Speakers at a seminar have stressed upon the need of joint efforts to educate youth saying education has a huge potential to facilitate progress towards all the global Sustainable Development Goals. They said this on the launching of the UNESCO's Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report 2016 on Wednesday in collaboration with the UNICEF and other UN partner organisations. The Report entitled "Education for People and Planet: Creating Sustainable Future for All "and is following the global launch on September 6, 2016 at UNESCO HQ in Paris.
Angela Kearney, UNICEF Representative to Pakistan, Vibeke Jensen, UNESCO Representative to Pakistan presented the 2016 GEM Report to Muhammad Baligh-ur-Rehman, Minister of State for Federal Education and Professional Training for its formal launch. Officially mandated to monitor the new global education goal in the UN Sustainable Development Agenda until 2030, the GEM is an editorially independent, authoritative, and evidence-based annual report to assess progress towards the education targets in the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) framework. The Report is launched at a time when the UNESCO and other UN partners in collaboration with the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training are working with all provincial and local governments in preparing a national strategy for implementation of the SDG-4 agenda in Pakistan.
Speaking on the occasion, Muhammad Baligh-ur-Rehman highlighted that the 2016 GEM Report got a new directive to review the progress of education under the 2030 agenda. The Report not only looks into the education sector but also focuses on the relationship of education and other Sustainable Developments Goals. And for that the Government of Pakistan has already adopted SDG-4 and has converted it into our national development goals, education has always been our first priority and we are fully committed towards it, he added.
Baligh-ur-Rehman said that the government has made some improvements in public school facilities, but a lot is still required as 44 per cent of schools do not have electricity, 34 per cent do not have drinkable water, 30 per cent do not have boundary walls and 28 per cent do not have bathroom facilities and etc, the minister added.
However, there are several indicators' that show some healthy trends too, he said and added, for instance the school retention has increased from 25 per cent to 28 per cent, and primary level enrolment has increased from 15.5 to 15.8 million.
Similarly, the numbers of out of school children have decreased from 25 million to 24 million, missing facilities at school have improved and the government at all levels is making efforts to decrease this figure, he added. Now in all our efforts to improve the state of education, "we see the role of parents, communities, civil society and media as vital", he said.
In this era, where technology is touching zenith, competition in every field of life is much tough and the market economies are replacing every other model, "we have to work hard to educate our children for better future", he added. According to the Report, Pakistan is home to 9% (24 million) of the world's 263 million out of school children, adolescents and youth, which is a serious challenge to the country. The Report stipulates that on current trends, universal primary education in South Asia will be achieved in 2051; universal lower secondary completion in 2062; and universal upper secondary completion in 2087. This means that the region would be more than half a century late for the 2030 SDG deadline. In Pakistan, by 2030, one in 10 children will still not be completing primary school while the country is expected to achieve universal primary education in 2060, universal lower secondary education in 2070 and universal upper secondary education not until 2095. While in the majority of countries, education is the best indicator of climate change awareness, half of countries' curricula world-wide, including Pakistan's, do not explicitly mention climate change in their content.
To address these issues, the GEM Report suggests breaking of past trends to avoid the world being half a century late in achieving its global education commitments. The education systems must provide to the people the vital skills and knowledge that can find new solutions for environmental problems. Education systems need to nurture higher level skills to fulfil the needs of growing economies where jobs are being fast automated. This calls for the national governments to focus on removing inequalities in education, which can cause frustration and increase the risk of conflict and violence. Presenting the key findings of the GEM Report, Vibeke Jensen, UNESCO Representative to Pakistan highlighted that the GEM Report looks at the multiple links and synergies between education in relation to SDG-4 and other sectors, such as health, nutrition, poverty alleviation, women's empowerment, environment, climate change and peace and security etc While stressing the centrality of SDG-4 in the overall 2030 Agenda, she said that all sectors must view education as a partner in their plans for change, and work together in global, regional and national partnership.
Angela Kearney, UNICEF Representative to Pakistan in her remarks expressed that this year's GEM Report is very important which demonstrates about the progress in education which is critical for all Sustainable Development Goals. The development sectors need to include education in their policies and plans. She pointed out that the GEM Report calls for much greater financing to achieve the education goals. UNICEF will continue its work through a holistic and cross-sectoral method for the progress of all children. UNICEF's work will promote early childhood programs which include nutrition, stimulation and protection; ensuring that children in places as far remote as FATA and Balochistan can thrive in safe and protective environments critical to their development needs. WFP Pakistan acting Country Director, Stephen Gluning said that "no single organisation and no single government can achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
By working together with commitment and determination, we can establish powerful partnerships that can change the global landscape, from one of hunger to hope, country-by-country, community-by-community, family-by-family and child-by-child, until no one is left behind", and added that "securing high level leadership, ensuring context-specific and country-led partnerships, clarifying roles and responsibilities, and focusing on financing, results and accountability are the key factors for the development of effective partnerships. The World Food Programme (WFP) together with other UN agencies and partners is supporting the Government of Pakistan to achieve food security, nutrition, education gender equality and manage climate impact in Pakistan".
Indrika Ratwatte, UNHCR Representative to Pakistan said, "Provision of education to refugee children is directly linked to development and sustainability".
Among others, Syed Abu Ahmed Akif, Federal Secretary, Ministry of Climate Change, UNICEF Representative to Pakistan, Dr Allah Bakhsh Malik, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training also expressed their views on the importance of the GEM Report while emphasising the need for partnership and collaboration across sectors to achieve SDGs.
A panel discussion was also held to deliberate upon the six thematic areas of the GEM Report. A wide range of representatives from government, development partner agencies, civil society, academia, and media marked the launching ceremony of the 2016 GEM Report.