24 Global News Post 3
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By: Partner
( I wasn’t able to find the author for the picture)
Unesco, African Union calls on leaders to prioritize equal opportunity in education
This article talks about Education and how most of the sub-saharan African countries are doing their best to provide good education but the region has the world’s largest out-of-school population. 1/5 children of primary school age and well over half of upper secondary school-age adolescents do not attend school. In about half of African countries, the out-of-school rate among primary school-age children stands at just under 10%, and at over 50% for upper secondary school age students. And how the rate is increasing in several countries. The director of UNESCO, Director-General Audrey Azoulay says, ” The massive disparities in African education systems require urgent action. We need to provide all African children and youth with a safe, stimulating, and healthy environment in which they can attain their full potential. Transforming education must at the heart of countries’ efforts to build meaningful and sustainable development and economic growth.”
The article also focuses on how there are different factors that influence children’s education such as, geographical location, poverty, gender, disability, crises, conflict and displacement. It touches on the fact that there’s a wide gap of things that falls into place when it comes to education in Sub-saharan African; whether it’s from wealthiest to poorest households, between children in rural or urban areas or even between boys and girls. The article also touches on how COVID-19 affected a lot of children’s education because of learning outcomes, educational attainment, and disparities in education. The article was meant to strengthen education systems’ resilience to future crises, by developing flexible forms of teaching, by scaling up the use of digital technology, and by improving data collection to better inform policy planning.
“The concept of equity must become the guideline for African education policies. We need to ensure that every child in rural and disadvantaged urban centres, and in other fragile countries and contexts, is able to receive the education and training they require,” said H.E Professor Mohamed Belhocine, Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation of the African Union Commission.