P07-UNICEF-AccesstoEducation by IDIA

The Institute for Domestic and International Affairs, Inc.

United Nations Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fund Access to Education Director: Twisha Mehta

ÂŠ 2006 Institute for Domestic & International Affairs, Inc. (IDIA) This document is solely for use in preparation for Philadelphia Model United Nations 2007. Use for other purposes is not permitted without the express written consent of IDIA. For more information, please write us at idiainfo@idia.net

Introduction _________________________________________________________________ 1 Background _________________________________________________________________ 2 Early History_____________________________________________________________________ 2 Benefits of Education ______________________________________________________________ 3

Recent History _______________________________________________________________ 5 Women and Access to Education ____________________________________________________ 5 HIV/AIDS and Education __________________________________________________________ 6 Children and Armed Conflict _______________________________________________________ 7 Politics, Funding and Education _____________________________________________________ 7 International Focus on Education____________________________________________________ 9

Current Status ______________________________________________________________ 10 Missed Deadlines_________________________________________________________________ 11 Go to School in Sudan ____________________________________________________________ 11 Namibia Adopts SWAps __________________________________________________________ 12 UNICEF Today __________________________________________________________________ 13

Bloc Positions_______________________________________________________________ 15 West and Central Africa __________________________________________________________ 15 Eastern and Southern Africa_______________________________________________________ 16 Middle East and North Africa ______________________________________________________ 17 Western Developed States _________________________________________________________ 18 Latin America ___________________________________________________________________ 19 Asia____________________________________________________________________________ 19 Non-Governmental Organizations __________________________________________________ 20 Religious Groups_________________________________________________________________ 21

Summary___________________________________________________________________ 22 Discussion Questions _________________________________________________________ 24 Appendix A: Millennium Development Goals and Children __________________________ 25 Appendix B: Regional Access to Education _______________________________________ 26 Appendix C: Colonial Africa 1920-1939__________________________________________ 27 Works Cited ________________________________________________________________ 28

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Introduction “One third of all humans are children. 115 million children do not have access to education. Changing this is one of the main goals of UNICEF.”1 Children in SubSaharan Africa account for the majority of the world’s youth not currently enrolled in school. While African children only accounted for 10 per cent of the population in developing states in 2005, Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for more than half of all children out of school.2 The Millennium Development Goals strive to achieve universal access to primary education for all with the hope of targeting extreme poverty by 2015. Half way into the Millennium Development Goal targets, underlying concerns remain unaddressed, such as poverty reduction. Education is a critical part of the equation because it is an important underlying factor preventing communities and states from truly participating in the international community. In Africa, education continues to be an elusive commodity. For many, gender inequalities, continuous war and conflict, inadequate resources, drought, famine and HIV/AIDS hinders access to education. Systemic poverty stemming from a lack of education also prevents parents from sending children to school. The increasing cost of tuition for primary and secondary education, schoolbooks, and other materials makes it difficult for families to provide necessities. Moreover, as families often have children to provide an income source, sending them to school not only reduces household income, but also costs money. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the World Bank, and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) are the four UN agencies primarily focusing on education in developing states.3 The bodies have concluded that addressing Africa’s educational systems is critical to achieving the Millennium Development goals. While individual states refuse to cooperate, communities remain closed to change, gender 1

http://www.unicef.org/voy/takeaction/takeaction_2942.html Christopher Colclough, Samer Al-Samarrai, Pauline Rose, Mercy Tembon, Achieving Schooling for All in Africa: Costs Commitment and Gender (Cornwall, Britain: Ashgate Publishing Limited, 2003), 1. 3 Phillip W. Jones and David Coleman, The United Nations and Education (London: Routledge Falmer, 2005), 3. 2

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disparities prevent girls from accessing education, and donor states fail to fulfill monetary commitments, the future of African children remains at stake.

The international

community must therefore take action to ensure that African states are able to implement sound educational systems.

Background Early History As the continent emerged from colonial domination in the period following the Second World War, African educational systems continued to rely on schooling created by colonial powers such as the United Kingdom, France, Portugal, and Belgium, however these systems often conflicted with political or linguistic barriers as well as religious views. In the Congo, Belgium provided an extensive educational system for Africans during the colonial period. Unlike many other colonial powers, the Belgians favored education in local African languages instead of only educating wealthy Africans in French or English. Despite mass education of the Congolese during the 1960s, upon independence the state only had twenty-seven citizens with university-level education. This bleak number made “it almost impossible to create a successful administration” and led to political unrest without strong government leaders.4 In postcolonial Sudan and Nigeria, the governments were conflicted as to whether to establish the new postcolonial education as traditional, modern, or integrated.5 With traditional communities rooted in Muslim culture, Northern Nigeria placed an emphasis on government policy that stressed “collaboration with traditional leaders [and] ensured a conservative interpretation of what counted as knowledge in the schools.”6 Religious leaders hoped to utilize this framework to bring religious education based on the Koran into mainstream higher education. 4

This faith-based education gave way to gender

Angus Roxburgh, “Belgians Confront Colonial Past”, BBC News, Brussels: 9 March 2006. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4332605.stm> accessed 14 November 2006. 5 Lilian Sanderson, “Education and Administrative Control in Colonial Sudan and Northern Nigeria” African Affairs, Vol. 74, No. 297. (Oct., 1975), pp. 427-441. JSTOR <http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0001 9909%28197510%2974%3A297%3C427%3AEAACIC%3E2.0.CO%3B2-4> (accessed 14 November 2006), 430. 6 Ibid., 430.

