Ethiopian Informer
ADDIS ABABA (EI): At a high-level session of the World Summit on Social Development on Tuesday, global education leaders issued an urgent call for a fundamental transformation of the world’s education systems.
The high-level meeting, held under the theme “Foundations for the Future: Basic Education as a Pathway to Skills and Jobs,” featured a unified message from government officials, international envoys, and youth advocates.
The meeting warned that the failure to bridge the gap between schooling and practical skills is exacerbating global inequality and stifling economic growth, particularly in the Global South, according to a UNECA statement.
Experts and policymakers at the gathering underscored that incremental changes are no longer sufficient to address the escalating challenges affecting current educational model.
Samantha Umar, a youth leader for the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), framed education as the non-negotiable foundation for human development. “What would life be without the basic skills to learn, read, and understand essential services?” she asked, highlighting the urgent need to address equity, opportunity, and employability for youth worldwide.
UNECA Deputy Executive Secretary Hanan Morsy, anchoring the discussion in Africa’s context, stated that education and skills are the core drivers of the continent’s structural transformation. “The widening gap between what education systems deliver and the needs of the labor market is a crisis we must address,” Morsy said. She called for a shift from static curricula to dynamic systems integrating digital literacy.
A clear consensus emerged around several key pillars for reform. These include a move from rote learning to competency-based education that prioritizes critical thinking; significant investment in teacher training and working conditions; and the leveraging of technology to improve access and outcomes.
The discussion also emphasized the need for lifelong learning and robust public-private partnerships to mobilize new financing and align education with market needs. Mr. Nesmy Manigat of the GPE encapsulated a recurring theme, stating, “Education is an investment, not a cost.”
Regional perspectives on implementation were provided, with Kenya sharing its concrete reforms, including a transition to a competency-based curriculum. From a policy perspective, Refat Sabbah, President of the Global Campaign for Education (GCE), advocated for education as a fundamental right and called for fiscal reforms to ensure it is fully funded.
The reiterated a reinforced sense of shared responsibility, as leaders agreed that building resilient, inclusive, and relevant education systems is both an educational imperative and the foundational investment required for an equitable and prosperous global future.
