Refugee children in their millions are missing out on an education, the UN said on Friday, in an appeal to host countries to back more inclusive policies to prevent them from “languishing” in camps for years and losing hope.
A surge in “deliberate” attacks against students, teachers and schools in West and Central Africa has led to a tripling in school closures in the last year and left almost two million youngsters “robbed of an education”, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Friday.
Our main stories today: Two years in, Myanmar’s Rohingya youth need more education; DR Congo testimonies highlight armed brutality; appeals for Zimbabwe to ‘stop cracking down’ on protesters; Iran urged to release women jailed for protesting veiling laws; and new human rights agreement on environmental protection.
In today’s Daily Brief: UN stands in solidarity with Japan; avoid panic over DR Congo Ebola emergency; ‘transformative shift’ needed towards family-friendly work policies; hottest June EVER; Venezuelan migrant dangers; stop targeting Afghanistan civilians call.
At UN Headquarters, and across the globe, events are taking place on Monday to celebrate World Youth Skills Day – marked each year on 15 July – to raise awareness about the importance of youth skills development.
Unless more emergency funding is received by the end of this month, the UN relief agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), said on Tuesday that 46,000 children will be unable to start the new school year, along with major cuts to health and other basic services.
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Monday that much greater protection for educational facilities was needed across Afghanistan where attacks against schools have increased three-fold in just one year. The call coincides with the third International Conference on Safe Schools, taking place this week in Mallorca, Spain.
Education is recognized the world over as a core driver of development and improved jobs prospects, but for migrants, even those who have the legal right to reside in a new country, getting access to a classroom can be an uphill struggle.
For many young migrants in the UK, the idea of going to university is almost an impossible dream, because they are charged “overseas student” fees, which can be around double those of “home” students.
A child’s “real passport” to the future – education – should be stamped in the classroom, not at a border checkpoint, UN Special Envoy for Global Education Gordon Brown said on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) launched the International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements at its headquarters in Paris, kicking off a series of events and activities to be held throughout the year, as the world celebrates the 150th anniversary since its creation by Russian scientist Dmitri Mendeleev.
