Issues+and+Background+Hum1+Group4

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Let's go home!
= = =Issues:= = = Education has always been an important global issue in our world. Today, there are more than 800 million adults and children who are illiterate and have no access to an education (UNESCO). One in five people over the age of fifteen cannot read, write or communicate with others. The numbers of illiteracy levels are decreasing over time, but the quality of education is still an issue we have much to work on. Women's literacy has a huge influence on a child's education and health, but there are still more than 50% of women that are illiterate. Around the area of sub-Saharan Africa, illiteracy rates lower the levels of the GDP (gross domestic product.) Because of their lack of education, people do not have the chance to live life to their full potential and earn large amounts of money. Thus, the issue of education is also linked to the issue of poverty. Education will enable people to lift themselves out of poverty and continue to improve their lives. Our economy would be much more knowledgeable and advanced, and people would have the chance to succeed in our society.

=Background:= The main problem of this issue is that there are not enough teachers, supplies and schools for people to go to. The high costs and fees of schooling limit the number of people able to get an education. Low-income countries receive about 2.3 billion US dollars for basic education which helps some kids go to school. Many goals towards education for all are set to be achieved by 2015, but we need to start acting now in order to improve early childhood education, to achieve improvement in the global literacy rate and improve all aspects of the quality of education.

This issue is a global one because millions upon millions of people all around the world currently have no access to an education. Over 861 million adults are illiterate (UNESCO) and are therefore violated of the rights they deserve. It also deprives them of the chance to provide and contribute individually to the society when they might have had the potential to do great things, and even save lives.
 * //Why is this issue a global one? What is the main problem?//**

Universal education for all affects each and every person on earth. Education is a fundamental right that everyone has; yet millions of people are being violated of the rights they deserve. Because of the true severity of this situation, our world is also being violated of the potentially better and more advanced world it could be. If everyone were educated, our economy would be much more knowledgeable, and everyone would play their own part in making the world a better place. Over 800 million adults globally are illiterate, and literacy is important because it enables everyone to communicate with each other and express emotions. Additionally, there is a huge amount of information available in the world, and much of it has to do with health and well-being. If everybody knew this information, their lives would be much happier and more peaceful for them. A world full of educated people would lead to cultural evolution, tolerance toward others and more cooperation between countries. Education for all would simply make the world a better place to live.
 * //How is this issue affecting the world?//**

//**What is being done to stop, prevent or fix this issue?**// Even by starting these organizations and campaigns is a start fixing this issue. People are beginning to be more aware of this situation, which is also helping bring in money to fund for the cost of education. In fact, aid to low-income countries has more than doubled in the range of four years. We are far from reaching the goal of education for all by 2015, but at least we have begun on the right track.



[Pictures from: http://www.foae.org/]

Sources:

==Press Release N°2007-147, "Education for All on the right track finds Global Monitoring Report 2008 launched by UNESCO." 29.11.2007 <[|http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=41371&URL_DO=DO_PRINTPAGE&URL_SECTION=201.html>.//]==