Global education, a utopia that someone wants to become a reality: in the meantime, however, 64 million children in the world do not go to school

ROME – To the number 405 of the Forty-second East of New York, in the skyscraper where the headquarters of the United Nations is located, a sacrosanct principle is in force: that of “sovereign equality”. In other words, each of the 193 member states of the General Assembly can assert its position on the various issues through a vote, which counts as one: precisely by virtue of that principle of “sovereign equality”. In short, in the hall of the General Assembly, votes are counted, not weighed. But that precept – engraved in article 9, particle 1, 18th paragraph of the constitutive charter of the highest supranational body – appears to never express the will of the majorities expressed by the General Assembly because, if the principle of sovereign equality remains a fixed point in the founding charter of the UN, it is equally true that the resolutions, the sanctioned principles, the directives, the prescriptions issued, have remained only solemn declarations, but too often literally ignored and not applied.

It is written: “Education as a fundamental right”. One could begin to think about Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948. There are dozens, if not hundreds of instruments that the United Nations body has adopted in this area. Instruments that contain indications, sometimes even unnecessarily sanctioning (because then each State has always done as it pleased and liked, without ever any sanctions) so that everywhere in the world there is recognition – for example – of the right to education, to study , to knowledge, guarantees considered essential, decisive for every human being. In article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human RightsIndeed, education is even identified as an “indispensable right” for the development of personality and the ability to know how to defend respect for one’s rights and fundamental personal freedoms.

Yes, but in the meantime… Meanwhile, it is estimated that worldwide there are 123 million children who do not attend primary school, ie 11.5% of the total number of young people between the ages of 6 and 15. None of them has access to adequate education, and are therefore exposed to very serious risks. A tragic global scenario, therefore, populated by those who have a lot, even too much, and those who have little, even nothing. Educational inequalities that especially affect students from the poorest countries, for whom attending school means much more than learning to read, write and learn to count. It often means having the banal certainty of being able to eat at least one full meal every day, and living in a protected place. Two minimum certainties, which for many may be enough just to begin imagining a dignified future, otherwise marked by hunger or the risk of being killed at any moment.

The right to school is also the right to eat every day. With the closure of schools in numerous countries at war or in any case affected by emergency, environmental or other situations, those millions of children are denied not only that fundamental regulatory element of daily life, which is going to school, but no one most of them can take advantage of free school meals, which is often their only source of nutrition. Furthermore, for girls, especially if far from a protected environment, the risk of being exposed to sexual abuse, violence and exploitation is very high. Another important fact in this overall picture is this: in 2020, the number of boys and girls forced (because of compulsion it is) to drop out of school to go to work rose to 160 million.

GPE Global Education. In the face of all this, ideas and initiatives arise to combat the phenomenon of school dropouts and in favor of a more equitable global education system, strategically considered as the premise to avoid the emergence of other serious destabilizing global problems. One of these initiatives revolves around the Global partnership for education (GPE) led by Laura Frigenti, former director of theItalian Agency for Cooperation and Development (AICS), with a long experience in important international bodies, such as the World Bank. In fact, GPE is a shared commitment of many to end the global learning crisis. It is the only global partnership and fund dedicated entirely to helping children in low-income countries get a quality education, so they can unleash their potential and help build a better world.

In 20 years, 160 million children in the classroom for the first time. of children GPE brings together governments, teachers, civil society, donors, United Nations agencies, development banks, businesses and private foundations to transform education systems so that every girl and boy has hope, opportunity and freedom of action . Therefore, the governments of poor countries are being helped to build a more solid educational service. Currently, more than 85 countries are supported and the focus is mainly on reaching the most vulnerable children, including girls, children with disabilities and those affected by forms of extreme poverty due to ongoing conflicts. Since 2002, an additional 160 million children in GPE partner countries have entered the classroom for the first time, more than half of them girls. GPE is also the largest provider of scholarships in the global response, providing partner countries with vital resources to ensure learning can continue safely.

Perspectives up to 2025. By 2025, GPE will support transformative change in up to 90 countries and territories, home to 1 billion children. “Transforming education – reads the document released by the GPE – means creating lasting change and achieving a large-scale impact. We aim to achieve this transformative change by convening partners, mobilizing funds and catalysing reforms to help partner countries accelerate the access, learning outcomes and gender equality.In July 2021, the Global Education Summit put GPE firmly on track to be fully funded by 2025, raising a record $4 billion from campaign donors Raise your hand by GPE. At the summit, heads of state and government from partner countries made historic pledges for education funding, and GPE also mobilized an unprecedented number of pledges from businesses, private foundations and development banks.

Defense against the risk of early marriages. A fully funded GPE would support transformed education systems in up to 90 countries and territories, enable up to 175 million children to learn and help put 88 million more girls and boys in school by 2025. Long term , this investment could add $164 billion to the economies of GPE partner countries, lift 18 million people out of poverty and protect 2 million girls from child marriage.