BRICS countries' investment in education will change the world
Irina Bokova says by working together, bloc members can expect more solid foundation for growth
At their recent summit in Fortaleza, Brazil, the leaders of the BRICS nations confirmed their resolve to become the world's new global economic powerhouse and leading architect of the international development agenda. Their decision to create a US$100 billion development bank and currency reserve was the most visible demonstration of this collaborative effort.
Less visible, but strategically critical for their future, was their decision to work together to accelerate development of their education systems. Each of the five countries - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - has made phenomenal progress in this area in recent years. By combining the know-how they have accumulated and their capacity to innovate, they could fundamentally change the shape of education globally.
A new Unesco report, presenting a detailed snapshot of education in the BRICS countries, shows they now have the school systems to enrol all children in primary education. They have nearly achieved gender parity in participation, as well. Only a decade ago, these two goals seemed almost impossible.
Enrolments in pre-primary and secondary education have also grown dramatically. The number of secondary school students in India and China alone shot up by 42.7 million and 13.5 million respectively between 2000 and 2011/2012. Still, lower secondary remains out of reach for a large number, in particular in India, where 16.4 million adolescents are out of school.
The development of mass higher education systems is at an early stage (except in Russia) but a major shift in the global distribution of students is already under way. The number of higher education students has increased radically, with Brazil, China, India and Russia accounting for 39.1 per cent of the global total in 2012. China alone accounts for 16.8 per cent.
Given that one in three students in the world today lives in one of the BRICS countries, these developments represent a tipping point in the quest to provide quality education for all.
