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| Biggest
review of education in history |
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 Paris,
22 February 2000 - Leading representatives of governments,
non-governmental organizations and the United Nations have completed
final steps of the biggest review of education in history. Assessments
were carried out by 183 national governments. Results were then
reviewed in six regional consultations involving a total of
1,500 leaders (ministers of education, non-governmental officials
and donor agencies). The review process will culminate at the
World Education Forum, to take place in Dakar, Senegal, 26-28
April 2000. |
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| The
results show that although education systems have grown in most
areas, quality has not kept pace with quantity. The number of
children in school has gone up significantly and many countries
have succeeded in getting more girls into school. But the number
of children out of school, about 100 million, two-thirds of
them girls, has remained at about the levels of a decade ago.
Without renewed political commitment to universal primary education,
the global goal set in 1990 of having all children in school
will not be achieved in a near future. |
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data also indicate that an accelerated effort to achieve quality
education for all is necessary. A special study in forty countries
covering all regions of the world shows that a majority of the
countries surveyed did not reach nationally-defined goals of
literacy, numeracy and life-skills. |
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| The
Steering Committee of the World Education Forum, a fifty-member
coalition cutting across sectors and regions, believes that
we are living in three worlds of education: the largest one
is progressing, the second continues to remain static, and the
third is in regression, often associated with crisis or conflict.
This poses the challenge for the years ahead: providing quality
education for all. |
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| The
results of the 183 national assessments, plus 40 case studies
compiled by non-governmental organizations, and a significant
number of cross-cutting studies, will be summarized and released
at the Forum in Senegal. This will be only the second time in
history when all the education ministers in the world are invited
to focus on global goals for education. Ministers will be joined
by a number of heads of state as well as by leaders of the international
donor community. An NGO Forum to be organized prior to the main
Forum will provide important input to the conference. |
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| As
in the preparatory meetings, it is expected that the Dakar Forum
will draw leaders from virtually every country. The message
will be simple: the world must provide education of good quality
to all and, to achieve this goal, new and enhanced partnerships
with parents, teachers and community groups are required. |
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A new Framework for Action based on the results of the worldwide
assessment is expected to be adopted at the Dakar meeting. It
will call for an acceleration of efforts in education with special
attention given to sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. A draft
version is currently being discussed in a wide consultation
process involving all major Education for All partners. |
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| Education
for All is a global movement led by UNESCO, World Bank, UNDP,
UNFPA and UNICEF. The Steering Committee for Education for All
involves United Nations agencies, bilateral donors, national
authorities and non-governmental organizations. |
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For
more information:
Mr
Svein Osttveit,
Executive Secretary
Education for All Forum
Tel: (33) 1 4568 1524, E-mail: s.osttveit@unesco.org
Ms
Maris O'Rourke
Director, Education
The World Bank
Tel: (1 202) 473 1059; E-mail: morourke@worldbank.org
Mr
Sheldon Shaeffer
Chief, Education Section
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
Tel: (1 212) 824 6618; E-mail: sshaeffer@unicef.org
Ms Delia Barcelona
Senior Technical Officer, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
Tel: (1 212) 297 5233; E-mail: barcelona@unfpa.org
Mr
Dieter Berstecher
Director, Global Action Programme on Education for All
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO)
Tel: (33) 1 4568 2124; E-mail: d.berstecher@unesco.org
Ms
Anjimile Mtila Doka
Senior Advisor, Social Analysis and Policy
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Tel: (1 212) 906 6023; E-mail: anjimile.mtila.doka@undp.org
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