Latest news with #SustainableDevelopmentGoal4
India.com
5 days ago
- General
- India.com
Over 272 Million Children Out of School Across World, Says UNESCO Report
A new report from UNESCO's Global Education Monitoring team reveals that more than 272 million children worldwide are currently out of school—an increase of over 21 million compared to earlier estimates. This rise is attributed to updated enrolment figures, revised population projections, and challenges such as the continued ban on girls' education in Afghanistan. The report cautions that many countries are likely to miss their 2025 national education targets for 75 million students, signalling that global efforts toward achieving universal education are seriously off course The increase in out-of-school children is mainly due to two key factors. Firstly, updated enrolment and attendance data—including the 2021 ban on school education for Afghan girls—contribute to around eight million of the rise. Secondly, revised UN population projections have added another 13 million, driven by a larger-than-expected school-age population, particularly among children aged 6 to 17, projected for 2025. According to the GEM team, the type of data source used plays a crucial role in shaping the estimates. In countries relying only on administrative records, population growth is entirely reflected in the out-of-school numbers—especially where recent data is unavailable. In contrast, countries that use survey-based data tend to show a more balanced distribution of the increased population between students who are enrolled and those who are not. According to the latest estimates: 11% of primary school age children (around 78 million) are out of school 15% of lower secondary age adolescents (approximately 64 million) are not attending school 31% of upper secondary age youth (nearly 130 million) remain out of the education system globally These estimates are derived from a model that integrates administrative records, household surveys, and census data to provide consistent global and regional education trends. However, the report points out that national statistics may vary, as they often rely on a single data source from a specific year, whereas the model fills in data gaps for missing years and offers short-term projections. One key concern highlighted is the underestimated impact of conflict on education. In crisis-affected areas, education data is frequently outdated or unavailable, making it difficult to fully grasp the extent of disruption. The model's assumption of continuous educational progress becomes a major limitation in such emergency contexts. While projections indicate that the number of out-of-school children worldwide could decrease by 165 million by 2030 if countries achieve their Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) targets, the report warns of a possible four to six percentage point shortfall by 2025—particularly among primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary school-age groups. UNESCO urges the development of more resilient education data systems and calls for urgent policy interventions to tackle the worsening education crisis, especially in conflict zones and under-resourced regions.
India Today
6 days ago
- General
- India Today
272 million kids worldwide are out of school, says latest Unesco data
A new report by UNESCO's Global Education Monitoring team reveals that over 272 million children worldwide are currently out of school—a sharp increase of more than 21 million from previous surge is driven by updated enrollment data, population projections, and factors like the ongoing ban on girls' education in Afghanistan. With countries projected to fall short of their national education targets of 75 million students by 2025, the report warns that global efforts to achieve universal education are significantly off rise in numbers is attributed to two major factors. First, new enrolment and attendance data, including the 2021 school ban on Afghan girls, accounts for about eight million of the increase. Second, revised UN population projections add another 13 million, owing to a larger-than-anticipated school-age population—especially those between 6 to 17 years old—in 2025. The GEM team explains that the sources of data significantly influence the estimates. When enrolment is based solely on administrative records, the population increase is fully reflected in the out-of-school figures, particularly in countries with no updated the other hand, countries using survey-based data see a more balanced distribution of new population figures between enrolled and unenrolled report estimates that:11% of children at the primary school age (78 million)15% of lower secondary age adolescents (64 million)advertisement31% of upper secondary age youth (130 million)remain out of school estimates stem from a model that combines administrative data, household surveys, and census results to produce consistent global and regional education trends. However, the report notes that national figures may differ, as they are typically based on a single source from a specific year, while the model imputes data for missing years and provides short-term projections.A concerning element highlighted in the report is the underestimated impact of conflicts on education. In crisis zones, education data is often unavailable or outdated, leading to gaps in understanding the true scale of disruption. The model's assumption of steady educational progression becomes a limitation during such though projections suggest that the global out-of-school population could drop by 165 million by 2030 if countries meet their Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) targets, the report warns of a potential four to six percentage point shortfall by 2025, especially among primary, lower, and upper secondary school-age calls for more resilient data systems and urgent policy action to address the growing education crisis, particularly in conflict-affected and low-resource regions.(With PTI inputs)Must Watch
