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Africa to drastically accelerate progress on water, sanitation and hygiene – report 2022-05-25 DAKAR, 22 March 2022 – Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) targets on water, sanitation and hygiene in Africa will require a dramatic acceleration in the current rates of progress, according to a UNICEF/WHO special report focused on Africa, launched today at the World Water Forum in Dakar, Senegal. This special report calls for urgent action to be taken on a continent where water scarcity and weak sanitation and hygiene services can threaten peace and development. Between 2000 and 2020, Africa’s population increased from 800 million to 1.3 billion people. About 500 million people gained access to basic drinking water and 290 million to basic sanitation services, according to a report of the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (JMP), launched today during a session of the World Water Forum hosted by the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) with UNICEF. On the continent, however, 418 million people still lack even a basic level of drinking water service, 779 million lack basic sanitation services (including 208 million who still practice open defecation) and 839 million still lack basic hygiene services. Achieving the SDG targets in Africa will require a 12-fold increase in current rates of progress on safely managed drinking water, a 20-fold increase for safely managed sanitation and a 42-fold increase for basic hygiene services, according to the report. “Equitable access to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene is not only the foundation of health and development for children and communities. Water is life, water is development, water is peace”, said Marie-Pierre Poirier, UNICEF Regional Director for West and Central Africa. “In a time when water scarcity fuels conflicts and water points are targeted, UNICEF calls for urgent actions. We need water, sanitation and hygiene in schools, especially for girls who may miss school because there are no toilets or because they have to fetch water. Women and children need a safe access to water. As climate change puts additional pressure on resources, we need climate risk-sensitive and resilient water, sanitation and hygiene services for children and their communities. And we need it now”. Significant inequalities persist within countries including between urban and rural, between sub-national regions and between the richest and the poorest. In urban areas, 2 out of 5 people lack safely managed drinking water, 2 out of 3 people lack safely managed sanitation, and half the population lacks basic hygiene services. In rural areas, 4 out of 5 people lack safely managed drinking water, 3 out of 4 people lack safely managed sanitation, and 7 out of 10 lack basic hygiene services. Worldwide, UNICEF works in over 100 countries to help provide access to safe water and reliable sanitation, and to promote basic hygiene practices in rural and urban areas, including in emergency situations. We achieve better water, sanitation and hygiene results for children by working directly with schools and healthcare facilities to improve access to these services, providing life-saving support in humanitarian settings. The creativity and commitment of community members supported as agents of change can inspire climate-related collective action, rallying around “nothing about us without us” where community members and government leaders identifying solutions to the challenges they face. Hosted for the first time in sub-Saharan Africa on 21-26 March 2022 by Macky Sall, the President of Senegal and Chairperson of the African Union, with the support of many partners including UNICEF, the 9th World Water Forum on “Water security for peace and development” aims to provide a unique platform for the water community and decision-makers to find solutions to increase access to water and sanitation across the African continent by 2030. URL: https://www.unicef.cn/en/press-releases/africa-drastically-accelerate-progress-water-sanitation-and-hygiene-report 
Less than half of countries are implementing learning recovery strategies at scale to help children catch up 2022-05-25 NEW YORK/PARIS/WASHINGTON D.C., 30 March 2022 – “More than two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, we are witnessing a colossal loss to children’s learning. Less than half of countries are implementing learning recovery strategies at scale to help children catch up. Unless all countries implement and expand programs in the coming months, they risk losing a generation. “With a combined 2 trillion hours of in-person school lost due to school closures since March 2020, students in more than 4 in 5 countries have fallen behind in their learning. Less well-off children have seen their learning falling back. In particular, the most marginalised – those living in poverty and rural areas, children with disabilities, and the youngest students – have fallen the furthest behind. “Basic, foundational skills upon which every aspect of education is built have been erased in many countries. Children have forgotten how to read and write; some are unable to recognise letters. Children who were poised to start school for the first time never got the chance to learn these skills in the first place, as early childhood education disappeared in most countries. Without urgent remedial action, this could carry