Blog #12: UN Report Finds Africa Education Goals Stagnating

Today a report from the United Nations came out about African education. According to the article, education goals in Africa have been stagnating. This has become a problem because it’s leaving many young people deprived of quality schooling and a high-quality job. Pauline Rose, a director of the report, told VOA, “Progress in reaching the Education for All goals first set in 2000 has stagnated in recent years, as reaching those in need has become more challenging” (“UN Report Finds Africa Education Goals Stagnating”). She then further explains that the children who don’t get schooling are the hardest to reach to get back into schooling. Rose even explains further that in conventional schools that the quality of education is lacking and young people are only receiving a basic education. This makes them unprepared for the work force. Nowadays more young people are getting low paying jobs earning just enough to survive. However, these young people are still staying below the poverty line. The report also reports that 40% of young people with a secondary education are living in working poverty. The government has said they’re going to try to install technical programs and training.

The occurrence of young people not having adequate education and only receiving low-paying jobs is too frequent and a global social problem. This is a problem because young people are becoming poorer. They’re getting stuck in the poverty class and they’re not finding a way out. This can create bigger problems because they might not be able to afford nutritional food or even medicine when needed. This can create a problem because more people can sick or being malnourished which then the death rate goes up. Also, young people need a quality education not only for the workforce, but for life in general. African government need to stick to their promises and goals of finding technical training for young people so they can get decent jobs. If the young people could get a better education, they could have a better job and then work their way out of the working poverty. The young people now are the future generation if they’re stuck in the working poverty class and not getting a decent education, this can further into other countries. Young people might also get stuck in the working poverty and their future families will also be stuck in the working poverty.  

http://www.voanews.com/content/unesco-report-finds-africa-education-goals-stagnating/1545460.html

11/14/12 5:49 pm