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disparities as girls became excluded from schools. Secondary education for girls was disproportionate to that of males in the Sudan. Records show that there were no qualified female teachers to educate young women in secondary school, resulting in a twenty-three year lag in education standards between boys and girls.7 Education systems experienced rapid growth in developing states between 1960 and 1980. Primary and secondary education enrollment tripled in developing states, including those in Africa; however, between 1980 and 1990, primary education enrollment in Africa decreased from approximately 80 per cent to 71 per cent as states fought corruption, declining prices in commodities produced in Africa, and seemingly continuous ethnic strife.8 The standards of education in Africa are disproportionate from those of developed states.

With large classrooms,

unqualified teachers, and a lack of

Where the 120 million children of Primary School Age Not in School Live

basic school supplies and furniture, children learn in what would be

Sub-Saharan Africa 36%

Middle East and North Africa 8%

considered unacceptable conditions in much of the Western world.

Eastern Europe and Central Asia 3%

Education is often repetitious and results

demographics. Africa,

only

older

student

In Sub-Saharan three-quarters

East Asia & the Pacific Latin America 7% and the Caribbean 6%

South Asia 38%

Industrialized Countries 2%

Source: http://unicef.org/publications/files/pub_investchildren_en.pdf

students in primary schools are in the proper age group. Dropout rates are significantly alarming, as less than three-fourths of first graders reach fifth grade.9

Benefits of Education Education is essential for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 7

Ibid., 431. Christopher Colclough, Samer Al-Samerrai, Pauline Rose, Mercy Tembon, Achieving Schooling for All in Africa: Costs, Commitments and Gender (Great Britain: Ashgate Publishing Company, 2003), 25. 9 Achieving Schooling for All in Africa, 27-28. 8

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of reducing poverty, halting the spread of HIV/AIDS, and eradicating hunger. Education empowers children to learn basic life skills, understand important health information, and access new opportunities.

UNICEF’s 2004 State of the World’s Children Report

exemplifies the benefits of basic education through the study of fourteen African and four Latin American states. Studies from these two continents examined the promotion of healthier and safer lifestyles in sexually active young women. As women were educated, they delayed sex, and those that engaged in intercourse were more likely to use a condom.10 With safer sexual practices, the spread of HIV/AIDS may be slowed, and women are increasingly empowered to demand an equal position in relationships as well as society. Providing access to education, especially in developing states, is critical since it raises societal awareness regarding how to raise healthy children. Studies show each additional year of maternal education reduces infant mortality by 5 to 10 per cent due to an enhanced understanding of the need for hygiene.11 In underdeveloped and developing states in Sub-Saharan Africa, diarrhea is an easily remedied illness, but remains responsible for causing 800,000 deaths each year.12 Simple education about hygiene and health precautions can dramatically reduce mortality among adults as well as children. Basic education promotes basic practices that ensure sustainable human development. By educating parents about basic childcare and nutrition, governments help ensure future healthy populations that can become productive members of society. Yet another benefit of increasing access to education is to create a foundation upon which sustainable development can be achieved. The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) defines sustainable development as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their

“Women’s Health Project Fact Sheet.” National Organization for Women Foundation, <http://www.nowfoundation.org/issues/health/whp/whp_fact5.html> (Accessed: 11 May 2004). 11 Ibid. 12 Gyimah, Stephen Obeng, PhD. Interaction Effects of Maternal Education and Household Facilities on Childhood Diarrhea in Sub Saharan Africa: The Case of Ghana,” The Journal of Health and Population in Developing Countries. 13 November 2003.

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own needs”13 To nurture development, education provides the foundations upon which to promote all aspects of sustained economic, social, political, and financial development. Sustainable development is heavily reliant on breaking the poverty cycle in which people cannot afford to sustain their lives, and are forced to rely upon friends, family, or the government for help. Fifty-six per cent of the world’s population lives on an adjusted scale of USD $1 USD per day. With a staggering portion of the world population living below the poverty line, the need to address this issue is pressing.

Recent History Women and Access to Education UNICEF published the Gender Achievements and Prospects in Education Part I (GAP) report to mark the progress regarding access to education. This report highlights the failure of the international community to meet deadlines in achieving a half way point of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of eradicating gender parity in primary and secondary education.14 From 2001 to 2005 there was only an increase from 82 per cent to 86 per cent in education participation in developing states. Providing education to girls increases economic productivity, lowers infant mortality rates, increases the nutrition and health of societies, and combats HIV/AIDS, all of which have shown considerable influence on the development

strong

economic

and

social

structures.15 The GAP report suggests that a lack of education for girls results in negative growth, because instead of helping to expand economic productivity, these women become a burden on it, restricting its 13

UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, “UN Division for Sustainable Development”, <http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/about_us/aboutus.htm> (accessed 16 October 2006). 14 UNICEF, Gender Achievements and Prospects in Education (New York: UNICEF Publications, 2005), 4. 15 Ibid.

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growth. Stressing the importance of educating girls also improves gender inequality in society.16 UNESCO’s literacy campaign for women asserts that, “empowering women through education creates a ripple effect. It enhances the women’s’ lives and the lives of other members of their families, then spreads out to improve the whole community and, finally, sets a nation on its feet.”17 Gender roles in society often prevent girls from accessing education. Especially in poverty stricken areas, young girls cannot afford the luxury of education as families face financial hardships. When families are made to choose which child to educate, they most often select to educate the male as opposed to the female. The GAP report points out that even in cases where education is a public good, “hidden costs such as books, supplies, uniforms or food may prohibit sending daughters to school.”18 Moreover, sending a child to school results in substantial opportunity costs, in that the child is no longer able to support the family through work. When at school, the child cannot be working in the field or helping with the family business. Concern about the safety of girls going to school in developing states also bars women from education as parents fear sexual exploitation and an unsafe learning environment.