serious lifelong consequences in terms of health and well-being, future learning and employment. “And yet, our March 2022 data show that less than half of countries featured in a new analysis published today are implementing learning recovery strategies at scale to help children catch up on what they’ve missed. Only half of low-income countries have a plan in place to assess where those who have returned are at in their learning. “While we have seen pockets of data that point to a staggering number of children not returning to school once their classrooms reopened, some countries are not collecting or not able to collect information on how many children have or have not returned to school, so we are flying blind. A quarter of low-income countries – already with high out-of-school populations – do not have the data to show how many students have returned to school. “The alarm was sounded many times. Six months into the pandemic, with a lack of access to remote learning, we already knew that at least a third of schoolchildren globally were completely cut off from their education. We knew that some 24 million children and youth were at risk of dropping out altogether. We knew child labour and child marriage would rise. And yet, not enough is being done to help children recover what they’ve lost. “At a time when it’s needed the most, education funding has and continues to fall desperately short. Countries allocated on average 3 per cent of their COVID-19 stimulus packages to education. In low- and lower-middle-income countries, the allocation was less than 1 per cent. “While countries scramble to recover, they are overlooking the single, most-effective long-term recovery and sustainability tool – education. “Governments must double down efforts get every child into school. Education is a fundamental human right. The multiple and intersecting barriers – including poverty, cultural norms, and poor quality teaching – preventing children from accessing their education must be broken down. Every child needs to be assessed on their learning and based on the results, they must have access to quality, tailored, catch-up classes to recover what they’ve lost and beyond. Teaching should be adjusted to the level they currently are at in their learning. Teachers must be given the training, support and resources they need. And finally, schools must go beyond places of learning and support children’s well-being and safety. “This is a now-or-never moment to act and transform education in order to save this generation.” ### Notes to Editors A joint report issued today by UNESCO, UNICEF and the World Bank highlights staggering levels of learning loss globally and takes stock of the measures being taken by countries to mitigate learning losses as schools reopen. The Where are we on education recovery? report is based on a survey of 122 UNICEF country and fundraising offices administered in early March 2022. The data presented in this statement is noted in the new report which presents the importance of and progress made in five key actions for education recovery: Reach every child and retain them in school; Assess learning levels; Prioritize teaching the fundamentals; Increase catch-up learning and progress beyond what was lost; and Develop psychosocial health and well-being so every child is ready to learn. URL: https://www.unicef.cn/en/press-releases/less-half-countries-are-implementing-learning-recovery-strategies-scale-help 
UNESCO’s General Conference reaches global agreements on artificial intelligence, open science and education 2021-11-28 The 41st session of UNESCO General Conference ended yesterday with the adoption of key agreements demonstrating renewed multilateral cooperation for educational recovery, open science and the ethics of artificial intelligence. On 9 November, the organization’s 193 Member States overwhelming voted in support of Audrey Azoulay to serve a second term of four years as Director-General of the Organization, which celebrated its 75th anniversary during this session. Member States endorsed the Paris Declaration: A Global Call for Investing in the Futures of Education at a meeting which brought together Heads of State and Government and education ministers from 40 countries on the 10 November. The purpose of the meeting was to increase support for education in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. A key part of the event was the launch of a report Reimagining our futures together: a new social contract for education by UNESCO’s Director-General and the President of Ethiopia, Sahle-Work Zewde. UNESCO’s Member States adopted the first ever global Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence. It will be presented by the Director-General accompanied by experts at a press conference at 15.00 CET on Thursday, the 25 November, at UNESCO Headquarters. Journalists seeking Accreditation should contact Léo Bégé-Duclaud: l.bege-duclaud@unesco.org Another landmark moment was reached with the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science which was also adopted during the General Conference. Of particular relevance to global scientific cooperation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic , this agrement promotes equality among scientists so that populations and policy-makers will reap the benefits of advances in science. More information is available at https://www.unesco.org/en/natural-sciences/open-science. UNESCO also passed a