Education
Education is the basis for a nation’s social and economic growth and development. According to Ariel and Will Durant, “Education is the transmission of civilization”. UNESCO National Education Support Strategies’ (UNESS) role is to facilitate member states in their educational development, through assisting in areas of policy, capacities and finance, in phase with the international goals for development.
Civil societies are built on pillars such as education, critical for furthering the development of statehood. Is “Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
a) teaching basic reading, writing and arithmetic skills to all, b) convincing people why they should not pollute, c) developing knowledge, skills that will end poverty for good, d) learning how to make decisions for the good of the whole community? Answer: all of the above”
Education For All (EFA):
UNESCO’s education initiative, Education For All (EFA) embraces the principle that education is a human right. Its global campaign to bring education to all people is accomplished in achieving the following six (6) goals:
- Completion of primary education
- Gender equality
- Early childhood education
- Skills for young people
- Fighting illiteracy
- Improving all aspects of the quality of education
The Caribbean Regional Technical Advisory Group (RTAG) has been critical for the formulation and development of EFA policy by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in the region. The EFA assessment of the region carried out by RTAG is the basis for the Plan of Action 2000-2015, which consists of the following seven (7) areas:
- Early Childhood Care and Education
- Primary Education
- The Education of Youth Adults at the Secondary Level
- Enabling Teachers
- The Use of Information and Communication Technology in Instruction and Management of Education
- Involvement of Civil Society
- Performance and Accountability of All Stakeholders National Investment and Resource Mobilization
The resource capacity of UNESCO in pivotal areas such as education, science, social sciences, culture, and communications, enhances its ability to handle the dynamics of an evolving global population. Through its Global Initiative on Education and HIV/AIDS (EDUCAIDS), it is the organization leading in HIV prevention of young people in educational institutions. It is in partnership with the International Labour Organization (ILO), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the World Health Organization (WHO).