HIV/AIDS and Education HIV/AIDS poses a formidable challenge in addressing access to education for children. While education is critical in preventing HIV/AIDS, the disease serves to decimate the positive cycle that an effective education system creates. In short, women who lack proper health-related education lack the knowledge to prevent contracting of the deadly disease. As they become infected, they are even less able to attend school, making them unaware of the potential to manage the disease through medication or a change in behavior. As they still lack an understanding of how HIV/AIDS works, they are more likely to infect other people, rather than ensuring the safety of themselves and their families. 16

Traditional gender roles and cultural norms enhance the chances of

Ibid., 5. UNESCO, Literacy: A Key to Empowering Women Farmers (Paris, UNESCO: 2001), 17. 18 Gender Achievements and Prospects in Education, 4. 17

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females contracting HIV/AIDS. As girls are married at younger ages, they often lose their opportunity for education and are exposed to sexual violence, making them more susceptible to infection.19 Additionally, girls most often find themselves burdened with the responsibility of taking care of sick family members infected with the virus or caring for siblings in cases where parents die. This phenomenon causes girls to forsake their education to support their family either by working or caring for the sick.

Children and Armed Conflict Conflicts, natural disasters, and economic crisis have caused 25 million displaced persons and 20 million refugees.

Child refugees are especially vulnerable in these

situations, as they are in danger of not receiving education during situations in which resources are devoted to basic survival. UNICEF notes that only one in ten refugee girls attends school.20 Even if conflicts do not displace children, physical school structures are in danger of becoming targets or being repurposed into military barracks, shelters, or sites for emergency services. Children therefore miss out on a basic education due to the prolonged need to use the school building in such situations, not to mention the turmoil caused by the conflict, itself. Strife also involves the recruitment of children into armies, depriving them of an opportunity to enjoy a basic education. As conflicts are resolved, children lack a clear future since they lack the basic skills necessary to be productive members of society.

Most children become involved in other conflicts through

recruitment between across borders since their connection to their former lives have quite often been severed.21

Without the basic life skills they learn through educational

systems, children become involved in a cyclical process of violence.

Politics, Funding and Education In many developing states, education is achieved through private schooling.

Ibid., 11. UNICEF, “Emergencies,” < http://unicef.org/girlseducation/index_focus_emergencies.html> (accessed 24 Octobere, 2006). 21 Special Representative to the Secretary General Radhika Cooroswamy, “Panel Discussion: Advocacy and Beyond”, 18 October 2006, United Nations Headquarters. 20

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Although certain states maintain public schools, there are still costs for students to attend since governments lack the funds necessary to truly provide a free education. These fees are “one of the biggest barriers in the expansion of schooling in the poorest countries” and limit the amount of schooling children receive as parents are forced to choose between education and items necessary for survival.22 The 2000 World Education Forum in Dakar, Senegal resulted in the establishment of the United Nations Girls Education Initiative (UNGEI) to attempt to address these challenges.23 With UNICEF as its lead agency, UNGEI aims to ensure primary and secondary education for all children by 2015 by narrowing gender and financial disparities that prevent the accomplishment of this goal. As the UNGEI studies the challenges preventing the fulfillment of the MDG of education, it has developed a keen focus on school fees and the limits they place on a child’s ability to attend school. Birger Fredriksen, an education expert and former Senior Adviser at the World Bank, observed that “for these children, the indirect and direct cost of education to families is the single most important factor excluding children from school. And the single most important policy measure to address this is to abolish school fees. There is a powerful ethical as well as development case for ensuring that no child is excluded from school because of inability to pay.”24

Providing free education in

developing states is essential to increasing enrollment at primary and secondary levels because it allows economically disadvantaged children to have access to an education that can provide basic life skills. The 2005 partnership between UNICEF and the World Bank resulted in the School Fee Abolishment Initiative (SFAI), which concentrates efforts to provide access to education in developing and lesser-developed countries (LDCs) in an effort to meet the MDGs.25

United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative, “The School Fee Abolition Initiative”, <http://www.ungei.org/infobycountry/247_712.html> (accessed 24 October 2006). 23 United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative, “What is UNGEI?” <http://www.ungei.org/whatisungei/index.html> (accessed 24 October, 2006). 24 “The School Fee Abolition Initiative”. 25 Ibid.

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International Focus on Education Providing access to education in LDCs and developing states presents a significant challenge, and has become a focus of the international community. The 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child seeks to secure specific rights for children, including the right to an education and freedom from fear regarding sexual violence.26 In 1990, the World Conference on Education for All affirmed the global need to provide primary education for all children, youth and adults. Ten years later, with little progress made in achieving these goals, the international community met at Dakar, Senegal for the World Education Forum to reassess the progress and strategies in providing Education For All (EFA) by 2015.

This meeting resulted in establishing six key education goals to meet the

Education For All goals set in 1990.27

The 2000 Millennium Development Goals

reaffirmed the focus on education by aiming to provide universal access to primary education by 2015.

Providing basic primary education can aid in addressing the

remaining MDGs, including eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, providing gender equality, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health, combating HIV/AIDS, ensuring environmental sustainability, and creating a global partnership for development..28 Education not only gives children the tools necessary to sustain themselves, but gives them information needed to sustain future generations as well. In 2002, UNICEF established ‘25 by 2005,’ a campaign focusing on states in danger of missing the Millennium Development Goal of ensuring gender equality in primary education by 2015. States selected for the ‘25 by 2005’ campaign met one or more of the following characteristics: less than a 70 per cent enrollment rate of women, a 10 per cent or greater gender gap in primary education, or more than one million girls not in school.29 26

World March of Women < http://www.marchemondiale.org/en/docpdf/rights-child.pdf> (accessed 14 February 2006). 27 UNESCO, “About Education For All,” <http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/ev.phpURL_ID=50558&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html> (accessed 24 October, 2006). 28 United Nations, “What Are the Millennium Development Goals?”, UN Department of Public Information: 2005 <http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/> (accessed 24 October 2006). 29 UNGEI, “25 by 2005 Country Data,” UNICEF < http://ungei.org/gap/country.php> (accessed 24 October 2006).