significant milestone by marking its 75th anniversary with a special ceremony attended by 28 Heads of State and Government. There were moving performances by an array of leading international musicians and artists. During the session, the Organization also celebrated the anniversary of its Man and the Biosphere Programme, which has been a vehicle for progress for sustainable development and the sharing of ideas and examples of best practicearound the world for the last fifty years. Finally, the Åland Islands, part of Finland with autonomous status, became UNESCO’s 12th Associate Member. More information on the General Conference at https://www.unesco.org/en/general-conference/41 Media Contact: Clare O’Hagan: c.o-hagan@unesco.org URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/unescos-general-conference-reaches-global-agreements-artificial-intelligence-open-science-and 
We need everyone to help break the silence around mental health – UNICEF 2021-11-14 (From left to right) Wang Zelong (20 years), Perry Kan (17 years), Yu Xinwei (18 years), and Li Simo (16 years) perform a song titled ‘A Stronger You’, which was adapted from the 1980s hit song Brother Louie by German band Modern Talking, at an event on adolescent mental health in Beijing on 12 October, 2021. The four adolescent girls and boys rewrote the lyrics and recorded a new version. UNICEF launches a campaign with young people to start conversations and end stigma around adolescent mental health BEIJING, 12 October 2021 – At an event held today, UNICEF called for societies to listen to young people, who are increasingly raising their voices for mental health, and to commit to supporting their psychological well-being. The event was co-hosted by the National Center for Mental Health and UNICEF China, with advice from the Bureau of Disease Prevention and Control of the National Health Commission (NHC). Representatives from the government, UN organizations, experts and young people attended the activities, which included the release in China of UNICEF’s flagship publication The State of the World’s Children 2021; On My Mind: promoting, protecting and caring for children’s mental health. Globally, almost 46,000 adolescents die from suicide each year, and suicide is among the top five causes of death for their age group. More than 1 in 7 adolescents aged 10–19 years old live with a diagnosed mental disorder. And, in middle- and upper-income countries, nearly 1 in 5 youth aged 15-24 years old reported often feeling depressed or having little interest in doing things. In China, a survey on mental health conducted by Chinese scholars presents similar results and challenges among adolescents. “Every child has a right to mental health. Despite growing awareness of the impact of mental health conditions, stigma is preventing children and young people from seeking treatment, limiting their opportunities to grow, learn and thrive,” said Cynthia McCaffrey, UNICEF Representative to China. “Everyone has a role to play in breaking the silence around mental health and reducing stigma. Parents, other caregivers, teachers and public figures need to create an environment where young people feel that it’s safe to talk about their mental health.” The #StrongerMindStrongerYou campaign At the event, UNICEF released a song co-created by four young people aged 16-20, as part of its #StrongerMindStrongerYou campaign. The campaign aims to start conversations among adolescents about mental health and the stigma around it. “By listening to adolescents we hear their problems and their solutions. Young people are often best placed to help other young people. That’s why UNICEF’s mental health campaign is designed not just with young people in mind, but with their help,” said McCaffrey. The song titled ‘A Stronger You’ was adapted from the 1980s hit song Brother Louie by German band Modern Talking. Facilitated by Xiaomozi, a songwriter, the four girls and boys – Perry Kan (17 years), Li Simo (16 years), Wang Zelong (20 years) and Yu Xinwei (18 years) – rewrote the lyrics and recorded a new version with singer Sienna Wu. Yu Xinwei, who is a freshman at Beijing Normal University, said: “Through this song, we want to tell our peers that if they have any kind of worries around mental health, it’s understandable, and it’s normal. We hope they can be bold and voice their problems to get the support they need.” Yu performed the song with other young lyricists at the event. The #StrongerMindStrongerYou campaign has enlisted the support of well-known figures, including UNICEF Ambassador and actor Chen Kun, Liao Zhi, who is a dancer who lost her legs in the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, basketballer and UNICEF Ambassador Jeremy Lin, table tennis world champion Niu Jianfeng, Olympic champions Sun Yiwen (a fencer), Wang Shun (a swimmer) and Xu Xin (a table tennis player), as well as Zhu Yaming, who recorded China’s best ranking in the triple jump by winning a silver medal at the Tokyo Games. All-hands-on-deck for young people’s mental well-being Promoting mental health for young people requires commitment and investment from a diverse range of partners and stakeholders, including governments, academics, and the private sector. In China, adolescent mental health has gained increasing attention. In an opening speech at the event, Zhang Shubin, Deputy Director of the Mental Health Division of the Bureau of Disease Prevention and Control under the NHC, said, “We