Friday, June 9, 2023
News and Views from the Global South
Education
On International Day of Education, We Must Prioritize Girls in Humanitarian Crisis
“Is it a sin to be a girl? We don’t want to be at home and illiterate. We want to go to school, study and be intelligent.” In just a few words, this plea for education from a young Afghan girl has captured the world’s attention. Her heartbreaking question shows how the Taliban’s recent ban on girls attending secondary school and university – effectively ending education opportunities for all Afghan girls and women – is not only violating their fundamental human right to education but shattering countless hopes and dreams in an instant. [related_articles]
Delivering On Our Promise of Universal Education
As we mark the International Day of Education, world leaders must make good on their promise of providing quality education for all by 2030. Education is our investment in peace where there is war, our investment in equality where there is injustice, our investment in prosperity where there is poverty.
Malaysia’s TVET Ecosystem in Need of All-of-Society Engagement
Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in Malaysia originated from the colonial and early post-colonial governments’ need for trained and skilled manpower to run state agencies and projects.
Indian PhD Students Say Long Australian Visa Delays Have Put Their Lives On Hold
When Megha Jacob, who had been applying for a doctoral degree at various overseas universities, received an offer from the Australian National University’s Department of Chemistry to do a fully funded PhD, she was thrilled and immediately accepted the position.
Digitizing Africa: Key to Stronger Institutions
I recently overheard a conversation among three young people at a café in an African city. It was a passionate discussion on the management of funds allocated to the COVID-19 response and the effectiveness of the mechanisms in place to manage the money to achieve the intended purposes.
All Girls Must be Allowed to Return to Education in Afghanistan
Education Cannot Wait stands in solidarity with every girl and woman in Afghanistan. Each one has an inherent human right to education. We also stand in solidarity with every Afghan father, brother, husband and son, suffering the pain of seeing their daughter, sister, wife and mother brutally denied their right to an education.
War, Famine, Disease, Disasters – 2022 – a Year Staring at Apocalypse
A year that started with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and is ending with famine in Africa, while still spreading death and misery through an enduring pandemic and a deteriorating climate crisis -- 2022 has been an apocalyptic warning of the frailty of our planet and the woeful shortcomings of humankind.
Education Cannot Wait Interviews Liesbet Steer, Executive Director of the Education Commission
Dr. Liesbet Steer is the Executive Director of the Education Commission, chaired by UN Special Envoy for Global Education and Chair of the ECW High-Level Steering Group, The Rt. Hon. Gordon Brown. Under Liesbet’s leadership, the Commission has been at the forefront of new thinking in education financing calling for more effective and “progressive” domestic spending, innovative international and private financing (through the International Finance Facility for Education (IFFEd), the Education Outcomes Fund and Greater Share) and better coordination of external funding (including through her leadership of the Global Education Forum and Save Our Future). [related_articles]
Three Questions, #222MillionDreams; One Issue: Education and the ‘Triple-Nexus’ with UN Resident Coordinator & Humanitarian Coordinator DRC, Bruno Lemarquis
Q1: The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) faces one of the most long-standing, complex protracted crisis on the globe. In such a context, how important is it for aid stakeholders to support the education sector among the multitude of urgent priorities in the country? Why must education be a leading priority?
Drought, Conflict and Forced Displacement Push Ethiopian Children Out of School
A joint mission to Ethiopia by Education Cannot Wait (ECW), and Norway's International Development Minister has drawn attention to one of the world’s largest education crises that have left 3.6 million children out of school. The number of out-of-school children has spiked from 3.1 million to 3.6 million, according to UNICEF. However, ECW-funded schools provide children with ‘whole-of-child’ interventions, including school feeding, psychosocial support, teacher training, school materials, accelerated learning, gender transformative approaches, and the construction and rehabilitation of school facilities.
The Digital Divide: Africa the Least Connected with 60 percent of the Population Offline
The digital divide – between the world’s rich and poor nations —remains staggeringly wide. For over 2.7 billion people, many of them living in developing and least developed countries (LDCs), meaningful connectivity remains elusive, according to a UN report released during the 17th Internet Governance Forum in Addis Ababa, last month.
Dignity, Freedom and Justice
As we commemorate Human Rights Day, let us recall the opening preamble of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948: “Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world… “
The Climate Crisis Disrupts the Education of 40 Million Children Every Year
The United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) issued a ground-breaking Position Paper today that draws clear linkages between the climate crisis and global education crisis.
Climate Change Meets Conflict Pushing Millions of Children in Ethiopia Out of School
A silent catastrophe is unfolding in Ethiopia on the backdrop of years of inter-communal conflict and the most prolonged and severe drought in recent years. High inflation and food insecurity in the drought-ravaged country is among the worst in the world.
Toward Free Education for All Children – Momentum Building to Expand the Right to Millions
Education is fundamental for children’s development and a powerful catalyst for improving their entire lives. International human rights law guarantees everyone a right to education. But it surprises many to learn that the international human rights framework only explicitly guarantees an immediate right to free primary education—even though we know that a child equipped with just a primary education is inadequately prepared to thrive in today’s world.
Working Together for an Inclusive World
ECW works together with governments, UN agencies, civil society and the private sector for an inclusive world where all children with disabilities are able to go to school in safe and accessible learning environments. We work together for an inclusive world where the complex challenges of today offer up the transformative solutions of tomorrow.
Digital Human Rights Need to be Enshrined in Law
The upcoming consultation on the Global Digital Compact presents a unique opportunity to ensure that human rights in the digital world are protected in international common standards.
Every Child Has a Right to Realize the Human Potential
On World Children’s Day, we must remember what it means to be a child born with a right to reach the human potential. Nothing is more precious, more priceless, than a child growing towards that potential. And nothing is more despicable than to ignore the innocence and learning needs of a child in the process of becoming…
The Innovation Imperative for Small States
Small states take the path less travelled. They face challenges unfamiliar to many: scarce resources, smaller economies and the real impact of climate change.
Academics’ Strike Puts Spotlight on Nigeria’s Brain Drain
For eight months, the halls of Nigeria's universities and colleges remained silent – the result of a lecturers' strike brought upon by a wage and conditions of service dispute.
We Own Our Choice to Finance Education
There is a stillness to the tent as I enter. This is a place of loss and pain, yet also a place of resilience and hope; everything coming together all at once.« Previous Page — Next Page »
While more than 1 billion children worldwide go to school, the statistic belies the stark reality that many of the world’s children learn – untrained teachers, makeshift facilities and substandard sanitation. Those ‘lucky’ enough to be enrolled in schools are often hungry – and in these circumstances, this most basic human right to education is flawed.
Then there are the estimated 75 million children living protracted crises – war, famine, disasters. Many other social and cultural interfaces impact children: gender inequities, child and early marriages, child labour, and disability.
All these circumstances were present before the COVID-19 pandemic – where protocols to prevent the spread of the disease, including lockdowns in many countries, further exacerbated the situation. UNICEF says the pandemic caused such widespread disruptions that digital learning should become an essential service – which means connecting every child and young person – some 3.5 billion – to world-class digital solutions by 2030.
Through compelling storytelling and hard-hitting opinion writing, IPS tell the story of education – highlighting the issues and successes of the many organizations like UNICEF and Education Cannot Wait that specialize in this field.
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