 | |
| Image Source : bit.ly/1hgMihk |
Education has never been considered as an emergency, especially in developing and least developed countries, though everybody knows how important education is for the development of any economy. There is a need to change the way many underprivileged people perceive education.
Previous week, the UNESCO’s annual monitoring report into the millennium goals for education was
 |
| Image Source: bit.ly/1iCtZrH |
launched in the UK. The millennium goals for education initiative include the promise that every child across the world would have a place in primary school by 2015.
The date is fast approaching but it does not seem that there is any chance of that promise to be kept.
According to the recent ‘Education for All’ report, almost 57 million children never start school and extra hundreds of millions get such low quality lessons that they pass out school hardly with a skill to ably read a sentence.
If the people thought this is a syndrome infecting the lives of a large population, there must be calls for urgent remedies. But, the deliberate, menacing deterioration of literacy, unawareness and detachment continues decade after decade.
 |
| Image Source : bit.ly/1eTPvZN |
In 1990, the international community assured that primary education for all would reach underprivileged
population by 2000. In 2000, the assurance was shifted forward to 2015. And, 24 years after, the promises are being arranged for 2030.
Another 70 years
With the current progress rate, it would not be before 2080s that every child gets an opportunity to attend a primary school. Girls in underprivileged families in sub-Saharan Africa are likely to fail to benefit from primary school education. And, the recent crisis, like Syrian conflict, disrupted the educational prospects of thousands of youngsters in a way that will be felt for decades into the future.
 |
| Image Source : bit.ly/QqDxvC |
However, it would be unfair if the achievements made since the launch of millennium goals are left unacknowledged. There has been a sharp decline in the number of out-of-school children, and some countries like Tanzania and Ethiopia have written some success stories in this context.
Some major global partnerships, which include the Global Partnership for Education and UNESCO, are trying their best to do more.
 |
| Image Source : bit.ly/Qza5TS |
The UK too can claim credit, as the country is the biggest single direct donor to education offering more funding than other developed economies.
But, the biggest man-made disaster on the earth remains the lack of a quality education or no education for a number of families.
The political risks involving millions of unskilled, illiterate youths with modest employment opportunities can be felt and recognized by one and all.
These kinds of problems are not likely to confine within their own boundaries in today’s mobile, interconnected world.
Slow-moving problem
There are plenty of imminent questions to ask for: why world leaders are not forced to keep their promises? Is it because this is a slow-moving problem? Is it difficult to claim the responsibility? Why governments are not trying to train more teachers, provide them regular salary and construct more classrooms?
It may sound uncomfortable to know that Nigeria has most out-of-school children in comparison to any other country, but the country boasts of fast-moving market for luxury private jets.
 |
| Image Source : bit.ly/1eTX5Dq |
There are some big-spending countries with quality schools like China, but they are mere recipient of education aid rather than a big donor.
Governments in developing countries should take a cure from countries like South Korea and Vietnam that have successfully developed their education systems from scratch very rapidly. Though it may not be simple, but governments should treat the issues as emergency and come out with appropriate plans before it’s too late.
Article Source : bbc.in/1enUBgE
