The State of the World's Children 1999 - Education [antikvár]

Foreword E ducation is a human right with immense power to transform. On its foundation rest the cornerstones of freedom, democracy and sustainable human development. Yet, as The State ofthe World's Children 1999 report points out, 130 million children in the developing world are denied this right — almost two thirds of them girls. Nearly 1 billion people, or a sixth of the world's population, are illiterate — the majority of them women. This is a violation of rights and a loss of potential and productivity that the world can no longer tolerate. Half a century ago, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights spelled out a global vision for peace and prosperity that included the right to education. The Convention on the Rights of the Child — the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history — enshrines the right of all children to a primary education that will give them the skills they need to continue learning throughout life. This report demonstrates that the right to education is guiding classroom practice, shaping curricula and finding practical expression in schools around the world. It is establishing schools as oases of respect and encouragement for children. It is giving us classrooms where the principles of democracy are upheld and embraced. It is contributing to enhanced retention rates and reduced drop-out rates. Motivated students leave school more prepared to take up the reins ofthe future; they are better empowered to improve their own lives and, later, the lives of their children. When the right to education is assured, the whole worid gains. There is no instant solution to the violations of that right, but it begins with a simple proposition: that on the eve of the 21st century, there is no higher priority, no mission more important, than that of Education For All. Kofi A. Annan Secretary-General ofthe United Nations