Universal access to education remains an incomplete assignment � Goya
Baboki Kayawe | Thursday May 28, 2015 16:12
Authorities in the MoESD are now determined to reinforce quality in the dispensation of education post the just ended World Education Forum, which was held from May 19-22, 2015 in South Korea.
Goya said the forum, which was attended by 130 education ministers across the globe, set out a new global education road map for the next 15 years.
He also said that although notable progress had been made towards achieving universal and inclusive education, addressing gender disparity, quality has lagged behind, making Education For All (EFA) unfinished business.
“Areas such as gender equity, quality education and learning opportunities for youth did not receive the attention they deserved,” he said.
Goya further said that new challenges emerged during the EFA implementation such as the need to develop relevant skills for life, hence the need to set new education targets for the period 2015-2030. He also said the mistake that happened within the local education fraternity was that focus was on access at the expense of quality. He said this had resulted in a high number of graduates whose skills did not match the market, while foreigners dominated the local labour market. Goya added that the new education agenda, is broad-based and inclusive and the goal was to achieve sustainable development goals, to succeed the MDGs. “The focus of the Framework For Action 2010 is inclusion and equity, to give everyone access to decent education.
It is inspired by a humanistic vision of education and development, based on human rights and dignity, social justice, protection, cultural diversity and a shared responsibility and accountability,” he said.
Goya noted that Early Childhood Education is seen as crucial to achieving these targets. Government has committed to roll out ECE across the country by 2018.