incheon framework for action - --- - الصفحة ١٥ - Targets and indicative strategies

Education ٢٠٣٠ Framework for Action

· Devise clear policies, strategies and action plans for the professionalization of ECCE personnel by enhancing and monitoring their ongoing professional development, status and working conditions.

· Design and implement inclusive, accessible and integrated programmes, services and infrastructure of quality for early childhood, covering health, nutrition, protection and education needs, especially for children with disabilities, and support families as children’s first caregivers.

Note: While Targets ٤.٣ and ٤.٤ are discussed separately, it should be noted that they are closely related.

Target ٤.٣: By ٢٠٣٠, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university

٣٨. Opportunities for access to higher levels of education are often insufficient, particularly in least developed countries, resulting in a knowledge gap with serious consequences for social and economic development. Therefore, it is imperative to reduce barriers to skills development and technical and vocational education and training (TVET), starting from the secondary level, as well as to tertiary education, including university, and to provide lifelong learning opportunities for youth and adults.

٣٩. TVET is provided at different levels of education. In ٢٠١٣, its share of upper secondary education enrolment stood at around ٢٣%. A number of countries have taken steps to expand vocational education to the tertiary education level (ISCED level ٥).

٤٠. All forms of tertiary education[٨] have expanded rapidly, with total enrolment rising from ١٠٠ million in ٢٠٠٠ to ١٩٩ million in ٢٠١٣ [[xxiii]]. Yet wide disparity in access to tertiary education, in particular at university level, with regard to gender, to social, regional and ethnic background, and to age and disability remain. Disadvantages for females occur particularly in low-income countries, and for males in high-income countries.

٤١. In addition to imparting job skills, tertiary education and universities play a vital role in stimulating critical and creative thinking and generating and disseminating knowledge for social, cultural, ecological and economic development. Tertiary education and universities are critical for the education of future scientists, experts and leaders. Through their research function, they play a fundamental role in creating knowledge and underpin the development of analytical and creative capacities that enable solutions to be found for local and global problems in all fields of sustainable development.

٤٢. Another trend is the increasing mobility of staff and learners, and the flow of students moving abroad to enhance academic credentials. As a consequence, the comparability, recognition and quality assurance of qualifications has become a growing area of concern, in particular in countries where administrative systems are weak. At the same time, mobility in tertiary education is an asset and an opportunity and should be enhanced to develop students’ competencies and global competitiveness.

[٨] Tertiary education builds on secondary education, providing learning activities in specialized fields. It aims at learning at a high level of complexity and specialization. Tertiary education includes what is commonly understood as academic education but also includes advanced vocational or professional education. It comprises ISCED levels ٥ (short-cycle tertiary education), ٦ (bachelor’s degree or equivalent), ٧ (master’s degree or equivalent) and ٨ (doctorate or equivalent). Tertiary level programme content is more complex and advanced than at lower levels. (UIS. ٢٠١٢. International Standard Classification of Education: ISCED ٢٠١١. www.uis.unesco.org/Education/ Documents/isced-٢٠١١-en.pdf.)