Daily Maverick
6 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Lessons from champions — turning young rural KZN pupils into literacy superstars
South Africa's child literacy figures are shocking. In the first of a three-part series on our reading crisis, Anna Cox and Cecilia Russell went in search of civil society organisations tackling the issue with the 'each one teach one' tenet. The little girl placed her hand on her hip and sashayed towards the teacher like a supermodel on a runway. The Grade R pupil from a farm school – Goxhill Primary School – in Underberg, KwaZulu-Natal, is, with the help of a civil society initiative, bucking the trend of 80% of Grade 3s not being able to read for meaning in any language. The child was responding to a short, fun-filled lesson by a teaching assistant or, as she is known at the school, a literacy champion, Mpumelelo (Nompies) Mbokazi, in which she needed to identify sight words – in this case, a prominent discount retail store, PEP, which she associates with the excitement of new clothes. The project, run by the Family Literacy Project (FLP), is one of the nonprofit organisations we visited in search of civil society projects that are both academically successful and replicable. This sector includes high-functioning organisations that can access government tenders and draw funding from local and international corporates and philanthropic organisations, as well as struggling, well-meaning individuals dependent on the generosity of small contributions from donors. With only five years to go to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4, specifically target 4.6, which aims to ensure that all young people and a substantial proportion of adult men and women achieve literacy and numeracy, there is much to be done. 'Urgency of the moment' Although the literacy statistics are alarming, there is some optimism that with the right programmes, this can be addressed. Speakers at a think-tank held by the Reading Panel in Johannesburg earlier this year emphasised the 'urgency of the moment'. The panel of eminent South Africans, which was convened by former deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, aims to ensure that all children can read for meaning by age 10 by 2030. There was a strong emphasis on teacher support and training, especially for mother-tongue education, since research has shown that a child who becomes proficient in their home language is more likely to manage learning a second language, such as English first additional language. Another theme was the need to see the education budget increased in real terms. These interventions are needed to address stark disparities in schools in which pupils taught in African languages such as Setswana, Tshivenda and Sepedi are at a significant disadvantage, as are children from rural areas – all provinces except for Gauteng and the Western Cape are performing below the mean. However, the panel also noted that small interventions can have big impacts, citing the Western Cape's Back on Track project, through which it took just nine intervention lessons for isiXhosa and Afrikaans schools to achieve a year's worth of progress. Back in Goxhill Primary, the same little girl joined her classmates in slowly and carefully making the letter O in a cardboard box filled with sand. They proudly chat among themselves and vie for Mbokazi's attention as they do so. The lesson is tactile and fun, made from easily available resources and oriented towards the children's lived experience – the sight words include shops in the nearest centre, the Spar and PEP – and it is taught in isiZulu, the children's home language, adapted from the Reach Out to Read method developed by Cheryl Taylor. The literacy champions at this farm school, which is in the Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma Local Municipality, provide crucial support to the teachers. The champions are trained over two years in teaching isiZulu reading skills to Grade R and grades 1 to 3, although the project has a more ambitious role in supporting families in the community with skills too. However, the project is fragile following Covid; it was unable to retain many of the literacy champions it had trained during the pandemic because of a loss of funding. FLP director Pierre Horn says his role is to constantly seek funding, and he wryly comments that he hopes this project will still be active next year. The costs are modest, and champions and facilitators are paid a stipend. According to Horn, the cost per school, based on a per-grade training with small groups of 10 to 12 at a time, is about R8,000 to R12,000 per grade. Each class is provided with a small classroom library with books in isiZulu and a few in English. The project is now active in 15 communities, mostly in KwaZulu-Natal's Ubuhlebezwe, Impendle and Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma rural municipalities. Apart from the literacy champions who work in schools, there is a group of all-women community facilitators, chosen by their peers, who provide counselling and support to other women in the community. Supporting the gogos Two community facilitators, Nomvula Phoswa and Faith Khumalo, confirmed that despite a lack of funding for the adult work, they were continuing their roles with the family groups in the community. Both dressed in T-shirts emblazoned with Pepfar, the Aids funding programme recently halted by one of US President Donald Trump's now (in)famous executive orders, they are firmly committed to changing their communities' circumstances – no matter the odds. Phoswa is quietly spoken but displays steely determination. She comes from Bulwer, where she started a 'child-to-child' reading club for children after school. The programme expanded to include young girls and adult groups, addressing issues such as behaviour, health and home life. 