According to Leonardo Garnier, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on the Transforming Education Summit, the brief acknowledges that there is a crisis in access to education as well as a crisis in quality and relevance.
“While millions around the world are still excluded from education, many of those who do attend formal schooling are not even learning the basics,” he continued, pointing out that current educational systems are not preparing kids to face the complicated challenges they will face in a future that is changing quickly.
Mr. Garnier emphasised that “we must ensure that every child who attends school also learns what they have to learn.”
The policy brief outlines a number of important guidelines that nations might take into account to enhance education.
The principles include promoting equity and inclusion in and through education for all, moving away from a “static” model of education towards one that is more learner-centered, and making curricula and pedagogies effective and relevant.
Mr. Garnier stated that curricula “must be relevant for both the present and the future, with a particular focus on education for sustainable development, and fostering a culture of civic responsibility, peace, and respect for human diversity.”
In addition to developing a culture of civic responsibility, peace, and respect for human diversity, curricula must be relevant for both now and tomorrow.
The key concepts also include investing more, more fairly, and more effectively in education, as well as improving instructors and their methods of instruction.
“Governments must abandon short-term thinking, and reframe their approach to financing of education as a crucial investment with significant medium- and long-term returns,” Mr. Garnier added.
The policy brief offers a “clear vision,” according to Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director-General for Education at the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). Ms. Giannini continued, “It is about changing from a culture of improving education systems to a culture of transformation – not just incremental change, but resulting in education systems different from today.
