Every year, on a number of different days across the calendar, the international community comes together to observe international days. As declared by the United Nations (UN), international days are “occasions to educate the public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will and resources to address global problems, and to celebrate and reinforce achievements of humanity.” They also serve as an extremely powerful and effective advocacy tool.
Earlier this week, countries around the world commemorated International Day of Education (IDE). The roots of the special occasion date back to December 2018, when the United Nations General Assembly adopted with consensus a resolution proclaiming 24 January as IDE, in celebration of the profound role of education for peace and development. The resolution, which was co-authored by nearly 60 nations, demonstrated the unwavering global political will to support transformative actions for inclusive, equitable, and quality education for all.
Today, IDE is distinguished as one of the most important international days, while governments, various organizations of the UN system, civil society, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, the private sector, individuals, and other entities organize a range of activities and events in observance of the occasion.
Education holds multifaceted importance for individuals, communities, and nations
According to a large framework of regional and international human rights conventions, treaties, and declarations, education is a fundamental human right and it is also indispensable for the exercise of a vast array of other human rights. For instance, the right to education is enshrined in the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 26 of the milestone global rights document calls for free and compulsory elementary education and declares that, “Everyone has the right to education” – regardless of sex, creed, religion, or other distinction. As well, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted in 1989 and which is also a key document within the international human rights framework, stipulates that countries shall make higher education accessible to all. In addition to its intrinsic value and human rights dimensions, education is also widely recognized as a key driver of socioeconomic growth and development. This is partly reflected in its prominence of place within the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Goal 4, in particular, aims to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” by 2030. What’s more, it is widely recognized that education is essential for the success and realization of essentially all other SDGs.
Presently, a wealth of empirical literature from around the world has powerfully demonstrated that greater levels of education, both for individuals and nations, increase efficiency and productivity, raise innovation and creativity, and ultimately lead to greater wages or income, wealth, growth, life expectancy, and overall development. Notably, considerable work by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO, the specialized agency of the UN focusing on education), along with a long list of others, has also shown that education continues to be among the best and smartest investments that nations can make: small investments tend to result in massive returns.
A pillar of society and key element in transforming lives and communities
In Eritrea, education remains a central pillar of society and the country has prioritized it as a key plank within its national policy and broader framework for development, socio-economic growth, and poverty alleviation. National policy in the country provides for access to education free-of-charge to all, extending from the primary to the tertiary level. This is complemented by several other programs and measures that aim to promote inclusion and equal opportunities for all Eritreans, including the provision of subsidized and free learning materials for individuals or groups in need, financial or resource assistance to vulnerable households to keep children enrolled, the mother language policy, adult and outreach learning programs, the establishment of boarding schools for students from remote communities or nomadic groups, literacy and skills programs for rehabilitee prisoners, and transport assistance (such as bicycles or donkeys) for some communities or groups within certain areas.
Additionally, selected schools in different parts of the country provide meals to students, an important social protection tool that leads to multiple health and learning benefits. Boarding schools have been constructed in historically and economically disadvantaged communities, and they operate with public funding at all levels of learning. Notably, continued substantial investment and support for technical and vocational education is helping to promote greater opportunities for decent, productive work, sustainable livelihoods, personal empowerment, and improved incomes, especially for youth, women, and the generally disadvantaged.
Progress in education in Eritrea can be viewed through examining different measures. For one, consider educational institutions: the number of schools at all levels has increased significantly from 526 in 1991/92 to 1,930 in 2015/16 and to 2,254 in 2020/21. (In fact, many more schools have been constructed in the period since then, thus raising the national total.)
Parallel to this, national enrolments have also risen dramatically. Specifically, enrolment at all levels was about 248,000 in 1991 and about 620,000 in 2020/21. Noteworthy, too, is that parity between boys and girls in primary education has been achieved, while the historically huge gender disparities in secondary and tertiary education enrolment continue to be reduced. As well, overall enrolments in technical and vocational education and training are also steadily increasing (again with female enrolments nearing parity), thus providing young people of all backgrounds and from all walks of life with a viable alternative avenue towards employment and sustainable livelihoods.
Finally, examining literacy levels also sheds important light on national progress. In 2018, adult literacy was about 77 percent, a substantial jump from 1990 when it was approximately 46 percent. Across the same period, even steeper increases were achieved in youth literacy, indicating that the country’s efforts to strengthen the supply and quality of basic education programs have largely been successful. Specifically, in 2018, youth literacy was around 93 percent, a significant rise from about 61 percent in 1990. It is worth noting that UNESCO’s Institute for Statistics has stated that Eritrea has achieved one of the largest increases in youth literacy anywhere in the world over the past 50 years.