THE theme of the 2020 International Education day is ‘Learning for people, planet, prosperity and peace’.
Permanent secretary of the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development Franco Rodie said the theme reiterates that education and learning enables is humanity’s greatest renewable resource and reaffirm the role of education as a fundamental right and a public good.
“Indeed learning can empower people, preserve the planet, build shared prosperity and foster peace,” he said.
Rodie said in the context of the ministry, the learning for people simply means the action for people by making education an instrument of inclusion- education, mandatory education – to be accessible by all citizens so that it can empower their lives.
He said with prosperity, it means taking action for prosperity, education is the best investment for the future of our people and country.
“Education is, in the medium and long term, the most effective means of reducing inequality and encouraging social inclusion.
“It is for this reason that my ministry has started work on promotion of girls’ and women’s education and developed policies on gender in education, disability inclusive education and Child Protection Policy,” he added.
The permanent secretary said with planet, education also provides key solutions for a planet threatened by a climate imbalance, the consequences of which become more obvious with each passing day.
“Only education has the power to sustainably change societies’ behaviour as necessitated by the challenge of global warming.
“This is why the Ministry of Education has called on all the education authorities to incorporate environmental education into their annual work plans and the curriculum department to include in the revised curricula,” he added.
With regards to peace, he said education is the cornerstone of peace.
“Education is opening up to others, a path of intelligence which leads to intercultural understanding, to reconciliation, to fellowship. This is the meaning of peace that must be promoted in our education institutions,” he said.
Rodie said the government through the Ministry of Education calls for everybody’s support to education sector.
“We cannot do this alone. We need your help. So we are appealing to each and every one of you to help promote and progress educational development in our country.
