| dc.description.abstract | At a time of heightened global tension,
when human rights, freedom of speech,
peace and the future of the planet
itself may seem challenged as never
before, the transformational power of
education is of critical importance.
In Learning: The Treasure Within, the
landmark Report to UNESCO by
the International Commission on
Education for the Twenty-first Century
in 1996, Jacques Delors, then
Chairman of the Commission
(1992 to 1996), spoke
of education as “the
necessary Utopia”
and “an indispensable
asset in its attempt
to attain the ideals of
peace, freedom and
social justice.
Education was held up as neither
miracle nor magic, but rather the
best means to foster a climate where
humanity would be improved − and
where the rich potential for learning,
inherent in every individual, would
be tapped.
Our humanity is confronted with a very
strange paradox: the world’s population
has never been better educated, and
yet, according to the UNESCO Institute
for Statistics, 263 million children
and young people are out of school,
617 million children and adolescents
worldwide do not meet the minimum
threshold for literacy and mathematics,
at least 750 million adults are illiterate,
and girls remain more likely than boys
to never set foot in a classroom. Yet
education is still called upon to address
inequalities, poverty, terrorism and
conflict. It is seen as one of the keys
to global citizenship and sustainable
development, two of UNESCO’s fields
of action. The Organization is also
mandated to lead the Education 2030
global agenda with a special focus on
ensuring that no one is left behind.
Under the title, “Education: Still
searching for Utopia?”, the UNESCO
Courier evaluates the state of global
education and explores how it responds
to some of the main challenges we face. | en_US |
