Equity in Education
Equitable access and learning, particularly for girls and women, must stand at the heart of the post-2015 agenda to unleash the full potential of all people.
The World Declaration on Education for All, adopted in Jomtien, Thailand (1990) and the Dakar Framework for Action (2000) set out an overall vision: universalizing access to education for all children, youth and adults, and promoting equity. This means being proactive in identifying the barriers that many encounter in accessing education opportunities and identifying the resources needed to overcome those barriers.
Equity in education is the means to achieving equality. It intends to provide the best opportunities for all students to achieve their full potential and act to address instances of disadvantage which restrict educational achievement. It involves special treatment/action taken to reverse the historical and social disadvantages that prevent learners from accessing and benefiting from education on equal grounds. Equity measures are not fair per se but are implemented to ensure fairness and equality of outcome.
Girls and women still constitute the majority of out-of-school children and illiterate adults, and their learning opportunities are compromised by a number of in-school and out-of-school factors.
Related links
- Reaching out-of-school children
- Gender equality in education
- Access and equity in early childhood
- UNESCO eAtlas of Out-of-School Children
- UNESCO Promotes Gender Equality
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