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Current Status A recent visit by a reporter to Rumbek, Sudan discovered that “at the primary school here, there [were] 320 girls in grade 1 and seven in grade 8. One girl used a crutch to walk, and I asked a field worker … He pointed out that if the girl hadn’t been disabled, most likely from polio, she would probably be married already and would never have had a chance to go to school.”30 UNICEF estimates that more than 115 million children in the world are currently out of school, of whom some 62 million are girls. Additional statistics point out that “outside of the industrialized countries, only 76 percent of all boys and 72 percent of all girls attend primary school at the official primary school age. Attendance rates are lowest in Sub-Saharan Africa, where only 60 percent of boys and 57 percent of girls are in school.”31 UNICEF estimates that universal primary education would cost governments between USD $7 and USD $17 billion per year, a relatively small percent of global GDP.32 Education and gender equality remain among UNICEF’s top priorities. Collaborative United

partnerships

Nations

with

Educational,

Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) place special focus on education in African states, with the goal being of providing education for all by 2015.

In June 2006, the

recognition of education’s impact on

Dakar Goals: World Education Forum 2000 • Ensuring that by 2015 all children -- particularly girls, children in difficult circumstances and those belonging to ethnic minorities -- have access to and complete free and compulsory primary education of good quality. • Eliminating gender disparities in primary and secondary education by 2005, and achieving gender equality in education by 2015, with a focus on ensuring girls’ full and equal access to and achievement in basic education of good quality. Source: http://unicef.org/girlseducation/index_access.html

sustainable development in SubSaharan African resulted in a draft strategy in Dakar, Senegal, calling for African states to provide access to education and meet international goals set by the UN Decade on Education for Sustainable Development from 2005 until 2015. The draft strategy also 30

Gender Achievements and Prospects in Education, 37. UNICEF, Excluded and Invisible: The State of the World Children, 2006 (New York, UNICEF: December 2005), 22. 32 Excluded and Invisible: The State of the World Children, 2006, 8. 31

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included regional strategies and new initiatives in education that could aid in sustainable development.33

Missed Deadlines UNICEF tracked the progress of states in achieving certain goals of Education for All, hoping they would show marked progress by 2005. The GAP report shows that in fact only limited appreciable progress is being made, and that the Millennium Development Goals are unlikely to be achieved on time. The GAP report assessed progress and failures, and developed ‘concrete action plans’ to ensure that each child obtains basic education.34 It is essential to determine where the international community needs to refocus its efforts in order to combat gender inequality and provide access to education for children in developing states. The ‘25 by 2005’ campaign highlighted the need to place additional emphasis on those states most in danger of falling short of the MDGs. While some success was evident, there remains a need for international reform and support to enable lagging states to achieve the Education For All initiative and the MDGs.

Go to School in Sudan After the 2005 peace agreement in Sudan officially ended twenty years of war, southern Sudan launched the UNICEF-supported ‘Go to School Program,’ which is a pilot initiative seeking to bring 1.6 million children back into school by the end of 2007. With such a significant influx of children returning to school, the Sudanese government, with the help of the international community, moved four metric tons of educational materials into schools all over the state.35 Additionally, local programs raising awareness about the Go to School program provide support for sending children to school without

UNESCO Regional Office for Education in Africa (BREDA), “Strategy of Education for Sustainable Development in Sub Saharan Africa”, <http://www.education.nairobiunesco.org/PDFs/Draft%20ESD%20regional%20strategy_sub%20Saharan%20Africa_June%202006versdion_BREDA.pdf> (accessed 31 October, 2006). 34 UNGEI, “What is the GAP Project?” UNICEF < http://ungei.org/gap/gap.php> (accessed 24 October 2006). 35 Rachel Beck, “Getting Children to School in Southern Sudan” UNICEF: 30 June 2006 <http://unicef.org/infobycountry/sudan_34784.html> (accessed 31 October 2006).

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fees. While the new education program is free, the movement to abolish even a minimal school fee of USD $5 per month was successful in 2006. The need to provide free primary schooling for children is increasingly recognized in all parts of Southern Sudan in order to move towards a better future. With children increasingly gaining access to free primary education, there are challenges that remain unaddressed.

Currently, a

majority of teachers are unpaid volunteers teaching in environments that are not conducive to learning. Armed conflicts, such as the civil war in southern Sudan, often place children in difficult positions. Reconstruction periods following conflicts require the rebuilding of infrastructure, including schools and hospitals, making education a lower priority. Additionally, it is difficult for former child soldiers to reintegrate into society. Many of these children are shunned, feared, and discriminated against by their communities. For those children that were unable to attend school due to the war, having the opportunity to attain an education is a privilege. In June 2006, students faced a new dilemma as they returned to school: overcrowding as a result of relocation and lack of usable academic space. In a small town in southern Sudan, for instance, there are only four classrooms for fifteen classes and three restrooms for nearly two thousand students.

Despite this,

children remain eager to return to school because they view education as the key to a better life. Regardless of cramped conditions, â&#x20AC;&#x153;enrollment at the school has risen by over 25 per cent since 2005, and the hush of the morning assembly is broken only by the sound of students going over their lessons.â&#x20AC;?36

Namibia Adopts SWAps Since its independence in 1990, Namibia has attempted to reduce poverty by expanding the population that can take advantage of education.

