BY GEORGE MANFORD

AUKI

EDUCATION is a fundamental human right and public good.

It transform lives by driving economic and social development, it promotes peace, tolerance and social inclusion.

It is key to eradicating poverty and enables children and young people to fulfill their potential.

According to MEHRD officer to UNESCO Ms Christina Bakolo Misibini highlighted during last week’s world teacher’s day celebration in Auki.

She said, in many places children are deprived of the right to education because of a global shortage of qualified and experienced teachers- particularly female in low- income countries.

Despite an overall increase in access to education more than 263 million children and youth worldwide are not in school.

A staggering 617 million children and adolescents, nearly 60% globally have not mastered basic literacy or numeracy.

The poorest, most marginalized children, including those living in areas affected by conflict are most at risk of either being out of school or attending school, but learning very little.

The 2030 agenda to which the international community has committed itself calls for universal early childhood, primary and secondary education for all to achieve this goal, we must expand access to quality education for every child and youth, end discrimination at all levels in the education system and dramatically improve the quality of education and learning outcomes.

These objectives in turn, will require an increase global supply of qualified teachers- as estimated 69 million more.

Ms. Misibini stated, the theme of world teacher’s day 2018- “The right to education means the right to a qualified teacher” reflects this reality.

It also echoes the words of the universal declaration of human rights. Adopted 70 years ago this recognized education as a fundamental right.

We remind governments and the international community of the importance of safeguarding that right by investing in a strong teaching workforce, including in conflict affected countries.

To ensure that all children are prepared to learn and take their place in society, teachers must received effective training and support that equip them to respond to the needs of all students including the most marginalized.

But teachers shortages are hampering efforts to achieve equitable, inclusive, quality education for all particularly in countries beset by widespread poverty and protracted crisis, and in regions where the youth population is growing rapidly.

To meet the demand for new teachers, education authorities often employ individuals with little or no training or by lowering qualification requirements.

They are asked to teach subjects for which they have no pedagogical training.

In low income countries addressing the teacher shortage has meant drastically increasing class sizes with a devastating impact on the quality of education.

The most marginalized and excluding children tend to be taught by the least experienced teachers who may be on temporary contracts and receive no pre-service or in- service training.

Teachers available to work in emergency or crisis context may not be trained to respond to the complex needs of vulnerable children, particularly girls who have been forced to flee their homes because of armed conflict, violence or natural disaster.

Despite widespread recognition that teachers are key to achieving quality education for all, teaching is still not widely regarded as a valued profession.

Its low prestige impedes efforts to recruit and retain teachers in reach and poor countries alike.

Governments and education partners must take bold action to improve the quality of training for new and practicing teachers.

Teachers must receive quality initial teacher education, effective induction into the profession and have opportunities for high quality professional development to hone their skills throughout their careers.

And they must demonstrate to the public that teaching is a valued profession by providing decent salaries and improving working conditions for educators at all levels of education.

The most important contribution of a teacher is to improve the lives of children and youth around the world, we reaffirm our commitment to increasing the global supply of qualified teachers.

We urge all governments and the international community to join us in this Endeavour, so that all children and young people no matter their circumstances can secure their right to quality education and a better future.

BY ALFRED PAGEPITU

GIZO

MEMBERS of the Gizo Town Council (GTC) have called on the Gizo public to support council workers in cleaning up and looking after the Western provincial capital.

A concerned GTC employer told Island Sun Gizo yesterday that most people at market and street have carelessly thrown all their pile all over at the market area rather than put them in the right places provided.

“I would like to call on the general public to keep the surrounding clean at all times to keep Gizo Town clean, safe and attractive for visitors and tourists.

“We GTC workers will not clean all your waste, but we need your support and helping hands to keep our town clean at all times.

“Please all my good people in Western Province take ownership and be responsible and be a good ambassador to take good ownership of our township with good manner and behavior of cleanliness.”

BY ALFRED PAGEPITU

GIZO

The national fisheries development (NFD) is reportedly facing threats to its fishing fleet from fishermen who allegedly board NFD’s purse seiners by force.

It is reported that they forcefully board the ships and take off with whatever amount of fish they can carry. It is alleged that these so-called fishermen take their booty and sell them in Honiara.

And, according to sources this practice has been ‘going on for some time now’.

Along with fish they take, they sometimes make off with fishing gears belonging to the ships which they board.

It is understood that this has been reported to a high level delegation from the Western provincial government which visited Noro recently.

It is also understood NFD is also looking at means to protect its ships and employees.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a NFD employee says, “There is danger the practice could happen at Honiara harbour but a senior police officers in Gizo said they are monitoring the situation as a serious case of fish piracy which is going to be fully investigated.

“The photos of the fish pirates are available at the NFD offices in Noro.”

Police, in an email correspondence with Island Sun, confirms through its media unit that they are aware of the situation and are monitoring it.