call on governments at all levels, relevant departments, schools, health institutions, communities, social organizations and other sectors to reinforce cooperation, and to jointly maintain and promote children and adolescents’ mental health.” “Young people’s healthy development is the country’s future and the nation’s hope. Mental health is a blessing for hundreds of millions of families, and it lays a good foundation for each young person’s healthy growth and well-being,” said Yao Hongwen, Director General of the National Center for Mental Health. “Following the country’s policy guidance, the National Center for Mental Health will keep a close watch on adolescents’ mental well-being, and promote the development of their mental health.” Prevention of mental health problems is more cost-effective and leads to better health and well-being outcomes than treatment alone. In 2016, UNICEF joined forces with the National Health Commission to launch the ‘Adolescent Health and Development Project’ in 14 districts and counties of 11 provincial level regions. The project focuses on building adolescents’ awareness, knowledge and skills for better mental health and provides information on where and when they can access services. This project has reached over half a million adolescent girls and boys from more than 430 schools with comprehensive mental health services. The #StrongerMindStrongerYou campaign is part of UNICEF’s work to empower adolescents and young people through peer support to develop skills to help each other and reject stigma. UNICEF is also working to: Support the integration of mental health services into the primary health care system. Make sure that when additional care is needed, psychological counselling services are covered by universal health insurance, so that access to care is equally affordable for families. State of the World’s Children 2021 UNICEF also released The State of the World’s Children 2021; On My Mind: promoting, protecting and caring for children’s mental health, the organisation’s most comprehensive look at the mental health of children, adolescents and caregivers in the 21st century. According to the report, even before COVID-19, children and young people carried a burden of mental health conditions, and investment to address them has been insufficient. Diagnosed mental disorders, including ADHD, anxiety, autism, bipolar disorder, conduct disorder, depression, eating disorders, intellectual disability, and schizophrenia, can significantly harm children and young people’s health, education, life outcomes, and earning capacity. While the impact on children’s lives is incalculable, a new analysis by the London School of Economics in the report indicates that globally the lost contribution to economies due to mental disorders that lead to disability or death among young people is estimated at nearly $390 billion a year. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to heavily impact children and young people’s mental health and well-being. According to the latest data from UNICEF, globally, at least 1 in 7 children have been directly affected by lockdowns, while more than 1.6 billion children have suffered some loss of education. The disruption to routines, education, recreation, as well as worries about family income and health are leaving many young people feeling afraid, angry, and concerned for their future. For example, an online survey in China in early 2020, cited in The State of the World’s Children, indicated that around a third of respondents reported feeling scared or anxious. The report notes that a mix of genetics, experience and environmental factors in the earliest days of life, including parenting, schooling, quality of relationships, exposure to violence or abuse, discrimination, poverty, humanitarian crises, and health emergencies such as COVID-19 all shape and affect children’s mental health throughout their lifetime. UNICEF is globally calling for loving caregivers, safe school environments, and positive peer relationships to help reduce the risk of mental disorders. URL:https://www.unicef.cn/en/press-releases/we-need-everyone-help-break-silence-around-mental-health-unicef 
Only half of the national curricula in the world have a reference to climate change, UNESCO warns 2021-11-08 Education systems do not currently address the gravity of the climate crisis, warns the UNESCO, the UN's leading education agency, ahead of the first joint meeting of environment and education ministers at COP26 in Glasgow on 5 November. New UNESCO data from 100 countries shows that only 53% of the world’s national education curricula make any reference to climate change and when the subject is mentioned, it is almost always given very low priority. Furthermore, fewer than 40% of teachers surveyed by UNESCO and Education International were confident in teaching about the severity of climate change and only about one-third felt able to explain the effects of climate change on their region or locality. "The climate crisis is no longer the threat of a distant future, but a global reality. There is no solution without education. Every learner needs to understand climate change, and be empowered to be part of the solution, and every teacher given the knowledge to teach about it. States must mobilize for this." -- Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General When asked about the challenges of teaching climate change, 30% of the 58,000 teachers