Article 20 of the

Namibian Constitution asserts that all persons have the right to education, that primary education is mandatory and that the Namibian State will provide â&#x20AC;&#x153;reasonable facilities to render effective this right for every resident within Namibia, by establishing and 36

Ibid.

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maintaining State schools at which primary education will be provided free of charge.”37 To ensure that these guarantees are put into practice, the Namibian Ministry of Education adopted Sector-Wide Approaches (SWAps), defined “as a mechanism where all significant funding supports a single sector plan under government leadership.”38 This effort is an innovative method designed to address poverty from multiple angles. Recent attempts to provide access to education in Namibia through this strategy “enhance aid effectiveness, donor coordination, and coherent sector development under the national government’s leadership and ownership.”39 While this is a new program, already having been reexamined and retooled, it has already proven a success. The Namibian model offers an example for African states trying to provide education by making a commitment to education and the adopting effective programs to ensure that this goal is accomplished.

UNICEF Today UNICEF’s primary focus in the area of education includes: • • • • • •

Increasing school attendance; Providing learning materials to schools and avoid schools from becoming feeding centers; Providing incentives for students to have additional benefits by attending school by providing vitamins, school supplies, water and sanitation; Educating on sustainable farming for personal food; Addressing school fess for orphans and child-headed households; Assess school attendance and dropout rates to prevent such cases.40

While these key objectives are especially geared towards Africa, UNICEF aims to address peace education, gender inequalities, education during times of emergency, childhood education, life skills education, child friendly classrooms, HIV/AIDS, hygiene, technology and literacy. These aspects of education are critical because they establish a foundation upon which developing states can flourish.

Namibia, The Constitution of the Republic of Namibia. Chapter 3, Article 20. <http://www.grnnet.gov.na/Nam_Nutshell/Constitution/Const/Const.htm> accessed 20 November 2006. 38 Ibid, 25. 39 Robert C. West, Education and Sector-Wide Approaches in Namibia (Paris: UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning, 2004), 23. 40 UNICEF, “South Africa- Countries in Crisis”, <http://www.unicef.org/emerg/southernafrica/index.html> (accessed 31 October 2006).

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Peace education is critical for states undergoing post-conflict reconstruction. To prevent a relapse into conflict, it is essential to provide a forum for children affected by violence to discuss their concerns, and for society to develop a means of sustainable peace and understanding.

Just because a

Peace Education According to UNICEF, peace education is, “the process of promoting the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values needed to bring about behavior change that will enable children, youth and adults to prevent conflict and violence, both overt and structural; to resolve conflict peacefully; and to create the conditions conducive to peace, whether at an interpersonal, inter-group, national or international level”. Source: http://www.unicef.org/girlseducation/ index_focus_peace_education.html

ceasefire has been signed or a war has ended does not mean that people will no longer harbor animosity towards former enemies. It is critical that children have the opportunity to receive therapy or counseling before they are expected to reintegrate into the community. This focus promotes “education that helps children and young people to acquire skills such as the prevention and peaceful resolution of conflict as well as social and ethical values.”41 Education such as this is implemented in twenty countries at formal and informal levels. In states such as Somalia and the Sudan, UNICEF has implemented peace and disarmament education. This type of peace education is designed to prevent children from using small arms and encourage parents to oppose weapons use by children. Additionally, as a creative initiative to promote peace, UNICEF encourages the use of sport to promote education in peace and conflict resolution.42 In order to make schools more child-friendly, UNICEF works with states to provide clean water and working latrines. In many developing states, girls stop attending school once they start menstruating due to the lack of a location for them to practice proper hygiene.43

Without clean water, conditions become hazardous for children.

Hygiene education is also necessary to thwart preventable diseases, keep children in school, and help ensure healthy future generations. The partnership between UNICEF 41

UNICEF, “Peace Education”, <http://www.unicef.org/girlseducation/index_focus_peace_education.html> (accessed 31 October 2006). 42 Ibid. 43 Nicholas Kristoff, Lecture:The Greatest Challenge in the Twenty-First Century: Gender Equality in Development. United Nations Headquarters, 11 October 2006.

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and the International Resource Center implemented a water, environment, and sanitation initiative in Burkina Faso, and Zambia.

With the low cost of hygiene education,

UNICEF aims to integrate such programs in all developing states.

Bloc Positions West and Central Africa In African

Central states,

and

Western

drought,

The African Sahel Region

food

shortages, armed conflict, poverty, child labor and HIV/AIDS are the primary contributors to low school enrollment and increased dropout rates. This region of Africa is below the Sahara Desert and receives the least amount of rain. Over the years, below average precipitation and an increasing number of droughts has exacerbated and challenged states in providing necessities such as food and water. With crop failures and a lack of food security in the Sahelian belt, states such as Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Nigeria

A narrow band of semi-arid land south of the Sahara, the Sahel attracted both Arabs looking for gold from Sudan and Europeans looking for slaves from West Africa. The two influences merged with native ones, creating a culturally complex area. The Sahel is widely French-speaking, Islamic and takes its name ("shore") from Arabic. But the region, one of the poorest and most environmentally damaged places on earth, has deep troubles. In the 1970s, the Sahel captured international attention when drought and famine killed nearly 200,000 people. Though conditions have since improved, it has yet to shake a vicious cycle of soil erosion, insufficient irrigation, deforestation, overpopulation, desertification and drought. Source: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/africa/explore/sahel/ sahel_overview.html

struggle to provide other services, such as medical attention and education.44 Armed conflict in Cote Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, and Sierra Leone causes social upheavals that prevent progress in achieving education for all.45 44

Jeffery Sachs, Lecture: Ending the Darfur Crisis and Preventing the Next One, a conversation with Jeffrey D. Sachs, Director, The Earth Institute at Columbia University and Jonathan Ledgard, Correspondent, The Economist. Columbia University, 1 November 2006. 45 Gender Achievements and Prospects in Education, 22.

