Global Education Monitoring Report: UNESCO

Governance Issues Education

30-Jan-22

Context: Recently, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) launched the Global Education Monitoring Report (GEMR) in Paris.

It was launched on the occasion of the International Day of Education i.e. 24 January.
GEMR tries to track the Sustainable Development Goal-4 (SDG) of ‘Quality Education’ for all by 2030.

Key highlights of the report

India expects all children in primary and lower-secondary levels to be educated by 2030.
India expects to increase enrollment in the upper secondary level to 88% from 55.8% in 2015.

Based on 2015 data

Nepal is ahead of India in upper secondary education.
India has 12.3% of secondary levels of mathematics proficiency in 2015.
It is lower than Bangladesh (31%), Nepal (53.8%), Pakistan (68%) and Sri Lanka (50.6%).
Indian numbers are expected to grow over six times to 75% by 2030.

Education in India

UN recommends at least 4-6% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) or at least 15-20% of public expenditure on education by 2030.
India expects to achieve 6% of GDP allocation to education, which is in line with New Education Policy 2020.

National SDG report, 2021 released by NITI Aayog, says that

Around 71.9% of students in Class 8 have achieved at least a minimum proficiency level in language and mathematics, in terms of nationally defined learning outcomes.
GMR expects these numbers to grow to 90% (minimum proficiency level in language) and 85% (minimum proficiency level in mathematics) in 2025.

Recommendations of GMR report

Nurturing innovation in the public education system for the common good.
There is need for the government-led inclusive approach for improving the education system.
For quality education and equitable opportunities to learners.
For education policy-making and implementation
To monitor and safeguard against lobbying by investors in the education field.
For increased finance mobilization in education
GMR calls on all actors, state and non-state alike, to play #RightbytheRules in the field of education.