14 September, NEW YORK – Education is a human right – those who are excluded must fight for their right, Leonardo Garnier, Costa Rica’s former education minister, emphasized, ahead of a major United Nations summit.
“Education is going through a very specific and difficult crisis,” said Mr. Garnier, the Special Adviser for the Transforming Education Summit, to be held on 16, 17 and 19 September at UN Headquarters in New York.
In an interview with UN News, he said that education is facing a “crisis of access”, with millions of children out of school, as well as “a crisis of learning”, with many not even learning the basics in school.
“And it’s a crisis of relevance,” he stressed, explaining that children are not learning what they need to learn to live in the changing world and economy.
He argued that failing to transform education now raises a risk of repeating a mistake in the 1980s, when educational budgets were cut, millions of children were kept out of school and those who were in school did not learn the tools to deal with the challenges of the world.
Without educational transformation, people would not achieve their career potential and would fail to become the citizens they can be in this globalized world, he pointed out, adding that they wouldn’t be prepared to live harmoniously in this complex world or to confront, for example, conflict and climate crisis.
“No human right has been graciously granted”, he emphasized, calling on those who are excluded to stand up for their right so that political leaders will listen to them and take action.
The Summit’s key outcomes will include the UN Secretary-General’s Vision Statement on Transforming Education, as well as a Global Youth Declaration. In addition, Heads of State and Government are expected to make national commitments on 19 September.
For details of the Summit, see the Media Advisory here.
