic education. |
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41. International agreement has already been reached to eliminate
gender disparities in primary and secondary education by 2005.
This requires that gender issues be mainstreamed throughout
the education system, supported by adequate resources and strong
political commitment. Merely ensuring access to education for
girls is not enough; unsafe school environments and biases in
teacher behaviour and training, teaching and learning processes,
and curricula and textbooks often lead to lower completion and
achievement rates for girls. By creating safe and gender-sensitive
learning environments, it should be possible to remove a major
hurdle to girls' participation in education. Increasing levels
of women's literacy is another crucial factor in promoting girl's
education. Comprehensive efforts therefore need to be made at
all levels and in all areas to eliminate gender discrimination
and to promote mutual respect between girls and boys, women
and men. To make this possible, changes in attitudes, values
and behaviour are required. |
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| 6
Improving all aspects of the quality of education, and ensuring
excellence of all so that recognized and measurable learning
outcomes are achieved by all, especially in literacy, numeracy
and essential life skills |
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42. Quality is at the heart of education, and what takes place
in classrooms and other learning environments is fundamentally
important to the future well-being of children, young people
and adults. A quality education is one that satisfies basic
learning needs, and enriches the lives of learners and their
overall experience of living. |
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43. Evidence over the last decade has shown that efforts to
expand enrolment must be accompanied by attempts to enhance
educational quality if children are to be attracted to school,
stay there, and achieve meaningful learning outcomes. Scarce
resources have frequently been used for expanding systems with
insufficient attention to quality improvement in areas such
as teacher training and materials development. Recent assessments
of learning achievement in some countries have shown that a
sizeable percentage of children is acquiring only a fraction
of the knowledge and skills they are expected to master. What
students are meant to learn has often not been clearly defined,
well-taught or accurately assessed. |
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44. Governments and all other EFA partners must to work together
to ensure basic education of quality for all, regardless of
gender, wealth, location, language or ethnic origin. Successful
education programmes require: (1) healthy, well-nourished and
motivated students; (2) well-trained teachers and active learning
techniques; (3) adequate facilities and learning materials;
(4) a relevant curriculum that can be taught and learned in
a local language and builds upon the knowledge and experience
of the teachers and learners; (5) an environment that not only
encourages learning but is welcoming, gender-sensitive, healthy
and safe; (6) a clear definition and accurate assessment of
learning outcomes, including knowledge, skills, attitudes and,
values; (7) participatory governance and management; and (8)
respect for and engagement with local communities and cultures.
|
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IV
STRATEGIES
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45. Education for All is a basic human right at the heart of
development. It must be a national and international priority
that requires a strong and sustained political commitment, enhanced
financial allocations and the participation of all EFA partners
in the processes of policy design, strategic planning and the
implementation of programmes. Achieving the six goals outlined
above necessitates a broad-based approach which extends well
beyond the confines of formal education systems. Building on
the lessons of the last decade, the implementation of the following
strategies will be critical in achieving Education for All. |
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| 1
Mobilize strong national and international political commitment
for Education for All, develop national action plans and enhance
significantly investment in basic education |
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46.
The Jomtien Framework for Action stated that progress in meeting
the basic learning needs of all will depend ultimately on the
actions taken within individual countries. This means first
that governments must make firm political commitments and allocate
sufficient resources to all components of basic education -
an absolutely essential step to meeting the state's obligation
to all of its citizens. In many countries this will require
increasing the share of national income and budgets allocated
to education and, within that, to basic education, balanced
by reduced allocations to sectors of lower development priority.
