António Guterres took part in a Special event on transforming education – part of the ongoing High Level Political Forum (HLPF) and looking forward to the coming Top of the future in september.
The event was a call to action, with the UN chief urging all countries to make collective efforts to create real learning environments that provide learning opportunities from childhood to adulthood.
“Given the stakes, the world cannot afford to shortchange education“Mr. Guterres said“But in almost every way, that’s exactly what we do.”
Global challenges
The UN chief said 84 million children are expected to be out of school by 2030 unless global action is taken to transform education.
This means that Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4), which aims to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all,” is unlikely to be achieved.
Currently, only one-sixth of countries are taking courses to achieve the SDG4 target of universal access to quality education.
Mr Guterres also noted that secondary pass rates are rising far too slowly, that students do not have the skills they need to succeed in a changing world, and that early childhood and adult learning is often seen as optional.
“It is truly shocking that approximately 70 percent of children in sub-Saharan Africa cannot read even a simple text by the age of 10,” he said.
Financial obstacles
The Secretary-General said funding for quality education is also insufficient to meet the challenge.
In 2023, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) estimated that developing countries should invest $100 billion annually to achieve SDG4This amount increases by approximately 50 percent when the costs of the digital transformation of education are taken into account.
Mr Guterres further said that four in 10 people worldwide live in countries where governments spend more on debt servicing than on education or health care.
He said more than 140 countries committed to reversing this crisis at the 2022 Transforming Education Summit.
But ‘progress is far too slow and uneven. Something has to change.“
Poverty and gender
The President of the General Assembly, Dennis Francis, echoed the Secretary-General’s statements on the need for transformation.
He recalled recent visits to South Sudan, where he said he learned about the “dire poverty in education, evidenced by the fact that at least 70 percent of eligible children are out of school.”
He also noted that the denial of girls’ right to education in Afghanistan and the inability to access education in Ukraine and Gaza due to ongoing attacks are clear indicators of an unsolvable crisis.
“Outside the entrance, We must ensure quality education for all and promote inclusive, equitable and lifelong learning opportunities that enable every individual to thrive in a rapidly changing world,” Mr. Francis said. “We must combine our political will with clear, targeted actions to decisively address these urgent needs.”
“Let’s do what we say”
At the special event on education, Secretary-General Guterres will present a four-point plan to end the global education crisis and build momentum to achieve SDG4 by 2030.
According to UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, this includes closing the gap between funding and access across the country, supporting teachers on the frontlines of education, and revolutionizing education systems.
“Education has a role to play in shaping that,” said Ms Mohammed.
“The message today is clear: education is essential for achieving our common goals of sustainable development, peace and human rights.“, she concluded, adding that education makes an essential contribution to the fabric of our societies.
Mr Guterres said: “Education is the single most important investment a country can make. In its people. And in its future,” in his closing remarks.
“So let’s put our money where our mouth is. Let’s come together to end the global crisis in education.”
