The fast approaching deadline for the Millennium Development Goals is a reminder of vital commitments by all the global society on priorities vital for development. On July 6-7 2015, Norway hosted a global summit on education for development and attempted to do precisely this.
The aim of Oslo Education Summit was straightforward: to boost global efforts in education. The summit was widely attended by government heads, ministers from 40 countries, international organizational leaders, and international advocates for the right to education. The central themes included education funding, the quality of education and learning, girls' education, education in crisis and conflict zones, with an intersecting focus on innovation, technology, and the interests of children with disabilities. Globally, the Education for Development summit in Oslo represented an opportunity to revitalize the global education agenda. The takeaway is that sustained commitment and political will are needed to mobilize the necessary resources.
For students in Norway, the new school year has already started. For Canadian students, it is starting up in a couple of weeks. These last weeks will be filled with the last-minute hustle of getting organized the year ahead -- buying school supplies, organizing course work, reconnecting with friends.
Over 60 years ago, education was inscribed and enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a fundamental human right.
"Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory." - Article 26, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948.
Education for social change.
It is widely proven that education is a catalyst for positive social change -- job creation, improved health, social justice, economic growth and gender equality. Education is critical to sustainable development and poverty eradication. From this view grew the idea that not only is education the key to development, but without education -- development is not possible.
Of the eight MDGs, two goals focus on education:
• Ensure that all boys and girls complete primary schooling by 2015
• Eliminate gender disparities in primary education by 2005 and at all levels by 2015
How are we doing? Globally, 59 million children and 65 million adolescents are still denied their right to education. Women are educated less than men -- one in 10 primary school aged girls and one in 12 boys are not in school. Excluding women from education directly correlates with the (disproportionately) rising number of women living in poverty, particularly in developing countries. Women's poverty is directly related to the lack of economic opportunity and autonomy. (see: Gender Equality In Norway: Progressive Policies and Major Challenges)
New data from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) shows us that the number of out-of-school children has risen from 122 million in 2011 to 124 million in 2013. This trend serves as a grim reminder that we have yet to deliver on our commitment to providing education for all. Norway and Canada are among the countries where the dropout rate is high, and rising. This illustrates that the school system and its ability to deliver must be under surveillance in all countries, not only the developing world.
Revitalizing our commitment to education.
Lack of funding is cited as the major reason why many countries do not achieve the millennial development goal of education for all. Currently, only two per cent of humanitarian aid goes to education. According to UNESCO, it requires an additional $22 billion dollars (U.S.) annually to ensure basic, good quality education, from now until 2030.
Spreading awareness, working together.
In a recent friendly twitter campaign, the American comedian Stephen Colbert challenged Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg to increase Norway's contribution to girls' education. Colbert had his twitter followers tweet at @erna_solberg and ask for Norway's support using #EducationFjorAll. PM Solberg's response was positive and went viral. PM Solberg underlined the need for "global partnerships" and encouraged other nations, private companies and key partners to help reach the $22 billion goal by 2030.
With millions of out-of-school-children worldwide, global education is in a state of crisis. Education is a human right. It is a right regardless of your country of origin, race, ethnicity, or socio-economic status. It is essential for the exercise of all other human rights. Together, we need to increase our efforts to provide education for everyone.
Canada and Norway are both world leaders in prioritizing gender equality into international development work. Canada, like Norway, shares a long-standing commitment to ensuring girls, boys, and youth have access to quality basic education. We also both share a love of learning and take national pride in good quality public education. As we look around and see signs of flurry of school activity everywhere, it is important that we reflect on -- and reaffirm -- our mutual commitment to the right to education.
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Natana Kisemei holds her youngest daughter, Sein, whose future looks brighter thanks to her mother’s education in farming techniques that grow healthy produce in previously unproductive dry regions. A former child bride, Kisemei joined a program run by Free The Children and sponsored by Canada’s PotashCorp. to learn about kitchen gardens, raising hens and growing crops. Now she feeds her children nutritious meals and sells excess produce to pay for their school fees and supplies—feeding a new cycle of empowerment that gives hope amidst fears of a coming population boom in Africa.
Natana and Sein harvest leafy green kale from a polyethylene sack that minimizes the soil and water required to grow healthy produce in Kenya’s drought-prone Rift Valley. This simple “multi-storey garden” empowers families to cultivate their own food and diversify their diet. Seedlings are transplanted into the bags packed with earth, and irrigated using recycled water. The vegetables then sprout from holes poked in the sides of the bags and are harvested as often as three times a week for nutritious salads and stews.
Women are given chickens to raise for their eggs, which they sell at market to buy more chickens, sheep and goats to supplement their family income. Their financial contribution gives them greater clout in their household, which makes it more likely their children will go to school and less likely that their daughters will be forced to marry early.
Capturing and storing rain water allows women in dry regions to irrigate family gardens, leading to frequent bumper crops of carrots and other vegetables.
African farm yields are less than half as productive as those in other regions of the world—a challenge that actually represents tremendous potential. With proper care and irrigation, land that was once considered unworkable can produce huge heads of cabbage!
Kale is a favourite crop in the Rift Valley—fast-growing and packed with minerals and vitamins.
Simple plastic greenhouses allow efficient, healthy harvests year-round.
School gardens teach new farming possibilities and also supply healthy produce for lunch programs that allow students to concentrate on their studies instead of their hunger.
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