VENTURES AFRICA – A World at School Global Youth Ambassadors today officially introduced a new initiative to pressure governments into breaking down barriers to quality education, with Nigerian Ambassador Philip Obaji who is spearheading the campaign, stressing that children should have a clear path to achieving universal basic education.
Around the world, 57 million children are denied access to education. Many who start primary school are unable to finish. Millions of children go through school and come out without basic literacy and numeracy, and current educational trends does little in helping to forge more just, peaceful, tolerant and inclusive societies.
The ‘No Barriers’ campaign, launched at a special event held in Calabar with hundreds of school children in attendance, calls on Governments and relevant stakeholders to ‘dismantle’ all stumbling blocks to school enrolment and completion, quality of learning, and global citizenship.
“All children deserve a clear path to quality education, not a bumpy one,” Mr. Obaji stated. “The only way we can achieve the goal of Education For All is if we break down all barriers to education.”
With time running out until the end of 2015, progress has stalled on the task outlined in the United Nations Millennium Development Goal (MDG2) to get all children into school and learning. Barriers such as affordable costs, humanitarian emergencies, gender discrimination, lack of learning materials, lack of teacher capacity and inadequate focus on values have proven to be major stumbling blocks to achieving Education For All.
“The time has come for the world to unite and turn the page, once and for all, on the stumbling blocks to achieving quality universal basic education, said Obaji,“ adding that ‘No Barriers’ can give this issue more of the focus and attention it deserves.
The launch of the campaign was hosted by Joseph Ebam, Chairman, Cross River State Universal Basic Education Board who admitted that governments had the biggest role to play in clearing the path to quality education.
“Yes, governments have the top role, but it is also the responsibility of parents, policy makers, non governmental agencies, international agencies and the civil society to provide the framework needed for the attainment of the goals of Education For All.”
Most of the 500 Global Youth Ambassadors (GYAs) drawn from 80 countries were active in their communities, promoting the campaign.
A World at School is a new digital mobilization initiative working towards achieving global education.