'I support the grandmothers who take care of the children,' she says of her adult group of 20, alluding to a South African phenomenon where socioeconomic pressures, unemployment, urban migration and poverty push families to consolidate resources by living together, along with 'deeply rooted cultural values [that] continue to uphold the importance of extended family networks'. Phoswa is passionate about her Grade R and Grade 1 children's literacy sessions, in which she uses the FLP kit with letter sounds and flash cards. She has reached hundreds of children and parents, and her methods have been adopted by teachers. Phoswa faces challenges such as lack of space for adult groups and limited resources for reaching more children. Creating the odds to favour the kids The success of continued education in the region is up against many odds. Grade R teacher Nonzamo Makhaye says she starts the day by preparing a meal for the children, because many haven't eaten. This is in addition to the regular school meal provided. The unemployment rate in the region is 62.52%, with youth unemployment even higher at more than 70%. The children won't come to school for a whole month if there are many public holidays, for instance in December and over Easter, because the parents can't pay a taxi driver the full monthly fee of R300. As we drive through an area known as the Underberg Low-Cost Housing Area, a young boy, clutching a football, and two others confirm that is the reason they are at home. 'The school year effectively ends at the end of November. This isn't good, as studies have shown that the number of school days attended has a positive impact on the children's education,' says Taylor. The literacy champions live in the community and, where they can, follow their pupils' progress. Nkosikhona Msiya, a young champion who is still studying towards a degree, says some of the children he has taught are now at university and others already have their degrees. He looks concerned. 'And I am still stuck [studying].' DM This feature was produced with the support of the Henry Nxumalo Foundation. From gardener to literacy champion: an unlikely path to success Nkosikhona Msiya gesticulates to the children assembled in the schoolyard on a cool autumn morning. The pupils follow with rapt attention, completely oblivious to their surroundings at Goxhill Primary in the foothills of the Drakensberg in Underberg. The children have brought their mobile desks with reading cards and sound cards out into the fresh air. Beyond the school fence, the Drakensberg can be seen through a blue haze in the distance. Tourists often come to the region to drive up the famous Sani Pass with its hairpin bends and spectacular views. Few will notice the tiny farm schools, like Goxhill, with its drab brick exterior. Should they visit, they will find a school filled with enthusiastic children in classrooms with floors scrubbed clean and walls transformed by artwork and posters. Msiya got into teaching by accident. After completing matric he went on to study, but it didn't work out, so his grandfather found a job for him as a gardener at an orphanage in Underberg. He started working there in 2014, but in the afternoons he would spend time with the children, helping them with their homework. His talent didn't go unnoticed. 'I think you are meant to work with children,' an administrator at the orphanage told him, and introduced him to Pierre Horn, the Family Literacy Project (FLP) director. Soon he was being trained to become a literacy champion, and even worked full-time as a teacher at one stage, even though he was not qualified. During the Covid-19 pandemic the literacy champions played a crucial role. The FLP set up WhatsApp groups and the literacy champions worked with children in the community when schools were closed, using the Reach Out to Read method. Now Msiya's days are busy; in the mornings he works as a teacher, in the afternoons he coaches soccer, and he is completing his bachelor of education degree through the University of South Africa. 'Being part of this project has helped me… as I've gained a lot of skills, like how to teach and how to deal with children who have… challenges,' says Msiya. He recognises now that he should have started years ago, when he was still at school and often took over the class when the teachers weren't there. 'I should have realised that I've got this thing,' he says of his talent for teaching. After all, his classmates always told him he was good at it. DM
Time of India
11-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
IIT Madras BS degree convocation marks milestone in democratizing tech education
MUMBAI: On a day marked by quiet revolutions and roaring applause, the Indian Institute of Technology Madras held its Convocation and Certificate Distribution Ceremony for the BS Degree programmes on 8 June 2025—a moment that didn't just honour graduates but redefined who gets to be called one. In an auditorium humming with possibility, 867 students from across India and abroad received their scrolls—some holding three-year BSc degrees, others the first-ever batch to earn the four-year BS degrees in Data Science and Applications or in Electronic Systems. Among them were students from remote villages, urban sprawls, and even foreign cities. Some were just 18, others over 80. 'This is not just a graduation. It's a declaration,' said Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras. 