The World Conference on Education held in Jontein, Thailand, in March 1990, sharply increased focus on action required to ensure that all children, young people and adults receive education that would enable them to exploit their talents, improve their lives and develop as complete human beings. This led to heightened realization that investments in education, besides being important from the point of view of social welfare, also yield economic results.

2. The World Education Forum held in Dakar, Senegal in April 2000 committed participating countries to the achievement of Education for All goals and targets, including ensuring free and compulsory primary education by 2015. The Dakar Framework of Action is a collective commitment for action based on the willingness of the international community to mobilize resources needed to provide effective support to national efforts. Donor countries also agreed that no country seriously committed to the Dakar goals would be thwarted in their achievement by a lack of resources.

Resource Mobilisation

3. There is a need for renewed commitment by donor countries to make available the resources required for the attainment of the Dakar goals. Additional financial resources are also needed to enable developing countries to access new critical technologies and innovations. The St. Petersburg Summit provides a useful occasion for the G-8 to re-affirm that no country would be impeded in the achievement of the Dakar goals by lack of financial and technical resources.

Trilateral Cooperation

4. Developing countries like India can share their experiences in areas such as distance education and in-service teacher training. They can also provide technical support in areas such as planning and management in basic education, curriculum development, measuring learning achievement and implementing literacy and non-formal education policies.

5. The experiences of developing countries are likely to be more relevant to other developing countries. Support provided by them would also be more cost effective. There would, therefore, be a case for support by donor countries of such South-South cooperation.

6. The Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme provides a vehicle to donor countries to support South-South cooperation in the area of technical training. Since 1964, technical assistance worth US$ 2.5 billion has been channelised through this programme to developing countries. . As many as 206 short-term/long-term training courses are offered every year in a wide variety of subjects in more than 45 institutions. Annually, more than 3,500 scholarships are offered to 156 ITEC partner countries. Apart from the ITEC programme, India also provides around 1500 scholarships through TCS Colombo Plan; Indian Council of Cultural Relations (for degree courses); and the Foreign Service Institute.

Recognition of Qualifications

7. Globalisation means not only an accelerated global flow of goods, but also of services and ideas. The youth in developing countries have acquired globally valued skills in various professions. An enhancement in their mobility across international borders can be a stimulus for the growth of their economies as well as those of receiving countries.

8. The lack of recognition of academic and professional qualifications is a significant impediment to mobility of service providers and a non-tariff barrier for trade in services. There is merit in convening an International Conference in pursuance to the UNESCO’s guidelines in the matter of Quality Provision in Cross Border High Education. Such a conference would address issues relating to quality assurance, accreditation, recognition of qualifications and would encourage recognition or equivalence of qualifications based on national procedures and criteria.

  

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