education for all

The campaign to achieve education for all is on the right track, but India has a long way to go to meet the goal, the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisations) said on Friday. Releasing 'Education For All - Global Monitoring Report' in the Capital, UNESCO director general Koichiro Matsuura said that more and more number of youths were turning out to be well-educated, but the pace had to pick up. "India has got good infrastructure and that is continuing to build on. It has schools and universities that have produced well educated youth. But this has to continue and has to accelerate," he told reporters in New Delhi. "India has made great strides in imparting education to all and promoting literate population but it still has a long way to go to achieve Education For All goal by 2015," he said.
Taking note of a large number of children not going to school and instead working to earn a living, Matsuura said "child labour is incompatible with providing education for all. Children must go to school. The government and parents have the duty to send their children to school." The report noted that the number of children starting primary school had increased sharply since 2000. It said there are more girls in schools than ever before, and spending on education and aid had risen. "That is the good news," he said.But on the down side, the high cost of schooling and persisting high levels of adult illiteracy are undermining the chances of achieving education for all by 2015, the report said. Matsuura pointed out throughout South and South West region there are 300 million illiterate adults which is equal to 50 per cent of the adult population worldwide.