Resources have to be used with much greater efficiency and integrity,
and governments should set goals for more equitable spending
across education sub-sectors. Corruption is a major drain on
the effective use of resources for education and should be drastically
curbed. Structures are needed to enable civil society to be
part of transparent and accountable budgeting and financing
systems. Achieving Education for All will also require more
creative and sustained mobilisation of resources from other
parts of society, including different levels of government,
the private sector and non-governmental organizations. |
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47. Even with improved mobilisation and allocation of domestic
resources, and enhanced efficiency in their use, meeting all
the education goals will require additional funding from international
development agencies. Funding agencies should allocate a larger
share of their resources to support primary and other forms
of basic education. The regions and countries, where challenges
are greatest, which include much of sub-Saharan Africa and South
Asia, least developed countries and countries emerging from
conflict, deserve particular attention. |
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48. No countries seriously committed to Education for All will
be thwarted in their achievement of this goal by lack of resources.
Funding agencies are willing to allocate significant resources
towards Education for All. The key to releasing these resources
is evidence of, or potential for, sustained political commitment;
effective and transparent mechanisms for consultation with civil
society organizations in developing, implementing and monitoring
EFA plans; and a well-defined, consultative processes for sector
planning and management. |
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49. This commitment requires that funding agencies co-ordinate
their efforts to provide flexible development assistance within
the framework of sector-wide reforms and support sector priorities
within sound and coherent government-owned poverty reduction
programmes. High priority should be given to providing earlier,
deeper and broader debt relief and/or debt cancellation for
poverty reduction, with a strong commitment to basic education.
Debt relief should not be a substitute for aid. |
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50. Funding agencies will need to make longer-term and more
predictable commitments, and to be more accountable and transparent.
They must provide timely and accurate information on their disbursements,
and ensure that there is regular reporting at regional and international
levels. |
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| 2
Promote EFA policies within a sustainable and well-integrated
sector framework clearly linked to poverty elimination and development
strategies |
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51. Education, starting with the care and education of young
children and continuing through lifelong learning, is central
to individual empowerment, the elimination of poverty at household
and community level, and broader social and economic development.
At the same time, the reduction of poverty facilitates progress
toward basic education goals. There are evident synergies between
strategies for promoting education and those for reducing poverty
that must be exploited both in programme planning and implementation. |
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52. A multi-sectoral approach to poverty elimination requires
that education strategies complement those of the productive
sectors as well as of health, population, social welfare, labour,
the environment and finance, and be closely linked with civil
society. Specific actions in this regard include: (1) integrating
basic education strategies into broader national and international
poverty alleviation measures such as United Nations Development
Assistance Frameworks (UNDAFs), Comprehensive Development Frameworks
and Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers; and (2) developing 'inclusive'
education systems which explicitly identify, target and respond
flexibly to the needs and circumstances of the poorest and the
most marginalized. |
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| 3
Ensure the engagement and participation of civil society in
the formulation, implementation and monitoring of strategies
for educational development |
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53. Learners, teachers, parents, communities, non-governmental
organizations and other bodies representing civil society must
be granted new and expanded political and social scope, at all
levels of society, in order to engage governments in dialogue,
decision-making and innovation around the goals for basic education.
Civil society has much experience and a crucial role to play
in identifying barriers to EFA goals, and developing policies
and strategies to remove them. |
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54. Such participation, especially at the local level through
partnerships between schools and communities, should not only
be limited to endorsing decisions of, or financing programmes
designed by, the state. Rather, at all levels of decision-making,
governments must put in place regular mechanisms for dialogue
enabling citizens and civil society organizations to contribute
to the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of
basic education. This is essential in order to foster the development
of accountable, comprehensive and flexible educational management
frameworks. In order to facilitate this process, capacity will
often have to be developed in the civil society organizations. |
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| 4
Develop responsive, participatory and accountable systems of
educational governance and management |
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55. The experience of the last decade has underscored the need
for better governance of education systems in terms of efficiency,
accountability, transparency and flexibility so that they can
respond more effectively to the diverse and continuously changing
needs of learners. Reform of educational management is urgently
needed - to move from highly centralised, standardised and command-driven
forms of management to more decentralised and participatory
decision-making, implementation and monitoring at lower levels
of accountability. These processes must be buttressed by a management
information system that benefits from both new technologies
and community participation to produce timely, relevant and
accurate information. |
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56.
