GCE world conference kicks off
Kathmandu, Nov 16 : Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali has said the government is making efforts to ensure 20 percent allocation of the total budget to the education sector as per the international standard to achieve prosperity and the sustainable development goals (SDGs).
Giving his speech during the inaugural session of the sixth World Conference on Global Campaign for Education (GCE) here today, the minister said there was no alternative to quality public education to attain peace and prosperity, adding that the government was working to ensure sufficient budget and its proper management towards that end.
He informed the forum that Nepal had recently enforced the act relating to the free and compulsory education and literacy rate, net enrolment and gender equity ratio at basic levels had increased in the recent years in Nepal which indicated an encouraging atmosphere towards the achievement of SDGs.
Highlighting the need of an effective management centre and policy-level and executive coordination between the province and local governments to enhance the quality of public education, he took the moment to express his hope that the conference would be able to dig out and identify causes behind social crimes, gender-based violence and educated employment growing worldwide despite the rise in literacy rate.
Also speaking on the occasion, United National deputy general secretary Ms Amina J Mohammed underscored the need of collaboration between the respective government and civic society to meet the SDG4 by 20130.
The SDG4 is about the quality education with a focus on inclusive and equitable education and promotion of lifelong learning opportunities for all.
UN Girls Education Initiative (UNGEI) Secretariat Director Nora Fyles was of the view that any nation could achieve prosperity provided that it could deliver quality public education with the guarantee of inclusiveness with just and equal opportunities in field concerned.
JCE President Camilla Croso said that every government should allocate six percent of the GDP and 20 percent of the total budget to education sector to meet the goal for quality and accessible education for all. She called on the need for voicing globally against increasing privatisation and commercialisation in the area of education.
The conference is hosted by the National Campaign for Education. Social representatives, education campaigners and youth advocates from several countries in the world will dialogue on the issue of reformation in public education system for justice, equity and inclusiveness.
The conference will conclude by electing a new leadership for the GCE. The fifth GCE Conference was held in Johannesburg, South Africa. Besides, it will come up with a future planning for reformation and quality improvement of public education.
The campaign was launched internationally, regionally and nationally from the people’s level following the World Education Forum 1999 Dakar Conference in Senegal. (RSS)