
January 24 marks the International Day of Education, which was declared on 3 December 2018, by the United Nations General Assembly, “in celebration of the role of education for peace and development” and to recognize “education is a human right, a public good and a public responsibility.” Many events are organized on this occasion around the world.
Education is a human right, as enshrined in article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which calls for free and compulsory elementary education, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which stipulates that countries shall make higher education accessible to all. Good education is the fourth of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, the UN is willing to achieve by 2030.
In the Arab world, the status of education varies from country to country. While Alkarama is pleased to note that in some Arab countries education is given high priority by specialised governmental and non-governmental bodies, it regrets the lack of attention paid to this vital sector in many Arab countries, which places them at the bottom of international rankings.
The situation is even worse in countries suffering from occupation, wars and violent conflicts, such as Palestine, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, due to the disruption of the education system, the destruction of schools and educational facilities, the difficulty of access to education in the affected areas, displacement and migration, which expose children in camps or unstable areas to no or limited education.
Alkarama stresses the importance of education for the development of society and calls on governments to pay close attention to this vital sector, which determines the future of future generations, by providing human and material resources for quality education, enhancing the status of teachers in society and distancing education from ideological tensions and political agendas.