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Neglecting education to address war, drought and disease drastically reduces access to education in states where the systems are already lacking. Other factors prevent children in this region from accessing education. Numerous parents fear education will ‘westernize’ their children.46 Others fear their daughters will be the victims of violence or rape and choose to keep their daughters home from school. This simply exacerbates gender inequalities.

Eastern and Southern Africa States in eastern and southern Africa that seek to provide access to education face numerous challenges, including poverty, armed conflict, HIV/AIDS, traditional gender roles, and a rural/urban divide. While there has been record achievement in these areas in closing the gender gap,

‘25 by 2005’ States in Eastern and Southern Africa Eritrea Ethiopia Malawi Tanzania Zambia

there are still 21 million children out of primary school. Out of twelve states in these two regions, only three, Seychelles, Mauritius, and South Africa, have more than 90 per cent of children in schools, including.47 With the Education for All goals, many states reformed enrollment barriers by abolishing school fees; however the increased demand for education caused overcrowding and decreased the quality of educational. According to the GAP Report, “quality, retention and learning achievement have often been sacrificed in the quest to get as many children into school as possible. Gains in enrollment are sometimes countered by high dropout rates.” States that abolished school fees often saw high enrollment, but also experienced a high number of dropouts.

For example, Rwanda saw dropouts

increase from 14 to 18 per cent. Despite concerns of overcrowding, abolishing school fees is critical to taking the next step forward.

The GAP Report points out that,

“countries that have boosted enrollment and attendance have done so because of bold

46 47

Ibid., 23. Ibid., 16.

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States such as Ethiopia, Eritrea, Uganda, and Zambia took steps to

increase the net primary enrollment of girls, train teachers, identify barriers keeping girls out of schools, and provide free primary education.

Middle East and North Africa This region faces poverty, high fertility rates, gender discrimination and debt, preventing states from providing education for all.

According to the GAP Report, “when

compounded by discrimination and strict gender roles, poverty keeps girls unschooled and dependent.

25 by 2005 States in the Middle East and North Africa Djibouti The Sudan Yemen

They are unable to

escape the demands placed upon them by a society that neither values nor respects them.”49 Most girls who receive a primary education are forced to drop out once they reach puberty, which often marks the ideal marriage age. Conservative societal values also make female illiteracy the norm. In 2004, to help keep girls in school, the World Food Program launched a school feeding program in Egypt that implements the United Nations Girl's Education Initiative. To support Egypt in its initiative, the WFP distributed “monthly take-home rations of 12.5 kilos of rice and 3.7 kilos of vegetable oil to each girl student who maintains an 80 percent class attendance rate.”50 This program allows women, especially those in rural areas, to focus their money on school materials and fees. Other WFP programs include providing two meals a day for girls in Djibouti who attend school for 21 out of 30 school days and harvesting school gardens to provide healthy food for students. Other Middle Eastern and North African initiatives that seek to break education barriers include the establishment of the Mosaic Foundation, which funded a program called Approaches and Methods for Advanced Learning (AMAL) in Egypt, Yemen and Djibouti, which aims to prevent girls from dropping out of school due to a lack of latrines or money. It also trains 48

Gender Achievements and Prospects in Education, 19. Ibid., 35. 50 World Food Program, “New WFP Initiative to Promote Education for Girls in Egypt”, < http://www.wfp.org/food_aid/school_feeding/LearnMore_LATEST2.asp?section=12&sub_section=3> (accessed 5 November, 2006). 49

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female teachers so that parents do not prohibit girls from attending schools in fear from male instructors.51

Western Developed States While developed Western states have the highest literacy rates and and meet the MDG of providing universal primary education, the richest Western states are also helping Africa meet the MDGs. The 2005 Make Poverty History initiative called on the ten richest Western states to donate an additional USD $50

The European Union is the largest provider of aid to Africa

every African child by 2015. The

In 2004, the EU provided over USD $14 billion in development aid to sub-Saharan Africa and over USD $3 billion to North Africa and the Middle East. The aid coming from the EU Member States to Africa will significantly increase in the next years: By 2010, the total amount of EU aid to Africa should exceed USD $24 billion per year.

British government is critical to

Source: http://www.europe-cares.org/africa/index_en.html

billion to support a ten-year plan to provide primary education to

this program, with contributions equaling USD $15 billion. International Development Secretary Hillary Benn stated, “Education is a basic human right, and to get every child into school we need more investment. Working with developing countries, through increased commitment from the UK, will help train more teachers, build more classrooms and give more children the best start in life”.52 In December 2005, the European Union established the EU Strategy for Africa, a comprehensive framework for helping Africa reach the MDGs. In addition to providing support to ensure universal primary education, the EU hopes assist in the provision of secondary and post-graduate education. The EU also supports the Nyerere Program, an African Union initiative that allows students to complete post-graduate studies in Europe, potentially building partnerships between African and European higher educational institutions.53

Gender Achievements and Prospects in Education, 36. BBC News, “Brown unveils Africa School Funds”. 53 European Commission - Directorate General for Development, “Investing in People”, < http://www.europecares.org/africa/investing_en.html> (accessed 5 November 2006). 52

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With the help of “African ministries of education and higher education institutions, local and international NGOs, and the private sector,” the United States African Education Initiative (AEI) granted USD $600 million to provide textbooks, scholarships, teacher training programs, and other materials students cannot afford to assist African education goals.54

Additionally, it supports the training of 920,000

teachers and administrators to meet the ever-increasing demand for teachers in Africa due to increasing enrollment and HIV/AIDS deaths.

