The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has called for better support for teachers and more funding for education, in order to reduce learning loss and the rise in school dropouts exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.
commemorating the World day of education, UNESCO, in a statement, said that unless there are greater efforts, attrition will continue to rise, ultimately reversing progress made towards all of the Sustainable Development Goals.
This year’s theme is: “Changing Course, Transforming Education”.
The global organization said the goal is to mobilize political will to address inequalities in access to and completion of online education in line with SDG 4, highlight student and teacher voices on the changes and innovations they want to see so that their education and profession are more suitable for their purpose.
The statement read in part: “Transforming the future requires an urgent rebalancing of our relationships with each other, with nature, and with the technology that permeates our lives, providing innovative opportunities while raising serious concerns for equity, inclusion, and participation. democratic.
“Education is key to charting the course towards greater justice and sustainability, but it is failing millions of children, youth and adults, increasing their exposure to poverty, violence and exploitation.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated a pre-existing education crisis. Dependence on digital technology for learning has deepened exclusion and gender inequalities. Without corrective action, better support for teachers and increased funding, learning losses and dropouts will continue to rise, reversing progress towards all the Sustainable Development Goals and depriving young people of a future of dignity and opportunity.”
Nigeria in the spotlight
With more than 10 million children out of school, Nigeria is home to the largest number in sub-Saharan Africa. Violent attacks on schools in the past year have also raised fears that this number will soon rise.
More than 50 percent of students who participated in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and qualified for admission in the past year might not secure admission as tertiary institutions lament the backlog of admitted students who have not yet been admitted to UTME 2020.
COVID-19 has stalled an entire academic session leaving institutions struggling to admit more students.
Nigeria’s allocation for the sector in the 2022 budget is still well below the 15-20% recommended by UNESCO.
glimpse of hope
However, the federal government’s announcement in October last year that public school teachers will begin to enjoy a new salary structure and lengthened service from 35 to 40 years is a welcome development.
The government has also tasked the newly inaugurated National Secondary Education Commission (NSSEC) governing board with proposing innovations to regulate and reposition upper secondary education in Nigeria, including funding.