September 21 was marked around the globe as International Peace Day. Marking the International Day of Peace United Nations called for greater investment in quality education and to reverse trends which show aid for schools and teachers dipping for the first time in a decade. “On this International Day of Peace, let us pledge to teach our children the value of tolerance and mutual respect,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in his message for the Day.
“Let us invest in the schools and teachers that will build a fair and inclusive world that embraces diversity. Let us fight for peace and defend it with all our might,” Ban noted highlighting this year’s theme, ‘Education for Peace.’ He recalled the words on Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani schoolgirl targeted by the Taliban for campaigning for the right to education, during her visit to the UN Headquarters in New York in June, “One teacher, one book, one pen, can change the world.” To accelerate progress towards universal education, Secretary General launched last year his Global Education First Initiative, whose Secretariat is hosted by the UN Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
There are currently 57 million children that do not have access to education, and millions more that need better schooling that go beyond the basics of reading and writing.