site.btaOn a Global Scale 58 Mln Children Are Still Out of School - UNESCO Director-General Bokova

On a Global Scale 58 Mln Children Are Still Out of School -UNESCO Director-General Bokova

Sofia, October 30 (BTA) - On a global scale, 58 million children are still out of school. This means reproduction of poverty, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova said at a discussion on social inclusion hosted by Sofia University Thursday evening.

More than 30 million of these children are in conflict situations and today education is imperative for peace and security, not only a moral commitment, Bokova pointed out.

Bokova drew attention to the fact that there has been an enormous evolution in thinking about education, science, culture and their role in public life. Until the beginning of 2000 it was considered impossible to achieve overall primary education and literacy. Today, it is becoming increasingly clear that without the achievement of this goal it is impossible to eradicate poverty or to achieve social inclusion, Bokova said. One of the most successful models of social mobility is education, she noted.

Bokova also spoke of the education of girls and remarked that there is even a regress in a situation of conflicts, destroyed schools and bans on girls going to school.

The UNESCO Director-General pointed out that education is related to the matters of science and new technologies, which provide unbelievable opportunities for social inclusion. At the same time, the digital divide can also increase inequality, she said, noting that culture can be a powerful means of social inclusion.

Henryka Moscicka-Dendys, Poland's Foreign Affairs Undersecretary of State for Parliamentary Affairs, European Policy and Human Rights, pointed out that education is key to inclusion, adding that inclusion is a tool for development. The matter of social integration is becoming exceedingly important in Europe, which faces challenges of a global nature. The migration crisis and refugees are not only a political challenge, but a profound social phenomenon, she said.