MDGs: a contribution by the Faculty of Education

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were adopted by the international community in 2000. They aim to improve living standards and the quality of life throughout the world.

Two of them target education. One is the achievement of primary school completion by all children by 2015; the other is for gender parity in enrolments in primary and secondary education by 2005 (a goal that has already been missed) and at all levels of education by 2015.

The Commonwealth has declared the achievement of the MDGs to be its highest priority. Many Commonwealth countries, including Malta, have already achieved them. Nevertheless, two-thirds of the world's shortfall in respect of children deprived of primary schooling and gender inequality is located in poor Commonwealth countries. If the Commonwealth could achieve the MDGs, the global problem would be on the way to being solved.

Governments alone cannot bring about achievement of the MDGs. They need to work with other groups in society. Civil society, through community groups, professional associations and NGOs, religious denominations, trade unions and many other bodies must throw their weight behind the effort, mobilising public opinion and committing time and resources to the campaign for social improvement.

The focus of the Commonwealth People's Forum held in Valletta earlier this month mirrored the theme of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) itself, "Networking the Commonwealth for Development". The Commonwealth Consortium for Education, a grouping of pan-Commonwealth education NGOs, and the Faculty of Education of the University of Malta hosted a forum to promote discussion of how Commonwealth governments and civil society can work together to achieve the education MDGs.

A plenary meeting considered the overall challenge for Commonwealth nations. It was addressed by Education Minister Louis Galea, Ann Keeling, the director responsible for education programmes at the Commonwealth Secretariat, and Professor Lalage Bown.

Four groups, led by consortium members and their partners in Malta, discussed more specialised aspects of the Commonwealth challenge. The discussions involved aspects of science education, education of girls, the use of information and communication technologies and school partnerships.