Country EFA reports and regional action frameworks stemming
from the EFA 2000 Assessment recommend the following: (1) establish
better regulatory frameworks and administrative mechanisms for
managing not only formal and non-formal primary education, but
also early childhood, youth and adult education programmes;
(2) more sharply delineate responsibilities among different
levels of government; (3) ensure that decentralisation does
not lead to inequitable distribution of resources; (4) make
more efficient use of existing human and financial resources;
(5) improve capacities for managing diversity, disparity and
change; (6) integrate programmes within education and strengthen
their convergence with those of other sectors, especially health,
labour and social welfare; and (7) provide training for school
leaders and other education personnel. |
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| 5
Meet the needs of education systems affected by conflict, natural
calamities and instability and conduct educational programmes
in ways that promote mutual understanding, peace and tolerance,
and that help to prevent violence and conflict |
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57. Conflicts, instability and natural disasters take their
toll on education and are a major barrier towards attaining
Education for All. The capacity of governments and civil society
should be enhanced to rapidly assess educational needs in contexts
of crisis and post-conflict situations for children and adults,
to restore learning opportunities in secure and friendly environments,
and to re-construct destroyed or damaged education systems. |
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58. Schools should be respected and protected as sanctuaries
and zones of peace. Education programmes should be designed
to promote the full development of the human personality and
strengthen respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms
as proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article
26). Such programmes should promote understanding, tolerance
and friendship among all nations, and all ethnic and religious
groups; should be sensitive to cultural and linguistic identities,
and respectful of diversity; and reinforce a culture of peace.
Education should promote not only skills such as the prevention
and peaceful resolution of conflict but also social and ethical
values. |
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Implement integrated strategies for gender equality in education
that recognize the need for changes in attitudes, values and
practices |
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59. Achieving Education for All demands that high-level commitment
and priority be given to gender equality. Schools, other learning
environments and education systems usually mirror the larger
society. Efforts in support of gender equality must include
specific actions to address discrimination resulting from social
attitudes and practices, economic status and culture. |
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60. Throughout the education system, there must be a commitment
to the development of attitudes and behaviours that incorporate
gender awareness and analysis. Education systems must also act
explicitly to remove gender bias. This includes ensuring that
policies and their implementation are supportive of girl's and
boy's learning. Teaching and supervisory bodies must be fair
and transparent, and rules and regulations, including promotion
and disciplinary action, must have equal impact on girls and
boys, women and men. Attention must be given to boys' needs
in cases where they are disadvantaged. |
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61. In the learning environment, the content, processes, and
context of education must be free of gender bias, and encourage
and support equality and respect. This includes teachers' behaviours
and attitudes, curriculum and textbooks, and student interactions.