Latin America In the last fifteen years, struggling Latin American states progressed significantly in getting on track for the Education for All (EFA) initiative. Remarkable improvement 25 by 2005 States in Latin America Bolivia

occurred in the areas of gender disparity and providing access to universal primary education. UNICEF cites that despite overall progress on the EFA initiative, individual states remain in danger

of falling behind. Haiti, Guatemala, and Grenada have lower primary school enrollment due to natural disasters such as hurricanes, civil upheaval and traditional gender roles. While Grenada and Guatemala face problems of providing equal access to school for girls, the Bahamas, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Haiti have reverse gender disparity with a significantly greater amount of girls in school than boys.55 Latin American states aim to move towards meeting the next challenge of proving access to secondary education within states. States in Latin America that have successfully begun meeting the MDGs provide an example for African states plagued by similar issues.

Asia While certain states such as China and India are emerging industrial leaders with increased investment in technology, the gap between the educated and uneducated remains. One of the most important concerns in the region is providing girls with equal

USAID, “African Education Initiative”, <http://www.usaid.gov/locations/sub-saharan_africa/initiatives/aei.html> (accessed 5 November 2006). 55 Gender Achievements and Prospects in Education, 45.

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access to education. With poverty as the central underlying factor of illiteracy, there are 23.5 million girls out of school in South Asia.56 Poor women in Asia are often forced to work in the sex trade, sweatshops, or as child laborers. Additionally, human and natural disasters contribute to challenges that Asia faces in providing universal access to primary education. NGOs in Nepal report that the Maoist rebellion has affected 24,500 children and has resulted in recruitment of children as soldiers. Natural disasters, such as the 2004 tsunami, also devastated communities. Even if children were not forced to help their families recover from the devastating effects of the tsunami and had the time to attain an education, they would be forced to wait until school structures could be rebuilt.

Non-Governmental Organizations United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan stated, “individual NGOs have made remarkable contributions towards education in many countries…Today, I say to the NGO community: we cannot win the battle … without your expertise, your energy, and your capacity for action.”57 Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are critical to providing access to education and reducing gender disparity in Africa, serving as ‘laboratories of innovative experimentation’ to address short and long-term educational goals.58 NGOs in Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, southern Sudan, and Uganda assist in successfully reducing gender disparities preventing girls from accessing education. NGO-initiated community schools in Ethiopia increased student enrolment by 8.9 per cent, and enrolment of girls increased by 13.8 per cent.59 In southern Sudan, CARE International’s campaign to educate parents about the importance of education has reportedly increased the percentage of girls attending school by 96 per cent. Founded in 1999 to support the Education for All initiative, the Global Campaign for Education provides an opportunity for NGOs such as CARE International, Oxfam, 56

Ibid., 29. Ibid. 58 UNESCO, EFA Global Monitoring Report: Strong Foundations (France, UNESCO Publications, 2003), <http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/ev.phpURL_ID=24166&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html> accessed 20 November 2006. 59 Ibid. 57

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World Vision and other groups to share best practices and to work together in partnerships to provide universal primary education for all. Its mission statement calls for mobilizing “public pressure on governments and the international community to fulfill their promises to provide free, compulsory public basic education for all people.”60 To ensure that education is accessible to all, the Global Campaign for Education calls for governments to abolish school fees for public primary education and increase spending on programs for illiterate adults.61

Religious Groups Christian missionaries established many schools during the 18th and 19th Centuries to provide basic subject and religious education, and Christianity continues to play a pivotal role in access to education. Christian organizations such as World Vision provide social services, education and educational supplies, and assist with school fees to send children to school. Yet, in many instances, Muslim parents feel that Christian schools are working counter to their own faith, and do not permit their children to attend such schools. As parents kept their children from Western schools, Muslim children have fallen behind in education.62 The South African organization Fahamu points out the interesting role of religion in providing access to education in Africa. “Devastated by colonialism, war and poverty, many Muslim African countries are challenged with the task of rebuilding societies based on religious beliefs and cultural identities.”63 According to the UNICEF GAP Report, “particularly devout Muslims will not send their daughters to school unless they are taught by females.”64 With such a challenge for women’s education, UNICEF is working to train female teachers so that girls can attend class. 60

Global Campaign for Education, “About Us”, < http://www.campaignforeducation.org/about/about.html> accessed 20 November 2006. 61 Ibid. 62 Kingsley Banya, “Sub-Saharan Africa: The State of Public Higher Education and the Emergence of Private Sector Universities”,<http://www.wes.org/ewenr/01nov/feature.htm> accessed 21 November 2006. 63 Karoline Kemp, “Rights Accorded to Women in Islam”, 9 March 2006 <http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/comment/32610> accessed 21 November 2006. 64 GAP, 37.

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Summary Post-colonialism has led to a sixty-year struggle to provide consistent and unbiased education in Africa.65

Although some progress has been made, African

education standards still lag significantly behind international standards.

Access to

education is essential for African development. United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan stated, â&#x20AC;&#x153;if we can get it right for children-if we can deliver on our commitments and enable every child to enjoy the right to childhood, to health, education, equality and protection- we can get it right for people of all ages. I believe we can.â&#x20AC;?66 Education is the basis and foundation of future generations. Providing unhindered access to education addresses causes of conflict, poverty, malnutrition, and HIV/AIDS. With the numerous benefits of learning, it is essential to look at the underlying causes that prevent or disrupt childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s access to educational services and opportunities. These factors include armed conflict, child labor, violence, child marriage, and children without parents. If these issues are not resolved, the prospects of attending school and becoming productive members of society remain bleak for these children. With the goal of achieving universal primary education by 2015, it is important to consider all of the social, political, and cultural obstacles preventing children from going to school. Reforming education systems requires political and social pressure to ensure that all eligible children have the opportunity to enjoy primary education. Addressing gender disparities between boys and girls is critical as well. While boys have access to increased opportunities to attend schools, girls are hindered by social norms, lack of proper facilities, and dangerous routes to school. Addressing access to education needs to remain a top priority in addressing multiple Millennium Development Goals. Civil society, NGOs, religious groups, and the international community must all work cooperatively in this effort. It is essential to close the gender gap in education, abolish school fees, and sustain an environment in which 65 66

GAP, 6. The Excluded and the Invisible, vi.

