EDUCATIONAL EQUITY
Education is a fundamental human right. Every child, every where, regardless of their gender, socio-economic background or disabilities are entitled to quality education. Education is the key for a better world in many aspects and no child should be left in the dark, without the skills and knowledge to become a healthy member of the society.
Educational equity today faces many issues including gender discrimination, poverty, discrimination against the disabled, malnutrition, rural locations, etc. to name just a few. As these global issues are faced, it is imperative that governments and national and international organisations take a proactive approach to make educational equity a reality in all parts of the world.
FACTS AND DATA
58 million children
of primary school age are out of school globally
Only 2% of humanitarian aid
was invested in education in 2013
1 out of 4 girls
are not receiving a basic education in Africa
50% of the world's out of school children
live in conflict-affected countries, up from 42% in 2008
17 million of the world’s primary school-aged girls
who are out of school are expected to never enroll in school
5.2 million teachers
are required to achieve universal primary education by 2015
31 million girls
are out of school around the world
4 out of 10 out of school children
will never enter a classroom
250 million children
either don’t make it to grade 4 or don’t learn the basics in reading, writing and math even after four years of school
90% of children with disabilities
in Africa do not go to school
25% to 75% of children
in the more deprived regions of poor countries cannot read a single word even after several years in school
ORGANISATIONS THAT PROMOTE EDUCATIONAL EQUITY
Many organisations around the world are helping to achieve educational equity by their support and promotions.Some listed below are actively engaged in their efforts to create a world where every child has a right to quality education.
AFT American Federation of Teachers
With their dedication to equality in education, they are actively involved in developing free trade unions and democracy curricula for public education systems in countries around the globe. The union provided organising assistance and resources to unionists and educators throughout Eastern Europe, for example, in the years leading up to the fall of communism. Their core beliefs include: high-quality public education for all children that nurtures a joy of teaching and learning, access to early childhood care and education for all families including the supports they need, and access to affordable and excellent higher education.
UNESCO United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization
Gender equality is a global priority for UNESCO and is inextricably linked to UNESCO’s efforts to promote the right to education and support the achievement of the Education for All (EFA) and broader development goals. UNESCO is committed to promoting gender equality in and through education systems.The Organization also encourages mainstreaming gender equality issues in education at all levels (from early childhood to higher education), in all settings (from formal, non-formal and informal), and in all intervention areas (from planning infrastructure to training teachers).
In particular, UNESCO:
- Promotes gender equality in national education laws, policies and plans.
- Monitor progress and achievements, through the collection and analysis of sex-disaggregated education data and the monitoring of normative instruments related to gender equality
- Helps countries develop their educational planning capacities, as well as train teachers, on gender-sensitive approaches
- Advocates for girls’ and women’s education though innovative partnerships such as the Global Partnership for Girls and Women’s Education, “Better Life, Better Future ”
- Seeks to expand girls’ and women’s access to learning opportunities, in both formal and non-formal education,through innovative approaches using Information, Communication and Technology (ICT)
- Supports the development of gender-sensitive curricula and textbooks free from discrimination,
- Helps countries address gender-based violence in educational settings as obstacles to learning.
- Collaborates with EFA partners for policy advocacy at global, regional and national levels in support of girls and women’s education and gender equality, and in policy research to increase understanding on the various barriers to advancing gender equality and to expand and strengthen their expertise and knowledge base
UNICEF United Nations International Childrens Emergency Fund (now known as United Nations Childrens Fund)
UNICEF believes that universal access to quality education is not a privilege – it is a basic human right. UNICEF supports efforts to develop national capacities to improve educational quality for girls and boys everywhere. They are committed to ensuring that all children – regardless of gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic background or circumstances – realize their right to a quality education. To that end, UNICEF supports innovative programmes and initiatives that focus on the world’s most excluded and vulnerable children, including girls, the disabled, ethnic minorities, the rural and urban poor, victims of conflict and natural disasters and children affected by HIV and AIDS.
UNICEF helps governments, communities and parents gain the capacities and skills they need to fulfill their obligations for children. These obligations include ensuring the right of all children to free, compulsory quality education, even during a humanitarian crisis, in the recovery period after a crisis, or in fragile or unstable situations. They focus on gender equality and work towards eliminating disparities of all kinds.
Their priorities include:
GPE wants to make it possible for all children, including the poorest and most marginalized, to attend school and receive a quality education. They support developing countries from the design of their education sector plan to its funding, implementation, and evaluation.
Providing quality education for all children everywhere is the path to our brighter future. It is good to know that many organisations are being involved and engaging to make educational equity a reality.
Studies show that countries with better gender equality and less gender disparity in primary and secondary education are more likely to have higher economic growth. An educated female population increases a country's productivity and fuels economic growth. More educated women tend to be healthier, work and earn more income, have fewer children, and provide better health care and education to their children. Girls' education literally saves millions of lives.
Other children who are discriminated because they are from poor households or living in rural areas, or belong to ethnic and linguistic minorities, are from indigenous groups and castes facing discrimination, or affected by HIV/AIDS or disabilities all deserve a better quality of life by quality education. As a teacher, I know that I am responsible to help these programs and promotions and make a difference in the world --- namely, the world of children around the globe that are in need of solid, quality education.
Studies show that countries with better gender equality and less gender disparity in primary and secondary education are more likely to have higher economic growth. An educated female population increases a country's productivity and fuels economic growth. More educated women tend to be healthier, work and earn more income, have fewer children, and provide better health care and education to their children. Girls' education literally saves millions of lives.
Other children who are discriminated because they are from poor households or living in rural areas, or belong to ethnic and linguistic minorities, are from indigenous groups and castes facing discrimination, or affected by HIV/AIDS or disabilities all deserve a better quality of life by quality education. As a teacher, I know that I am responsible to help these programs and promotions and make a difference in the world --- namely, the world of children around the globe that are in need of solid, quality education.
REFERENCES
Girls' Education and Gender Equality. Updated 3 March 2012.
UNICEF Priorities. Updated 8 February 2012
The Big Picture. 16 September 2011
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