Efforts must be made to ensure personal security: Girls are
often especially vulnerable to abuse and harassment on the journey
to and from school and at school. |
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| 7
Implement as a matter of urgency education programmes and actions
to combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic |
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62. The HIV/AIDS pandemic is undermining progress towards Education
for All in many parts of the world by seriously affecting educational
demand, supply and quality. This situation requires the urgent
attention of governments, civil society and the international
community. Education systems must go through significant changes
if they are to survive the impact of HIV/AIDS and counter its
spread, especially in response to the impact on teacher supply
and student demand. To achieve EFA goals will necessitate putting
HIV/AIDS as the highest priority in the most affected countries,
with strong, sustained political commitment; mainstreaming HIV/AIDS
perspectives in all aspects of policy; redesigning teacher training
and curricula; and significantly enhancing resources to these
efforts. |
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63. The decade has shown that the pandemic has had, and will
increasingly have, a devastating effect on education systems,
teachers and learners, with a particularly adverse impact on
girls. Stigma and poverty brought about by HIV/AIDS are creating
new social castes of children excluded from education and adults
with reduced livelihood opportunities. A rights-based response
to HIV/AIDS mitigation and ongoing monitoring of the pandemic's
impact on EFA goals are essential. This response should include
appropriate legislation and administrative actions to ensure
to right of HIV/AIDS affected people to education and to combat
discrimination within the education sector. |
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64. Education institutions and structures should create a safe
and supportive environment for children and young people in
a world with HIV/AIDS, and strengthen their protection from
sexual abuse and other forms of exploitation. Flexible non-formal
approaches should be adopted to reach children and adults infected
and affected by HIV/AIDS, with particular attention to AIDS
orphans. Curricula based on life skills approaches should include
all aspects of HIV/AIDS care and prevention. Parents and communities
should also benefit from HIV/AIDS related programmes. Teachers
must be adequately trained both in-service and pre-service in
providing HIV/AIDS education, and teachers affected by the pandemic
should be supported at all levels. |
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| 8
Create safe, healthy, inclusive and equitably resourced educational
environments conducive to excellence in learning, with clearly
defined levels of achievement for all |
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65. The quality of learning is and must be at the heart of EFA.
All stakeholders - teachers and students, parents and community
members, health workers and local government officials - should
work together to develop environments conducive to learning.
To offer education of good quality, educational institutions
and programmes should be adequately and equitably resourced,
with the core requirements of safe, environmentally friendly
and easily accessible facilities; well motivated and professionally
competent teachers; and books, other learning materials and
technologies that are context specific, cost effective and available
to all learners. |
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66. Learning environments should also be healthy, safe and protective.
This should include: (1) adequate water and sanitation facilities,
(2) access to or linkages with health and nutrition services,
(3) policies and codes of conducts that enhance physical, psycho-social
and emotional health of teachers and learners, and (4) education
content and practices leading to knowledge, attitudes, values,
and life skills needed for self-esteem, good health, and personal
safety. |
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67. There is an urgent need to adopt effective strategies to
identify and include the socially, culturally and economically
excluded. This requires participatory analysis of exclusion
at household, community and schools levels, and the development
of diverse, flexible, and innovative approaches to learning
and an environment that fosters mutual respect and trust. |
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68. Assessment of learning should include an evaluation of environments,
processes and outcomes. Learning outcomes must be well-defined
in both cognitive and non-cognitive domains, and be continually
assessed as an integral part of the teaching and learning process. |
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| 9
Enhance the status, morale and professionalism of teachers |
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|
69. Teachers are essential players in promoting quality education,
whether in schools or in more flexible community-based programmes;
they are advocates for, and catalysts of, change. No education
reform is likely to succeed without the active participation
and ownership of teachers. Teachers at all levels of the education
system should be respected and adequately remunerated; have
access to training and ongoing professional development and
support, including through open and distance learning; and be
able to participate, locally and nationally, in decisions affecting
their professional lives and teaching environments. Teachers
must also accept their professional responsibilities and be
accountable to both learners and communities. |
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70. Clearly defined and more imaginative strategies to identify,
attract, train and retain good teachers must be put in place.
