World has been able to agree on a shared vision for the future of education by negotiating an ambitious goal for education as one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), to be attained by 2030. The new education systems focuses more on the quality and equity of learning outcome than on participation.
Most countries have increased their investment in education in recent years: between 2008 and 2013, but spending per student in real terms was 8% higher in 2013 than in 2008. While some countries have created funding mechanisms that give more students better opportunities to study, others levy fees that put educational opportunities out-of-reach of all but the wealthiest students.
But the hard fact is that about one in six 25-34 year-olds remains without an upper secondary education. The unemployment rate of young people without an upper secondary education is 17.4% on average (21.2% in the European Union), compared with only 6.9% (in the EU 8.0%) among those in that age group with a tertiary education.
Gender imbalances also persist. Women remain underrepresented in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. The transition from school to work is also more challenging for women.
Immigrants tend to lag behind their native‑born peers in educational attainment at all stages, making it more difficult to find a job after leaving education. Students with an immigrant background are also much less likely to complete Bachelor’s or equivalent tertiary programmes than native-born students.
Further to this it is also pertinent to know that whether countries are getting the best return on their education investments. Popular pressure pushed governments to reduce class sizes in lower secondary education by 6% from 2005 to 2014. High performing education systems systematically prioritise better teachers over smaller classes.
Sometimes the lip service paid to improving quality and equity in education stands in sharp contrast to the reality.
Higher education institutions are diversifying alongside their student bodies. Public, private, and open distance education institutions have grown in numbers, size, specialisation and mission. Instead of research programmes or other types of specialised study, many new institutions provide broad access programmes And new kinds of private providers have emerged, in the form of international branch campuses and international online providers Private enrolments have been growing steadily: They now account for 30% of all global enrolments.
Demand for higher education will continue to rise and, as it does, governments must respond by ensuring that all groups can access affordable, quality programmes.
IFC team supports UNESCO recommendations such as to ensure both good policy and effective implementation ensure equity, affordability, accountability across diverse higher education systems by guaranteeing principles of access within regulatory frameworks. We support student protection by supporting national agencies to develop and follow up on equal opportunities policies, equity and affordability in higher education. IFC team also proposes to use a combination of admissions criteria to ensure that all students have a fair chance at getting into the best universities, regardless of their backgrounds. We assist in developing effective affirmative action policies that put equity front and centre in the admissions process. We promote public financial aid on disadvantaged student groups and coordinate student financial aid disbursement and effective collection mechanisms and limit student repayments.