14/09/2023
A survey has revealed that many African children are deprived of access to quality education for various reasons. To aid the United Nations in its mission to provide equal educational opportunities for all children, PROCADOE has called for partnerships and humanitarian support to turn this vision into reality.
The following points have been extracted from the United Nations website to emphasize the importance of this endeavor.
Progress towards achieving quality education was already slower than required before the pandemic, but COVID-19 has had devastating impacts on education, causing learning losses in four out of five of the 104 countries studied. Without additional measures, an estimated 84 million children and young people will stay out of school by 2030, and approximately 300 million students will lack the basic numeracy and literacy skills necessary for success in life.
In addition to free primary and secondary schooling for all boys and girls by 2030, the aim is to provide equal access to affordable vocational training, eliminate gender and wealth disparities, and achieve universal access to quality higher education. Education is the key that will allow many other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be achieved. When people are able to get quality education they can break from the cycle of poverty. Education helps to reduce inequalities and to reach gender equality. It also empowers people everywhere to live healthier and more sustainable lives, fostering tolerance between people and contributing to more peaceful societies.
To deliver on Goal 4, education financing must become a national investment priority. Furthermore, measures such as making education free and compulsory, increasing the number of teachers, improving basic school infrastructure, and embracing digital transformation are essential. While progress has been made towards the 2030 education targets set by the United Nations, continued efforts are required to address persistent challenges and ensure that quality education is accessible to all, leaving no one behind. Between 2015 and 2021, there was an increase in worldwide primary school completion, lower secondary completion, and upper secondary completion. Nevertheless, the progress made during this period was notably slower compared to the 15 years prior. According to national education targets, the percentage of students attaining basic reading skills by the end of primary school is projected to rise from 51 percent in 2015 to 67 percent by 2030. However, an estimated 300 million children and young people will still lack basic numeracy and literacy skills by 2030.