These strategies should address the new role of teachers in
preparing students for an emerging knowledge-based and technology-driven
economy. Teachers must be able to understand diversity in learning
styles and in the physical and intellectual development of students,
and to create stimulating, participatory learning environments. |
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| 10
Harness new information and communication technologies to help
achieve EFA goals |
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71. Information and communication technologies (ICT) must be
harnessed to support EFA goals at an affordable cost. These
technologies have great potential for knowledge dissemination,
effective learning and the development of more efficient education
services. This potential will not be realised unless the new
technologies serve rather than drive the implementation of education
strategies. To be effective, especially in developing countries,
ICTs should be combined with more traditional technologies such
as books and radios, and be more extensively applied to the
training of teachers. |
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72. The swiftness of ICT developments, their increasing spread
and availability, the nature of their content and their declining
prices are having major implications for learning. They may
tend to increase disparities, weaken social bonds and threaten
cultural cohesion. Governments will therefore need to establish
clearer policies in regard to science and technology, and undertake
critical assessments of ICT experiences and options. These should
include their resource implications in relation to the provision
of basic education, emphasising choices that bridge the 'digital
divide', increase access and quality, and reduce inequity. |
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73. There is need to tap the potential of ICT to enhance data
collection and analysis, and to strengthen management systems,
from central ministries through sub-national levels to the school;
to improve access to education by remote and disadvantaged communities;
to support initial and continuing professional development of
teachers; and to provide opportunities to communicate across
classrooms and cultures. |
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74. News media should also be engaged to create and strengthen
partnerships with education systems, through the promotion of
local newspapers, informed coverage of education issues and
continuing education programmes via public service broadcasting |
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| 11
Systematically monitor progress towards EFA goals and strategies
at the national, regional, and international levels |
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|
75. Achieving EFA goals requires setting priorities, defining
policies, establishing targets and progress indicators, allocating
resources, monitoring performance, and assessing qualitative
and quantitative outcomes. Robust and reliable education statistics,
disaggregated and based on accurate census data, are essential
if progress is to be properly measured, experience shared and
lessons learned. Information on the success of particular strategies,
on national and international budget allocations for basic education
and on civil society participation in Education for All must
also be sought. These are all key elements in assessing the
accountability of EFA partners. Ongoing monitoring and evaluation
of EFA, with the full participation of civil society, should
be encouraged. |
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76. When governments are truly committed to educational outcomes,
they recognise the fundamental importance of statistics and
the need for credible and independent institutions to produce
them. The EFA 2000 Assessment identified the existence of important
data gaps. Capacity should be increased to fill these gaps,
and to produce accurate and timely data, qualitative and quantitative,
for analysis and feed-back to policy-makers and practitioners.
Attention to collecting disaggregated data at lower levels of
the system, both to identify areas of greatest inequity and
to provide data for local-level planning, management and evaluation,
is essential. |
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|
77. Progress towards meeting EFA goals and targets needs to
be assessed regularly and systematically to allow for meaningful
comparative analyses. The availability of better data at national
and international levels will allow governments, civil society
and other agencies to gain a clearer understanding of progress
toward the goals, to identify regions, countries, and sub-national
levels where there is particular success or difficulty, and
then to take appropriate action. |
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| 12
Build on existing mechanisms to accelerate progress towards
Education for All |
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78. In order to realise the six goals presented in this Framework
for Action, broad-based and participatory mechanisms at international,
regional and national levels are essential. The functions of
these mechanisms will include, to varying degrees, advocacy,
resource mobilisation, monitoring, and knowledge generation
and sharing |
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79. The heart of EFA activity lies at the country level. National
EFA forums will be strengthened or established and countries
will prepare national EFA plans by 2002 at the latest. For those
countries with significant challenges such as crises or natural
disasters, special technical support will be provided by the
international community. Members of the international community
commit themselves to working in a consistent, co-ordinated and
coherent manner in supporting national EFA plans. |
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|
80. Regional and sub-regional activities to support national
efforts will be based on existing organizations, networks and
initiatives, augmented where necessary. These will work in tandem
with national EFA forums. |
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81. UNESCO will continue its mandated role in co-ordinating
EFA partners and maintaining their collaborative momentum. In
line with this, UNESCO will convene annually a high-level, small
and flexible group to serve as a lever for political commitment
and technical and financial resource mobilisation. It will be
composed of leaders from governments and civil society and development
agencies. UNESCO will refocus its education programme in order
to place the outcomes and priorities of Dakar at the heart of
its work. |
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82. Achieving Education for All will require that new, concrete
financial commitments be made by national governments and by
bilateral and multilateral donors including the World Bank and
the regional development banks, civil society and foundations. |
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