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The education of more than 11 million young girls is at stake, as they will likely stay home during the 2021 school year due to the covid-19 pandemic.
To this end, the Secretary General of the African Students Union (AASU), Mr. Peter Kwasi Kodjie, urges the governments of the continent to take drastic measures to ensure that the education of these vulnerable girls is not cut short.
In his message of solidarity for 2021 to African governments and students on the continent, the secretary general of Africa’s largest student organization highlighted several challenges hampering education in Africa, one of which is child labor.
Calling on governments to tackle the canker which is increasing due to the pandemic, he said; “We also know that many children are forced into child labor because of the pressure on their families to survive due to the hardships inflicted by this pandemic. At this rate, all the progress we have made in the fight against child labor will be reversed ”.
After congratulating the United Nations General Assembly on adopting 2021 as the International Year for the Elimination of Child Labor, HE Peter Kodjie also called on all stakeholders to unite firmly in 2021 to hold accountable their respective governments and ensure that they prioritize education. and its related issues in Africa.
Mr. Kodjie added that AASU will commit to achieving seven main goals for the year, aimed at improving the education sector in Africa.
Below is the full declaration
2021 MESSAGE FROM THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF AASU
JOIN HANDS TO BUILD BETTER AND ALSO
Following what has been a difficult year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 has seen most school closings around the world, with an estimated 1.3 billion learners forced to study at home when possible.
We look to 2021 with concern, knowing that an estimated 11 million young girls will not return to class as schools prepare to reopen, unless drastic measures are taken to ensure their education is not interrupted.
We also know that many children are forced into child labor due to the pressures on their families to survive due to the hardships inflicted by this pandemic. At this rate, all of the progress we have made in the fight against child labor will be undone.
The combined impact of COVID-19 on the education of girls and marginalized children is pushing the world to the brink of losing an entire generation.
It is commendable that the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) unanimously adopted a resolution declaring 2021 the International Year for the Elimination of Child Labor. We will join 100 Million Campaign and Children’s Rights champion, Nobel Peace Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi in fulfilling the mission to ensure all children are FREE, SAFE and EDUCATED.
In a sense, I believe we will look back one day and be grateful that the glaring vulnerabilities and inequalities in our education and social systems have been brutally exposed by the constraints imposed by COVID-19.
But it was not necessary to take COVID-19 to get world leaders to see this obvious truth.
Last year, through the power of solidarity, we worked with our colleagues from other continents under the coordination of the 100 Million Campaign to demand that a fair share of the COVID-19 recovery funds be allocated to those who are the most left behind, and who are in dire need of the funds.
In 2021, under the auspices of the Global Student Forum (GSF), we will join our compatriots around the world in holding our governments to account on various issues. We have come to realize that the problems we face are common, regardless of our geographic differences.
I want to take this opportunity to express my deep gratitude to all of our national student unions for the direct interventions they have made in their governments’ efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, we will continue to show solidarity with you.
Equally important is to recognize that some African governments have taken extraordinary steps to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on the poor and marginalized. We fondly remember the decision of His Majesty Mohammed VI, King of the Kingdom of Morocco, to provide active and essential COVID-related health assistance to other African countries to aid continental efforts to fight the pandemic. We applaud these efforts and ask others to follow suit.
Last year we opposed dictatorial and authoritarian tendencies in Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, China, among others, and we demanded the release of our colleague, Patrick Zaki, who is still illegally detained by the government. Egyptian for his activities in favor of human rights. .
Our history as the Union of African Students is rich with many examples where we have united to oppose authoritarian regimes.
We fought fiercely against the apartheid regime with our colleagues from South Africa,
We stood alongside our colleagues during the Soweto uprising and therefore named June 16 African Students Day.
In 2021, when it comes to student rights and human rights in general, we will continue to steadfastly defend these rights at all times.
I am happy to announce the decision of the government of Cape Verde to reduce the tuition fees by 50% for the 2021 academic year following the requests of our comrades in Cape Verde with our support. We will be delighted to see other African governments follow suit.
We are committed to doing the following in 2021;
- Productively engage with governments to increase spending on education to ensure that no group is disproportionately affected by the effects of the pandemic;
- Continue to work with UNESCO and other global partners through the Global Education Coalition launched by UNESCO to ensure that learning never stops;
- Continue to work with the 100 Million Campaign and other partners to ensure marginalized children receive their fair share of COVID-19 recovery funds;
- Continue to work to ensure that governments, key institutions and key actors become more responsive and aware of the needs of students, youth and marginalized groups amid the pandemic;
- Continue to forge stronger partnerships and solidarity among young people to build broad coalitions to demand a strong recovery strategy for COVID-19 that leaves no one behind;
- Continue to promote a sense of urgency among our constituents to act to hold their governments accountable in order to avoid the loss of a generation;
- Continue the campaign for girls to return to school through UNESCO’s flagship program for gender equality.
Last year we challenged our leaders on multiple forums and at every opportunity, and we did it together! We did this on the sidelines of the G20 summit, the 2020 UNGA and other key events.
Together, we have accomplished much more than going it alone. As we plan to build back better, we must do it together in solidarity. In fact, we have seen that our problems are common, and that they suit a common response.
As we begin this year (2021), the African Students Union wishes all students of the African continent happiness and peace, in what we expect to be a year of great impact.
Happy New Year!
Sign,
Peter Kwasi KODJIE
General secretary
Phone: +233242879028 | +233502672146
E-mail: [email protected]
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