EDUCATION MINISTERS SPEAK OUT
	For UNESCO the ultimate biennial rite of autumn had arrived, the 32nd General Conference, attended by over 100 Education Ministers. Education Today seized the opportunity to ask thirteen of them how education is fairing in their countries. Focus, an 8 page dossier, reports.

Edito - One of UNESCO’s great strengths, which Director-General Matsuura and I strive hard to sustain and develop, is its close relationship with ministers of education around the world. Country visits, regional ministerial gatherings, the annual meeting of the High-Level Group on EFA and, of course, the General Conference, are just some of the numerous occasions each year when my colleagues and I can meet ministers of education and update our understanding of the issues that they face. At the recent General Conference Education Today took advantage of the presence of over a hundred ministers in Paris to conduct the interviews that are recorded in this issue.

UNESCO’s task is to respond to the requirements of its Member States. I am pleased to observe that the Education Programme and Budget approved by the General Conference last October maps on well to the ministers’ concerns. That is the outcome of a systematic planning process, which places the needs expressed by countries within UNESCO’s overall strategic plan.

The major element of the programme – accounting for 80% of the budget – is the campaign for Education for All (EFA). We push towards EFA in two ways. First, we respond to requests from Member States for help in reaching each of the six Dakar goals. Needs differ. Some countries may want help to improve their provision of early childhood education while others may want advice on extending literacy among adults. Second, we have the task of co-ordinating the efforts of all the international agencies, bilateral donors and civil society towards EFA. That is going well; particularly now the Fast-Track Initiative for funding faster progress to universal primary education is open to all low-income countries.

The remaining 20% of our budget has to address a wide range of issues that preoccupy ministers. Preparing good secondary education systems for the increasing numbers of children who will seek it once universal primary education becomes a reality is a pressing concern. More and better teacher training is essential to the achievement of EFA – which in turn puts more pressure on higher education as it grapples with the opportunities and challenges posed by globalization. Finally, ministers are paying more and more attention to the quality of education at all levels, encouraged by parents’ growing interest in the outputs of this fundamental public service.

John Daniel
Assistant Director-General for Education