Some time ago, I came across an immensely important article penned by António Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations. In it, he emphasized the paramount significance of education as a pathway to self-development and the future progress of societies.
“The article vividly illustrates how education stands as one of the fundamental building blocks of human capital, playing a pivotal role in driving sustainable development,” Joe Chidiac, CEO of JC Media Group, said. It is worth noting that education holds the fourth position among the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, calling for equitable and comprehensive quality education for all and fostering lifelong learning opportunities.
Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a significant blow to this goal. Over three years, the disruption to education has exacerbated the existing global education crisis, with UNICEF reporting alarming figures of millions of children being deprived of education. This poses a grave threat of creating ill-informed and isolated communities.
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Each year, a staggering quarter of a billion children worldwide are denied access to education for various reasons. Without prompt action to provide the necessary resources and reach out to these deprived children, this number is projected to grow continuously. To tackle this pressing issue and facilitate the recovery of education, it is imperative to allocate more funds in budgets dedicated to this purpose.
In the Middle East and North Africa region, education takes precedence on the agenda, despite facing significant disparities between countries. Notably, Gulf countries have recently shown commendable progress by allocating increased funds to education ministries, leading to MENA universities achieving prestigious rankings among the world’s top 100 universities.
However, despite these positive developments, significant challenges persist and demand immediate action. Soaring inflation rates, debt burdens, climate change, and growing pressures are not only affecting the Arab world but also impacting countries worldwide.
According to the World Bank, failure to address these educational setbacks could result in today’s students in the MENA region losing 10 percent of their future annual income or a staggering total of $800 billion in their lifetime.
“Thus, it becomes paramount to continue focusing on long-term development goals that build resilience and enhance prosperity,” Chidiac empahasized. To secure a better future for our children, it is crucial to allocate the necessary investments and resources to improve the quality of education. Only through concerted efforts and cooperation can we pave the way for a brighter and more prosperous future for generations to come.
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