130 countries pledge education reboot at the UN Transforming Education Summit

New Delhi: 130 countries including India attending the summit, have committed to rebooting their education systems and accelerating action to end the learning crisis.

The commitments came after 115 national consultations that brought together leaders, teachers, students, civil society and other partners to gather collective recommendations on the most urgent asks.

The decision was made at the three-day long summit, Transforming Education Summit at the UN headquarters. It is being convened in response to a global crisis in education – one of equity and inclusion, quality and relevance.

Often slow and unseen, this crisis is having a devastating impact on the futures of children and youth worldwide. The Summit provides a unique opportunity to elevate education to the top of the global political agenda and to mobilize action, ambition, solidarity and solutions to recover pandemic-related learning losses and sow the seeds to transform education in a rapidly changing world.

In the summit, nearly half of the countries prioritized measures to address ​learning loss, while a third of countries committed to supporting the psycho-social well-being of both students and teachers.​

Two in three countries ​also referenced measures to offset the direct and indirect costs of education for​ economically vulnerable communities, and 75% of countries underlined the importance of ​gender-sensitive education policies in their commitments.

These statements underscored the role of education in achieving all the SDGs and linkages with the climate crises, conflict and poverty. Measures addressed COVID-19 recovery and getting back on track on the SDGs, while emphasizing the need for innovations in education to prepare the learners of today for a rapidly changing world.

Education has been Secretary-General António Guterres’ “guide and touchstone,” he said on September 19 in his speech on the final day of the Summit warning that it is in “a deep crisis”.

“I regard myself as a lifelong student…Without education, where would I be? Where would any of us be?”, he asked those gathered in the iconic Generally Assembly Hall.

Instead of being the great enabler, the UN chief pointed out that education is fast becoming “a great divider”, noting that some 70 per cent of 10-year-olds in poor countries are unable to read and are “barely learning.”

With access to the best resources, schools and universities, the rich get the best jobs, while the poor – especially girls – displaced people, and students with disabilities, face huge obstacles to getting the qualifications that could change their lives, he continued.

Meanwhile, Covid19 has “dealt a hammer blow to progress on SDG4”, the Sustainable Development Goal targeting equitable quality education.

21st century vision

With a new 21st century education vision taking shape, General Secretary flagged that quality learning must support the development of the individual learner throughout their life. At a time of rampant misinformation, climate denial and attacks on human rights, Mr. Guterres stressed the need for education systems that “distinguish fact from conspiracy, instill respect for science, and celebrate humanity in all its diversity”.

Five Commitment areas

To make the vision a reality, he highlighted five commitment areas beginning with protecting the right to quality education for everyone, everywhere – especially girls and those in crisis hotspots.

Schools must be open to all, without discrimination, he appealed to the Taliban in Afghanistan: “Lift all restrictions on girls’ access to secondary education immediately.”

Second, “the lifeblood of education systems,” Mr. Guterres next called for a new focus on the roles and skillsets of teachers to facilitate and promote learning rather than merely transmitting answers.

Third, he advocated for schools to become “safe, healthy spaces, with no place for violence, stigma or intimidation.”

Fourth, the digital revolution benefits all learners, he encouraged governments to work with private sector partners to boost digital learning content.

Fifth he called as final priority that “Education financing must be the number one priority for Governments. It is the single most important investment any country can make in its people and its future,” spelled out the Secretary-General. “Spending and policy advice should be aligned with delivering quality education for all”.