surveyed reported that they were not familiar with suitable pedagogies. Over a quarter of those surveyed felt some approaches to teaching climate education were not suited to online teaching. This is of particular concern given that 737 million students in 66 countries are still affected by full or partial school closures. In view of these findings, UNESCO decided to organize with the United Kingdom and Italy, co-Presidents of COP26, the event ‘Together for Tomorrow: Education and Climate Action’, the first joint meeting of environment and education ministers, at COP26 in Glasgow on 5 November. "Climate and sustainability education must be mainstreamed into the curriculum to go beyond the mere concept of sustainability and re-generate the school and the entire planet." -- Patrizio Bianchi, Italian Minister of Education UNESCO will underscore the need for collaboration between the education and environment sectors to successfully integrate climate change in education systems worldwide in every level of schooling. The event builds on the Youth4Climate education session jointly organized by UNESCO and the Italian Education Ministry, where young climate activists discussed their calls for quality climate education with six education ministers. ‘Together for Tomorrow” will take place on 5 November, 4 pm to 5.30 pm, in the Blue Zone, and will be open to those who have tickets to the area. Watch Together for Tomorrow on livestream: https://ukcop26.org/ Find out more about the ministers’ pledges here UNESCO’s work on education for sustainable development: https://en.unesco.org/themes/education-sustainable-development Media contact: Thomas Mallard, t.mallard@unesco.org URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/only-half-national-curricula-world-have-reference-climate-change-unesco-warns 
Global Education Ministers Conference, towards a shared action plan to counter hate speech 2021-10-31 Education Ministers from all over the world on Tuesday attended a Global Minister’s Conference held at the initiative of UN Secretary-General António Guterres and UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay to reinforce the struggle against online and offline hate speech. Against a background of high anxiety caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in hate speech and people’s instinctive quest for scapegoats has resulted in a sharpr rise in prejudice, stereotypes and discrimination. The UN and UNESCO have called on States to take action to curb this harmful phenomenon. The Global Ministers Conference, the first of its kind, organized by UNESCO and co-chaired by President Hage Geingob of Namibia has given rise to decisions on common actions at all levels of education, prioritizing media and information literacy, teacher training and public awareness raising about digital citizenship. "This hatred is not new. But what has changed more recently is the influence and magnitude of social media platforms, which have become an echo chamber that amplifies. The legal response is essential, but it is not enough. We must also mobilize education, because it is through education that we develop critical thinking and deconstruct prejudices." -- Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General UNESCO and partners’ work to address hate speech spans multiple areas, notably: Addressing hate speech on social media developed to monitor the existence, spread and impact of online hate speech, as well as assess capacities to counter it. Media information and literacy curriculum for teachers to help young people assess the relevance and reliability of information. Prevention of antisemitism through education, as well as teaching about the Holocaust and genocides, including training for policy-makers and teacher trainers around the world. Preventing violent extremism by providing support to youth so they can engage against hateful and dangerous ideologies, and by training and guiding educators. Organized in partnership with the United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect, the Ministers Conference follows on the work of the multi-stakeholder forum organized by UNESCO early this month with the participation of governments, civil society organizations, human rights experts, as well as tech and social media companies including Facebook, YouTube and TikTok. Underpinned by the United Nations’ human rights and free speech-based Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech, the Ministers Conference specifically focused on education in the struggle against hate speech, its deeply rooted causes and driving forces. Strengthening educational responses to build the resilience of learners to the rhetoric of exclusion and hate also lies at the core of the Education 2030 Agenda, and more specifically Target 4.7 of Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) on the social, moral and humanistic aims of education. For more information and resources: https://en.unesco.org/news/addressing-hate-speech-through-education-global-education-ministers-conferencePress contact: Clare O’Hagan: c.o-hagan@unesco.org +33 145681729 URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/global-education-ministers-conference-towards-shared-action-plan-counter-hate-speech 
