Learning For Lasting Peace

"Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world." Nelson Mandela. Jamaica’s education system is at a crossroads. Those of us who are in the trenches are very much aware that all is not well in the local education system. However, there is the official narrative that fails to acknowledge that a band- aid approach will not solve the issues that we face as a society. The truth is many students have switched off their dial regarding the education system. Having said this we must also concede that boys in particular have realized from very early that there are more lucrative pathways available than the long and sometimes arduous pathway of academic rigours. As a result male underachievement in the education system has become a global concern. The society is also hypocritical in that we continue to send our students conflicting messages concerning academic success. The adage ‘children live what they learn’ is a truism. Additionally, those who are tasked with policy making by now should realize that despite pockets of excellence throughout the education system, the masses of students continue to fall through the gaping cracks that are systemic and which urgently needs to be addressed. Perhaps, the recent assessment of the island’s 15 year olds will jolt the collective action of all stakeholders. The 2022 international assessment conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) through the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) has concluded that Jamaica students are not performing on par with those 15 year olds in other nations in the subject areas of reading, mathematics and science. A total of 3,873 Jamaican students from 147 schools completed the assessment in mathematics, reading and science. The results further showed that only 26 per cent of Jamaican students attained at least level 2 proficiency in mathematics, this is significantly less than the average of 69 per cent across participating countries. Clearly, this must be a wakeup call to action in order to rescue our students. Interestingly, the results were published on the International Day of Education that is observed annually on January 24th. Background On 3 December 2018, the United Nations General Assembly adopted with consensus a resolution proclaiming 24 January as International Day of Education, in celebration of the role of education for peace and development. The adoption of the resolution 73/25 “International Day of Education”, co-authored by Nigeria and 58 other Member States, demonstrated the unwavering political will to support transformative actions for inclusive, equitable and quality education for all. Accordingly, the international community reiterated that education plays a key role in building sustainable and resilient societies, and contributes to the achievement of all other Sustainable Development Goals. With a view to enhance international cooperation in supporting the efforts towards the realization of Sustainable Development Goal 4, the resolution called on all stakeholders including Member States, organizations of the UN system, and civil society, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, the private sector, individuals and other relevant stakeholders to observe the International Day of Education. This year, the focus is on "Learning for lasting peace." The idea is that education can transform us, giving us the knowledge and skills to be peacemakers in our communities. The United Nations tells us that education is like a powerful tool that can help us deal with big issues like climate change, inequality, discrimination, and conflicts. The theme emphasizes how education lays the foundation for more peaceful, fair, and sustainable societies. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has dedicated the International Day of Education celebrated on 24 January 2024 to the crucial role education and teachers play in countering hate speech, a phenomenon which has snowballed in recent years with the use of social media, damaging the fabric of our societies. The Council of Europe states that Hate speech is a complex and multidimensional phenomenon that has far-reaching and dangerous consequences for human rights, rule of law in democratic societies. Preventing and combating online hate speech poses specific challenges. Hate Speech not only affects the dignity and human rights of the individual directly targeted, but also of persons belonging to the same minority or group as those directly targeted. The Council of Europe adds hate speech leads to dangerous divisions in society as a whole, affects the participation and inclusion of all those targeted by it and threatens democracy. The targets of hate speech become increasingly excluded from society, forced out of the public debate and silenced. History shows that hate speech has also been intentionally used to mobilize groups and societies against each other in order to provoke violent escalation, hate crime, war and genocide. In common language, “hate speech” refers to offensive discourse targeting a group or an individual based on inherent characteristics (such as race, religion or gender) and that may threaten social peace. The United Nations (UN) Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech defines hate speech as…“any kind of communication in speech, writing or behaviour, that attacks or uses pejorative or discriminatory language with reference to a person or a group on the basis of who they are, in other words, based on their religion, ethnicity, nationality, race, colour, descent, gender or other identity factor.” The Way Forward Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the world was already off-track to achieve its education targets. According to the United Nations if no additional measures are taken, only one in six countries will meet SDG4 and achieve universal access to quality education by 2030. An estimated 224 million young people are still out of school and an estimated 300 million students will still not have the basic numeracy and literacy skills they need to succeed in life. Undoubtedly, education offers children a path to a more promising future. As a result there must be a global effort in calling for a more inclusive and equitable quality education so no student is left behind. Education systems globally must be re-imagined and realigned in order to achieve lasting peace for all. Consequently, education financing must become a priority for national investment. In the words of Marian Wright Edelman, education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it. Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues. waykam@yahoo.com @WayneCamo © #InternationalDayofEducation