Cuba Leads UN’s goal on education
Campaign News | Tuesday, 25 November 2008
Cuba and Aruba are the leading Latin American and Caribbean countries among developing nations towards Education for All (EFA), according to a UNESCO report issued in Geneva on Tuesday, reported Prensa Latina news agency.
UNESCO’s global Education for All movement aims to meet the learning needs of all children, youths and adults by 2015.
The UNESCO’s assessment was made taking into account the development of primary education, adult literacy, the parity and equality between gender and the quality of education, four of the six EFA goals.
The report notes that unequal opportunities for education lead to an increase in poverty, hunger and child mortality, while reducing the prospects of economic growth.
Most Latin American countries have reached the Universal Primary Education, while pre-school, secondary and higher education is rapidly expanding across the region, says the report. However, it notes that the level of educational performance is below international standards.
The document says the adoption of new policies or political changes could contribute to the elimination or decrease in child labor, deficient health and disabilities, which are three aspects hindering the goal of education for all.
On the other hand, the report also points out that pre-school education is nearly universal in Cuba and Mexico, as well as in some other
Caribbean islands.