First day of school 'indefinitely postponed' for 140 million first-time students around the world – UNICEF: At least eight million of these young learners have been waiting for over a year. 2021-10-26 Nayla, 7, a student at in primary school, asks her teacher a question during class at the local village hall in Bandung, West Java province, Indonesia. NEW YORK, 24 August 2021 – A child's first day of school—a landmark moment for the youngest students and their parents around the world—has been delayed due to COVID-19 for an estimated 140 million young minds, UNICEF said in a new analysis released as summer break comes to end in many parts of the world. For an estimated eight million of these students, the wait for their first day of in-person learning has been over a year and counting, as they live in places where schools have been closed throughout the pandemic. "The first day of school is a landmark moment in a child's life—setting them off on a life-changing path of personal learning and growth. Most of us can remember countless minor details—what clothes we wore, our teacher's name, who we sat next to. But for millions of children, that important day has been indefinitely postponed," said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore. "As classes resume in many parts of the world, millions of first graders have been waiting to see the inside of a classroom for over a year. Millions more may not see one at all this school term. For the most vulnerable, their risk of never stepping into a classroom in their lifetime is skyrocketing." The first grade sets up the building blocks for all future learning, with introductions to reading, writing, and math. It's also a period when in-person learning helps children gain independence, adapt to new routines, and develop meaningful relationships with teachers and students. In-person learning also enables teachers to identify and address learning delays, mental health issues, and abuse that could negatively affect children’s well-being. In 2020, schools globally were fully closed for an average of 79 teaching days. However, for 168 million students, after the pandemic began, schools were shuttered for nearly the entire year. Even now, many children are facing an unprecedented second year of disruption to their education. The associated consequences of school closures – learning loss, mental distress, missed vaccinations, and heightened risk of drop out, child labour, and child marriage – will be felt by many children, especially the youngest learners in critical development stages. While countries worldwide are taking some actions to provide remote learning, at least 29 per cent of primary students are not being reached. In addition to lack of assets for remote learning, the youngest children may not be able to participate due to a lack of support using the technology, a poor learning environment, pressure to do household chores, or being forced to work. Studies have shown that positive school experiences during this transition period are a predictor of children’s future social, emotional and educational outcomes. At the same time, children who fall behind in learning during the early years often stay behind for the remaining time they spend in school, and the gap widens over the years. The number of years of education a child receives also directly affects their future earnings. Unless mitigation measures are implemented, the World Bank estimates a loss of $10 trillion in earnings over time for this entire generation of students. Existing evidence shows the cost of addressing learning gaps are lower and more effective when they are tackled earlier, and that investments in education support economic recovery, growth and prosperity. UNICEF urges governments to reopen schools for in-person learning as soon as possible, and to provide a comprehensive recovery response for students. Together with the World Bank and UNESCO, UNICEF is calling for governments to focus on three key priorities for recovery in schools: Targeted programmes to bring all children and youth back in school where they can access tailored services to meet their learning, health, psychosocial well-being, and other needs; Effective remedial learning to help students catch up on lost learning; Support for teachers to address learning losses and incorporate digital technology into their teaching. "Your first day of school is a day of hope and possibility—a day for getting off to a good start. But not all children are getting off to a good start. Some children are not even starting at all," said Fore." We must reopen schools for in-person learning as soon as possible, and we must immediately address the gaps in learning this pandemic has already created. Unless we do, some children may never catch up." In the following weeks, UNICEF will continue to mobilize its partners and the public to prevent this education crisis from becoming an education catastrophe. Online and offline campaigns will rally world leaders, teachers, and parents around a common cause: reopen schools for in-person learning as soon as possible. The future of the world’s most vulnerable children is at stake. URL:https://www.unicef.cn/en/press-releases/first-day-school-indefinitely-postponed-140-million-first-time-students-around-world 
国务院常务会议审议通过《中国妇女发展纲要( 2021-2030年)》和《中国儿童发展纲要( 2021-2030年)》 2021-10-26 国务院总理李克强8月25日主持召开国务院常务会议，审议通过《中国妇女发展纲要（2021—2030年）》和《中国儿童发展纲要（2021—2030年）》。 会议指出，男女平等和妇女全面发展程度是衡量社会文明进步的重要标志，儿童是国家的未来、民族的希望。近年来，我国妇女儿童事业发展取得显著成绩。会议通过《中国妇女发展纲要（2021—2030年）》和《中国儿童发展纲要（2021—2030年）》。两个纲要围绕健康、教育、社会保障和福利、家庭、环境、法律等领域，提出目标和措施，要求贯彻落实男女平等基本国策，保障妇女平等享有接受教育、就业创业、参与决策和管理等权利，全面落实男女同工同酬，拓展支持家庭与妇女全面发展的公共服务，针对妇女特殊需求完善社会保障体系，加强对困难妇女基本保障和关爱服务，健全保障妇女合法权益的法律体系；坚持儿童优先原则，更加注重家庭、学校、社会和网络对儿童的全方位保护，把义务教育作为教育投入重中之重，促进儿童德智体美劳全面发展，完善儿童健康服务体系，保障儿童食品用品安全，保障孤儿和事实无人抚养儿童、残疾儿童、流浪儿童生存、发展和安全权益，加强留守儿童关爱保护，预防和有效处置学生欺凌。两个纲要明确，完善三孩生育政策配套支持措施，落实产假制度和生育津贴，探索实施父母育儿假，依托社区发展普惠托育服务，推动将3岁以下婴幼儿照护服务费用纳入个人所得税专项附加扣除，加强住房等支持政策，多措并举减轻家庭生育、养育、教育负担。 来源：中国政府网 URL:https://womenvoice.cn/html1/report/2108/1707-1.htm 