'That knowledge belongs to all. That no income bracket or geography or prior degree should keep someone from accessing world-class education.' Of the graduating cohort, nearly 150 come from families earning less than Rs 1 lakh annually. Another 100 come from households earning less than Rs 5 lakh. These degrees were not easy. Delivered online but assessed rigorously in person at exam centres across India and abroad, they are as academically demanding as any other degree from IIT Madras. They come with projects, labs, capstones—and grit. More than half the students (52%) are juggling this programme alongside another undergraduate degree. While 72% come from engineering or technical fields, a significant 22% come from arts, commerce, or sciences—each drawn by the programme's promise to rewire careers and reimagine futures. Among those honoured was Dr. Sadineni Nikhil Chowdary, an MBBS doctor from AIIMS Delhi, who not only graduated with a CGPA of 9.82 but also topped the GATE Data Science and AI exam. He now plans to pursue MTech at IIT Madras, showing that medicine and machine learning are not parallel tracks but converging ones. 'Three of the top 10 ranks in GATE DA were secured by our BS students,' noted Prof. Kamakoti. 'That speaks volumes of the academic depth this programme fosters.' The day also underscored a larger vision. With over 38,000 active learners and growing, this hybrid BS programme is IIT Madras' blueprint for Sustainable Development Goal 4: universal access to quality education. Whether it's a diploma, a BSc, or a full BS degree, students have flexible exits—and for some, even free rides, thanks to CSR support. 'We're not just building coders or data scientists,' said Prof. Andrew Thangaraj, Coordinator of the BS Program. 'We're shaping informed problem-solvers who understand both complexity and context—who can write code, but also ask the right questions.' Chief Guest Mr. Aravind Krishnan, Managing Director and Head, Southeast Asia Private Equity, Blackstone, described the programme as 'a global model for accessible, future-ready education,' adding that 'the ability to extract insights from complexity is now among the most valuable skills of our time.' Today, more than 4,800 students are studying tuition-free thanks to philanthropic support. Over 10,000 students from extremely low-income families receive up to 75% scholarship. Some have already secured admission into institutions like IISc, IITB, IITD, ISB, University of Michigan, and Texas A&M. What started as a bold experiment is now a quiet revolution. In a world obsessed with exclusivity, IIT Madras is building a new kind of legacy—one where excellence is not rarefied, but reachable.
Time of India
05-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Few women leaders in education a serious concern, says global report
Representative AI image New Delhi: 'Most teachers are women, but few lead' is the central message of the 'Leadership in Education: Lead For Learning' section of the Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report 2024-25, released on Wednesday night by UNESCO . The report highlights what is a problem across countries: the under-representation of women in leadership positions at all levels of the education system — from schools to education ministries. Globally, women make up 57% of secondary school teachers, but in most countries, the proportion of female principals lags the share of female teachers by at least 20 percentage points. This disparity exists despite growing evidence that gender-diverse leadership correlates with better learning outcomes and more enabling school environment. Similar is the story at the higher education level. While women comprise 45% of higher education faculty, they account for only 30% of leadership roles in universities and colleges. India is no exception to this phenomenon. While women dominate the teaching workforce in primary schools, accounting for over 60% of elementary teachers, their number declines sharply in leadership positions, particularly at the secondary and tertiary levels. Factors such as limited access to mentorship, lack of institutional support, safety concerns, and deep-rooted gender norms continue to restrict women's elevation to decision-making roles. The report also examines political leadership in the education sector. Between 2010 and 2023, only 27% of education ministers worldwide were women. This imbalance matters not only for representation purposes but also for policy priorities. Studies cited in the GEM report suggest that female political leaders are more likely to bat for equitable education funding, inclusive curricula, and community engagement. Countries with specific policies to promote gender equity in school leadership are clearly in the minority. Only 11% of countries globally have taken concrete steps to address the gender gap in principal recruitment. Some regions are taking proactive measures — for instance, several francophone African countries are piloting support programmes for female school leaders. The report says that students in such settings, with more schools led by women, were ahead in progress in mathematics and reading by at least six months compared to their peers in male-led schools. It calls for systemic reforms that move beyond token representation. Among the report's recommendations are transparent and gender-sensitive recruitment for leadership roles, targeted training and mentoring programmes for aspiring women leaders, and policies that enable flexible work arrangements and childcare support. As countries work towards Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) of inclusive and equitable quality education, educational leadership must reflect the diversity of those it serves. Unless gender barriers in leadership are removed, progress in other aspects of educational equity may remain incomplete, the report has stressed.
