More than 130 countries have committed to rebooting their education systems and accelerate action to end the learning crisis during the UN Transforming Education Summit on Tuesday, Sept. 20.
The UN Transforming Education Summit aims to discuss the crisis in education where 147 million students are missing over half of their in-person instruction since 2020.
It noted at least 244 million children and young people were out of school in 2021.
“The pandemic has harmed the learning of more than 90 percent of the world’s children – the largest disruption in history – with half of all countries cutting their education budgets, further deepening the crisis,” the UN said.
Today, 64.3 percent of children worldwide are estimated to be unable to read and understand a simple story. It pointed out that one out of three persons will be unable to understand this very text in a few years, while 840 million young people will leave school in their teens with no qualifications for the workplace of the future.
The UN also noted that only less than half of countries have strategies to help children catch up.
“If that fails to happen, these students stand to lose $10 trillion in earnings over their working lives,” it said.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday also warned that unequal education was quickly "becoming the divider." “Instead of being the great enabler, education is fast becoming the great divider,” stated Guterres.
“The rich have access to the best resources, schools and universities, leading to the best jobs while the poor – especially girls – face huge obstacles to getting the qualifications that could change their lives,” he said.
Nearly half of the countries prioritized measures to address learning loss, while a third of countries committed to supporting the psycho-social well-being of both students and teachers.
Two in three countries referenced measures to offset the direct and indirect costs of education for economically vulnerable communities, it said.
At least 75 percent of countries underlined the importance of gender-sensitive education policies in their commitments.
Guterres and UN Special Envoy for Global Education Gordon Brown also announced the launching of the International Facility on Financing for Education (IFFEd).
The IFFEd, in partnership with the Governments of Sweden, the UK, the Netherlands, and the Asian and African Development Bank, will provide an initial $2 billion in additional affordable funding for education programs to be disbursed starting in 2023.
It could also unlock an extra $10 billion of additional financing for education and skills by 2030.
Moreover, UNESCO and UNICEF also launched Gateways to Public Digital Learning, a global multi-partner initiative to create and strengthen inclusive digital learning platforms and content.
A Commitment to Action on Education in Crisis Situations was also revealed “as a commitment by member states and partners to transform education systems to better prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from crises.”
Youth advocates have also shared a Youth Declaration which lays out their collective recommendations to policymakers on the transformation they want to see during the three-day Summit.
The Youth Declaration is “a culmination of a months-long process of consultations, reflecting contributions from almost half a million young people.”
The Secretary-General said that if there was one seed to prevent climate change, violent conflict or poverty, it was education.
Guterres was also handed an open call to leaders to expand the right to free education for all children.
The call was facilitated by Avaaz and endorsed by UN Messenger of Peace and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and climate activist Vanessa Nakate, and human rights champions.
“We must push forward together, with a focus on tangible actions where it matters most: on the ground, in the classroom, and in the experience of teachers and learners alike,” said Guterres in his vision statement.