G8 Response  

The G8 believes that to enhance global education, it is important to:

• promote the system of continuing education;
• make primary education universal in developing nations;
• raise the quality of education;
• expand international exchanges of students, professors and researchers;
• help develop distance learning and ICT in primary, secondary, and vocational education.

Despite the efforts of the international community, about 800 million people in the world cannot read or write, and more than 100 million children (55% of whom are girls) cannot attend school. In many low-income countries teachers are not qualified for their jobs, and many are not well versed in study programs.

As for information technologies, less than 10% of the world’s population has access to the Internet, and 70% have never even heard of it.

Moreover, the development of the world economic space and the ensuing globalization of the labor market are turning recognition of professional skills and comparison of national education systems into a major challenge.

Major G8 documents on education:

The Cologne Charter entitled Aims and Ambitions for Lifelong Learning, 1999: development of the principles and strategy of lifelong learning, improvement in the quality of education, investment in human resources, and promotion of academic exchanges. The problem of accessible basic education in the developing nations was raised for the first time.

Okinawa. Education in Changing Society, 2000: promotion of basic education, and expansion of opportunities for lifelong learning; emphasis on training in information technologies, development of a new approach to traditional technical assistance, including distance learning.

Genoa. Education for All (EFA), 2001: adoption of the EFA program aimed at achieving universal primary education in 2015.

Kananaskis, A New Focus on Education for All, 2002: tasks for the implementation of programs designed to achieve accessible, free, mandatory, quality education for all, including gender equality in the developing countries.

Sea Island. Plan of Action for the Developing Nations, 2004: support for the programs of professional training to help young people find jobs.

Gleneagles. Joint Progress Report on Africa Action Plan, 2005: balanced assistance to the entire sector of education with emphasis on basic education.