UNESCO urges governments to make early childhood education accessible for all 2021-10-26 The most disadvantaged children are more likely to be denied the opportunity to have a good start to their education, according to two new studies by UNESCO and its Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report. UNESCO’s report “Right from the start: build inclusive societies through inclusive early childhood education” reminds countries of their commitment, made in the fourth UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) on education, to ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education. They are published ahead of the launch of a new Global Partnership Strategy for Early Childhood in September. Coordinated by UNESCO, the partnership will bring together more than 40 organizations active in early childhood care and education (ECCE) to support governments in providing effective ECCE services and in tackling challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. UNESCO’s report shows that, despite progress, an estimated 2 in 5 children, mostly in low- and lower-middle-income countries are still not enrolled in pre-primary school and currently only 28% of countries globally have made pre-primary education compulsory, ranging from none in the Arab States to 55% in Latin America and the Caribbean. "Ensuring early universal access to education is the foundation for inclusion in the lifelong journey to learning and in accessing decent living conditions. The absence of early childhood education can lock children into deprivation and marginalization. Numerous benefits for children attending quality early education are transmitted from one generation to the next with positive impacts on society as a whole. Yet, too many young children are missing out. If we want them to reach their full potential, we have to get it right from the start." -- Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director-General for Education at UNESCO The second UNESCO report “Inclusive Early Childhood Care and Education: From Commitment to Action!”, was produced in partnership with the Open Society Foundations. It calls for a renewed global commitment to early childhood inclusion with key recommendations based on positive, promising, and innovative policies and practices at national and regional levels from around the world. These include an inclusive early education reform in Georgia; an inclusive curriculum in New Zealand; an inclusive data management system in Zimbabwe, and a practical inclusive ECCE training model for teachers in Viet Nam. UNESCO and the Global Partnership Strategy for Early Childhood are urging governments to guarantee at least one year of compulsory pre-primary education. All children should be able to access a minimum level of services, regardless of socio-economic status, ethnicity, language, disability or remoteness. However, UNESCO’ reports show that vast disparities in pre-primary school access exist between the richest and poorest children, rising to over 60 percentage points in some low- and middle-income countries such as Benin, Cameroon and Mali. The poorest children face particular barriers to access. Over half of Roma children in Europe are still missing out on pre-primary school. "Too little attention is being given to ensure high quality standards in pre-schools for the most vulnerable children. Children need safe schools with access to basic hygiene and teachers who have received training to care and support them adequately so they could thrive. We urgently need more investment in early education, otherwise the significant opportunity to reduce their disadvantage will be lost." -- Manos Antoninis, Director of the Global Education Monitoring Report In Malawi, for example, a survey of caregivers found that most were female volunteers and only one in three had relevant qualifications. Pre-primary education is also critical to identify students with special education needs and assign remedial interventions. However, such screening systems are rare. The reality of some marginalized children, particularly those with disabilities, is poorly documented or not at all. Both studies support the core objectives of the new Global Partnership Strategy as follows: Mobilize all nations and relevant international agencies to collaborate in attaining SDG targets related to early childhood education. Strengthen existing inter-agency and global partnerships and forge new ones, as needed, for coordination and collaboration to implement strategies for policies and services to improve child development and family wellbeing. Substantially increase investment in pre-primary education in low- and middle-income countries which on average only received 2% of education budgets in 2018. Expand annual international aid to pre-primary education from an average of 7% of education aid in 2016 to at least 10% by 2030. Countries should address barriers to inclusion, such as ineffective or inconsistent laws and policies, lack of teacher preparation, non-inclusive curricula, absence of data on those excluded from education, lack of political will and untargeted finance. Issues of inclusion in early childhood care and education need to be addressed through cross-sectoral policies that consider the diversity of learners, including refugee and asylum-seeking children. Read the full report hereMedia contacts: Cynthia Guttman, UNESCO Kate Redman, UNESCO GEM Report Gina Dafalia, UNESCO GEM Report URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/unesco-urges-governments-make-early-childhood-education-accessible-all-1 
