Improve the Quality of Education To improve the
quality of education calls for improvement in the quality of education in all
its aspects, aiming for a situation where people can achieve excellence.
Everyone should be able to achieve learning outcomes that are recognized and can
be measured, particularly with regard to literacy, numeracy(数字) and other skills
essential for life. Why this goal
Education must help learners live their lives with greater competence and
greater confidence. It will only do this if it is of good quality--where the
learning process is positive and helpful, and where real learning takes place.
For children, it is not merely a matter of attending school, but of learning in
ways that make sense, and learning things that are relevant and useful. Today’s
world is complex and knowledge is growing at a fast pace--learning must go on
throughout life. Both children and adults need to know how to cope with change,
with many different relationships, with lots of information, and with diversity
and difference. So teaching and learning must give learners the
tools for life--education must lead to outcomes that are meaningful where
learners feel confident in using the knowledge and skills they have acquired.
Education is also about developing behavior based on positive
values--understanding and respect for other people of all kinds, for their
rights, for the past and the future. This is education of high quality--only
education of this kind will lead to the many social and economic benefits which
countries and individuals hope for. Importance of quality
education in learning Learners--whether children or
adults--quickly react to the quality of education. Where the quality of
schooling is high, for example, parents are motivated not only to send their
children to school, but also to keep them there. Adult learners soon lose
interest in educational opportunities ff they do not result in relevant and
useful knowledge. The quality of education is therefore a factor in ensuring
that education is accessible and meaningful to everyone. What
happens in the learning environment is also important. When the school is
a safe environment and is well-equipped, when teachers are well-trained and
highly motivated, learners are more likely to be able to achieve learning goals
and successfully complete schooling. An education of high
quality also means that individuals will develop their potential--education will
make a difference to the chances they have in life. In society as a whole,
quality education supports positive social change. It will enable people to
progress through effective learning outcomes--gaining the knowledge,
competencies, skills and behaviors which are essential for
development. Current challenges Measuring
quality: this is a key challenge, so that we can say with more certainty where
and how the quality of education is improving. We need better indicators and
more of them, so that the different aspects of quality can be
assessed. Increasing the relevance of education: irrelevant
education means little to the learner and does not lead to new opportunities in
life. Education must be made relevant to the circumstances of the learner--for
example, exploring the local culture and way of life and using local languages.
It must also be made relevant to the opportunities that are available--knowledge
that can lead to further learning and to productive work, whether locally, in
the capital city or elsewhere. Quality for everyone: this will
mean special approaches for disadvantaged children and adults, such as those in
conflict zones and emergency situations, those with disabilities, those in
remote areas, orphans, abandoned children, and those affected by HIV and AIDS.
Many of these will not be able to receive a quality education without special
measures and attention to address their needs. Reforming the
education system: improving quality means doing things differently, since
current education systems in many places do not provide quality learning. We
must try every means to improve the quality of teachers, reform teaching methods
and create better school environments. What governments
should do Increase the relevance of education by adjusting
learning processes, curriculum content and school management to take account of
the context of learning; Stress democratic citizenship, respect
and human rights as the most important values of education and take measures so
that they are developed at the school level and in other learning
environments; Emphasize sustainable development as the most
important social outcome of education, and link this to curriculum development
and teacher training; Take special measures to reach vulnerable
groups; this may include school feeding programs, itinerant (巡回的) teachers,
health support, materials and instruction in minority languages, measures for
the disabled; Improve the school environment with special
attention to the needs of girls in respect of safety, sanitation and the
attitudes of teachers; Strengthen the training, status and
payment of teachers in order to improve teacher performance and
motivation; Invest in books, materials and equipment to provide
a stimulating learning environment--at the very least, every child in school
should have access to a book which they can read for themselves;
Develop accountable management systems, particularly at school level,
under a clear legal framework and with appropriate capacity-building so that
local information can feed into decisions and planning; Continue
research into measuring quality, developing appropriate indicators and building
local capacity to collect and interpret local data. What
funding agencies should do Support research for a better
understanding and measurement of quality, in the diverse national and
sub-national contexts, through research studies and capacity-building;
Support the initial and in-service training of teachers as key guarantees
of quality and support studies into what quality means for vulnerable
groups; Act as a catalyst for dialogue at local and national
levels, and between them, on developing accountable management
systems; Facilitate exchange and lesson-learning between
different countries and regions of the world, for teachers, school
administrators and other education practitioners. What UNESCO
is doing UNESCO supports the promotion of quality education
by emphasizing the values that support it. It does this through:
The Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, which aims to make
sure that education presents ideas and values about building a sustainable
future--one in which individuals and communities can develop in full respect of
each other, of the world we live in and of future generations.
The Associated Schools Project Network, which gives schoolchildren the
chance to learn about the wider world and how the United Nations works. It also
gives them the chance to be in touch with others in different parts of the
world. This builds respect for diversity and difference and teaches teamwork and
communication skills. Education for human rights and peace, with
materials and events to make sure that quality education is a force for
solidarity and non-violence in today’s world. The cultural and
linguistic diversity program, which shows the importance of respecting diversity
and of building education on the richness of different cultures and languages;
it also promotes the use of local languages as the best vehicles of learning
when children start school and adults learn literacy for the first time. To acquire quality education, increasing the relevance of education is the most important thing that governments should do.