Education

Education

Education is central to development and to the improvement of the lives of young people globally, and as such has been identified as a priority areain internationally agreeddevelopment goals, including the Millennium Development Goals and the World Programme of Action for Youth.

Education is important ineradicating poverty and hunger and in promoting sustained, inclusive and equitable economic growth and sustainable development. Increased efforts towards education accessibility, quality and affordability are central to global development efforts.

Many education and training systems do not provide young people with the basic skills needed to escape poverty and unemployment, even when they continue to receive formal education. Nonformal education programmes seek to fill this gap by providing learning and skills development opportunities that are relevant to the context in which young people live and seek their livelihoods. Often provided through youth and community based organizations, non-formal education facilitates the learning of life-relevant knowledge and skills, especially for disadvantaged and marginalized groups.

Non-formal education should not be seen as an alternative to formal education, but rather recognized for its complementariness in providing a more fully rounded and skills based approach, equipping youth to meet the competing demands of work and personal life.
(UNESCO education website)

For Further Reading:

· World Programme of Action for Youth

· UNESCO education website

· UNESCO youth website