Education: A Right for Human Culturing
International
Day of Education 2023 / 24 January / Article
Education: A Right for Human
Culturing
Fr Dr M. D. Thomas
Director, Institute of
Harmony and Peace Studies, New Delhi
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The 24th day of
January is marked as ‘International Day of Education’ by the United Nations.
Manifestly, this annual observance is dedicated to education or learning. The
resolution was passed by the UN General Assembly on 03 December 2018, in view
of affirming the role of education in bringing global peace and sustainable
development. The first International day of Education took effect in 2019.
The overall objective of the
day includes the betterment of the humans by way of being educated individuals,
leading to a cultured society that is marked by optimism and opportunities. Equality
of genders is still very much a dream. The cycle of poverty leaves millions
behind, too. Therefore, inclusive and equitable quality education is required,
as a lifelong opportunity. No doubt, education is a human right. It is a public
responsibility, too.
The picture of the society in terms of education is
really shocking. Some 300 million children and youth are out of school. Nearly
800 million adults are illiterate. Some 600 million children and adolescents do
not know basic math. Over 60% girls in Africa do not complete even lower
secondary school. Millions and millions of children of refugees are out of
school, as well. These are examples of sheer violation of the right to
education.
The theme of the ‘International Day of Education 2023’
is ‘to invest in people, prioritize education’. In line with the global
momentum generated by ‘UN Transforming Education Summit 2022’, a strong
political mobilization around education, leading to translating commitments and
initiatives into action, is under way. In the wake of varying global concerns,
education has to be prioritized in view of accelerating progress towards
Sustainable Development Goals 2030.
Transforming education is a must for re-imagining the
futures of the humanity together. Transforming the future, in its turn, calls
for re-balancing our relationships with each other, with nature and with
technology, too. This is all the more necessary amidst the growing concerns of
equity, inclusion and democratic participation. Stress on the fundamental right
to education is vital for building a more sustainable, inclusive and peaceful
futures.
Education is a public endeavour and a common good. It has to steer the digital transformation and safeguard the planet as well as support the teachers and unlock the potentials of all children. Only then, they can contribute to the collective wellbeing of the human society, which is our shared home. Education is inevitable for sustaining the entire life on earth.
What has to be asserted with
outright emphasis is that ‘education is a human right’. The right to education is
enshrined in article 26 of the Universal declaration of human Rights. The
declaration calls for free and compulsory elementary education for all. The
Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted in 1989, proceeds to affirm that
countries should make higher education accessible to all, as well.
Sustainable Development Goals
2030 in its agenda passed in 2015 recognizes that education is essential for
the success of all 17 of its goals. Sustainable Development Goal 4, in
particular, aims at ‘ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and
promoting lifelong education for all’.
Education has to be looked at
from a larger perspective. The quality of education around the world varies for
children around the world. Millions of children are still deprived of this basic
human right. Advocacy and campaign have to be accelerated for better education
reforms as well as education for all. Imparting education is not limited to
institutions. Helping access to education can lift many out of poverty and pave
the way for a promising future.
Having hundreds of millions of children of the human
society being out of school is a major liability. The condition of marginalized
communities, of underdeveloped countries and those living in regions with
higher inequality is much worse still. The bitterest reality is that there are
countless societies around the world today where education is dismissed as
unnecessary. Well, much requires to be done.
International Day of Education is a call for action.
Individuals, civil society and policy makers have to come together for ensuring
primary and secondary education to children as well as for improving the
engagement of the youth in education. Learning programmes have to be designed for
the needs of different demographics. Equipping children with education that is
required for employment is vital for better futures, as well.
What’s more, it is obvious that the humans are born as
human beings. But, they have to become human beings. Becoming human beings, in
its turn, is a continuous process, from birth to death. Education is that
factor, which makes human beings really human. Being humane is the identity of
human beings. Becoming good human beings and good citizens is the ultimate goal
of education. Therefore, education has to be of central importance in life.
‘International Day of Education 2023’
is a great occasion to for governmental, religious and administrative officials
as well as citizens in India and world over for resolving to do all that is
possible to make human beings educated, especially those of the deprived
sections. Human beings, through education, have to become really ‘humane’ and
thus their spiritual character has to shine through human culturing, lest human
life become futile.
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The author is Director, Institute of Harmony and Peace Studies, New Delhi, and has been committed to education, cross-cultural perspectives, cross-scriptural values, constitutional values, interfaith relations, social ethics, communal harmony, national integration and social wellbeing, for the past over 40 years. He contributes to the above cause through lectures, articles, video messages, conferences, social interactions, views at TV channels, and the like.
He
could be viewed, listened to and
contacted at the following portals – websites ‘www.mdthomas.in’ (p), ‘https://mdthomas.academia.edu’ (p), ‘https://drmdthomas.blogspot.com’(p)
and ‘www.ihpsindia.org’
(o); social media ‘https://www.youtube.com/InstituteofHarmonyandPeaceStudies’ (o),
‘https://twitter.com/mdthomas53’ (p), ‘https://www.facebook.com/mdthomas53’ (p); email ‘mdthomas53@gmail.com’
(p) and telephone 9810535378 (p).
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