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children can readily access education. Addressing issues such as gender equality in education allows “access to techniques and technology that can improve [women’s] incomes and status in society, thereby building a foundation upon which sustainable livelihoods and healthy communities can grow.”67 Education also provides a foundation for sustainable development in future generations.

UNESCO, Literacy: A Key to Empowering Women Farmers, 17.

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Discussion Questions • How can schools in Africa increase enrollment in schools without decreasing educational standards due to the influx of new students? • Should all governments abolish primary school fees? If so, where should the financing coming from if the state has limited resources? • How can states ensure children receive education during conflicts? • What are some ways to ensure that gender parity in education can be achieved? • How can governments urge communities to change roles for boys and girls without undermining traditional culture? • Which models of providing education for all present the best solutions for Africa? • What approaches should governments take to ensure that the MDG of providing universal primary education occurs by 2015? • Is the international community going to miss the MDG of providing universal primary education by 2015? If so, how many years do states need? • How can developed states further assist developing and underdeveloped states in Africa move towards providing Education for All besides providing financial aid? • What role can non-state actors play in bringing this issue into focus? Can they make a considerable impact on access to education in Africa? Are there any instances in which this already occurred? • What role do religious groups in Africa have in providing access to education? • What types of programs should governments establish to provide basic education to older persons who have been deprived of schooling?

PhilMUN 2007 Appendix A: Millennium Development Goals and Children

Source: The Excluded and the Invisible: The State of the Worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Children 2006, UNICEF Publications.

PhilMUN 2007 Appendix B: Regional Access to Education

Source: The Excluded and the Invisible: The State of the Worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Children 2006, UNICEF Publications.

PhilMUN 2007 Appendix C: Colonial Africa 1920-1939

Source: http://www.sandafayre.com/atlas/afia.htm

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National Organization for Women Foundation. “Women’s Health Project Fact Sheet.”, http://www.nowfoundation.org/issues/health/whp/whp_fact5.html. Roxburgh, Angus. “Belgians Confront Colonial Past”. BBC News, Brussels: 9 March 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4332605.stm Sachs, Jeffery. Lecture: Ending the Darfur Crisis and Preventing the Next One, a conversation with Jeffrey D. Sachs, Director, The Earth Institute at Columbia University and Jonathan Ledgard, Correspondent, The Economist. Columbia University, 1 November 2006. Sanderson, Lilian. “Education and Administrative Control in Colonial Sudan and Northern Nigeria” African Affairs, Vol. 74, No. 297. (Oct., 1975), pp. 427-441. JSTOR. http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=00019909%28197510%2974%3A297%3C427%3AEAACIC%3E2.0.CO%3B2-4 Special Representative to the Secretary General Radhika Cooroswamy, “Panel Discussion: Advocacy and Beyond”, 18 October 2006, United Nations Headquarters. United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative, “What is UNGEI?” http://www.ungei.org/whatisungei/index.html. UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, “UN Division for Sustainable Development”, http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/about_us/aboutus.htm. UNESCO. “About Education For All”, http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/ev.phpURL_ID=50558&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html. UNESCO, EFA Global Monitoring Report: Strong Foundations (France, UNESCO Publications, 2003), http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/ev.phpURL_ID=24166&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html UNESCO, Literacy: A Key to Empowering Women Farmers (Paris, UNESCO: 2001), 17. UNESCO Regional Office for Education in Africa (BREDA). “Strategy of Education for Sustainable Development in Sub Saharan Africa”, http://www.education.nairobiunesco.org/PDFs/Draft%20ESD%20regional%20strategy_sub%20Saharan%20Af rica_June%202006-versdion_BREDA.pdf. UNGEI, “25 by 2005 Country Data,” UNICEF. http://ungei.org/gap/country.php

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UNGEI. “What is the GAP Project?” UNICEF. http://ungei.org/gap/gap.php. UNGEI. “The School Fee Abolition Initiative”, http://www.ungei.org/infobycountry/247_712.html. UNICEF. “Emergencies”, http://unicef.org/girlseducation/index_focus_emergencies.html UNICEF. Excluded and Invisible: The State of the World Children, 2006. New York, UNICEF: December 2005. UNICEF. Gender Achievements and Prospects in Education. New York: UNICEF Publications, 2005. UNICEF. “HIV/AIDS”, http://www.unicef.org/girlseducation/index_focus_aids.html UNICEF. “Peace Education”, http://www.unicef.org/girlseducation/index_focus_peace_education.html UNICEF. “South Africa- Countries in Crisis”, http://www.unicef.org/emerg/southernafrica/index.html United Nations. “What Are the Millennium Development Goals?”, UN Department of Public Information: 2005. http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals USAID. “African Education Initiative”, http://www.usaid.gov/locations/subsaharan_africa/initiatives/aei.html West, Robert C. Education and Sector-Wide Approaches in Namibia (Paris: UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning, 2004). World Food Program. “New WFP Initiative to Promote Education for Girls in Egypt”, http://www.wfp.org/food_aid/school_feeding/LearnMore_LATEST2.asp?section= 12&sub_section=3 World March of Women. http://www.marchemondiale.org/en/docpdf/rights-child.pdf