On World Teachers’ Day, UNESCO and partners urge governments to prioritise teachers in education recovery 2021-10-06 A successful education recovery hinges on increased investment in the well-being, training, professional development and working conditions of the world’s 71 million teachers to recover learning losses and manage transformations in teaching and learning imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the key message of World Teachers’ Day, celebrated on 5 October under the slogan “Teachers at the heart of education recovery.” The global advocacy day calls on governments and the international community to focus on teachers and the challenges facing their profession, and to share effective and promising policy responses. “Today we celebrate the exceptional dedication and courage of all teachers, their capacity to adapt and to innovate under very challenging and uncertain conditions. They are the principal actors of the global education recovery efforts and are key in accelerating progress towards inclusive and equitable quality education for every learner, in every circumstance,” said the conveners of World Teachers’ Day, UNESCO’s Director-General, Audrey Azoulay, UNICEF’s Executive Director, Henrietta Fore, International Labour Organization’s Director-General, Guy Ryder, and Education International’s General-Secretary, David Edwards in a joint statement. “Now is the time to recognize the exceptional role teachers play and to empower them with the training, professional development, support and working conditions they need to deploy their talent. Education recovery will be successful if it is conducted hand in hand with teachers - giving them voice and space to participate in decision-making,” argued the conveners. The educational disruptions caused by the COVID-19 crisis highlighted the crucial role of teachers in maintaining learning continuity. They have been at the heart of the educational response, from leveraging technology creatively to providing socio-emotional support to their students and reaching those most at risk of falling behind with take-home packages. But the crisis has also highlighted major challenges facing the teaching profession, including the lack of career development opportunities in online teaching and distance learning, increased workloads associated with double-shift classes and blended models and occupational safety issues. As of 27 September, schools opened fully in 124 countries. They are partially reopened in 44 countries and fully closed in 16. These figures highlight both the need for attention to teachers’ health and well-being as schools reopen, and for continued professional development to integrate and use educational technologies. According to UNESCO’s research 71% of countries have given some priority to the vaccination of teachers, but only 19 countries included them in the first round of vaccinations, while 59 countries have not prioritized them in their roll-out plans. More effort is needed to support teachers in the transition to remote and hybrid teaching. According to the 2021 global survey conducted by UNESCO/UNICEF/World Bank and OECD released in July: 40% of countries trained three quarters or more of teachers on distance learning methods and the effective use of technologies in 2020 Only six out of ten countries provided teachers with professional development on psychosocial and emotional support Just over half of all countries (58%) provided teachers with content for remote learning, while 42% provided teachers with ICT tools and internet connections Putting teachers at the heart of the education recovery will require increasing the size of the teacher workforce. According to the above survey, 31% of 103 countries recruited additional teachers for school reopening, but the global gap remains high. In total, 69 million more teachers are needed worldwide to ensure universal primary and secondary education by 2030 (SDG target 4.1) It is projected that sub-Saharan Africa will need to recruit 15 million primary and secondary teachers by 2030. To celebrate 2021 World Teachers’ Day, the conveners, together with partners, including the World Bank, the Hamdan Foundation, the International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030 (TTF), civil society organisations and members of the Global Education Coalition, will organize global and regional events and an advocacy campaign with the participation of the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities. The five-day series of events will include panel discussions, webinars and online training sessions to examine effective policies, evidence and innovative practices to provide the support teachers need for successful recovery, resilience-building and reimagining education in the post-pandemic world, and to advance SDG 4. URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/world-teachers-day-unesco-and-partners-urge-governments-prioritise-teachers-education-recovery