VOA标准英语2015--联合国儿童基金会:全球教育正处于危机之中

 

UNICEF: Students Not Learning Basics 联合国儿童基金会:全球教育正处于危机之中

The U.N. Children’s Fund says global education is in crisis. In a new report, UNICEF warns millions of children are not learning the very basics. The report was released at the World Economic Forum¹ in Davos, Switzerland.

UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Yoka Brandt describes education as a human right, saying there’s a moral obligation to invest in it.

“Education can put people on a path towards good health, empowerment and employment and it helps to rebuild more peaceful societies. It gives children in emergencies a future, a place of safety and a sense of normalcy. And we all know that the benefits of girls’ education go well beyond their own education, but extend to their children.”

Brandt said that despite the benefits education offers, there is an education crisis.

“58 million children and 63 million adolescents are out of school. And worse, we’re also facing a learning crisis because an estimated 130 million children cannot read or write, despite reaching grade four. And it’s these two twin crises that are being addressed in this new UNICEF report – The Investment Case for Education and Equity² -- which we are very pleased to launch here,” she said.

She said initial progress in enrolling³ children in school has slowed down. It may be hard to reverse the trend.

“The population of school age children, especially in the poorest countries, is increasing. And it is increasing very, very fast. For instance, in sub-Saharan Africa, over 440 million children must be enrolled⁴ by 2030 to achieve basic education for all, which means that is two and a half times the number that are being enrolled today,” she said.

The UNICEF official said that low income countries need an additional $26 billion annually⁵ to provide basic education. She says that’s the equivalent of five percent of the annual profits of the world’s 15 highest earning companies.

Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown took part in the report’s release. He’s chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global Strategic Infrastructure⁶ Initiative.

“It was said once that the only international language that the world understands is the cry of a child. But it seems to me that over the last year, in crisis after crisis, we have neglected children even in the most difficult, precarious⁷ and sad situations,” he said.

For example, he said, there are 500,000 Syrian children refugees in Lebanon – but only 100,000 have been absorbed into Lebanon’s education system. Brown says the rest are vulnerable to child labor⁸ and child marriage.

“We have the schools. We have the teachers. We have the agreement of the government. We have the plan. UNICEF has drawn⁹ it up. But we have not been able to find the extra $136 million in international funding that is needed,” he said.

Brown said that the response to a humanitarian¹⁰ crisis should include an emergency fund for education.

“Half the children out of school in the world are in crisis countries where there are conflicts. And the last year has been a year where we celebrated¹¹ the 25th anniversary of the Convention of the Rights of the Child, but it is a year that has been more marked by the violation¹² of the rights of millions of children,” he said.

Musician Angelique Kidjo said in many African countries educating girls is not considered important or necessary.

“In order to transform my continent, we need highly educated girls. Secondary and tertiary education are key to transform completely our society.”

Kidjo, a UNICEF Goodwill¹³ Ambassador, said, “I’m not doing this to be famous. It’s not my point. It’s not my purpose in life. It’s because I believe deeply in the people of my continent. You give them the chance and you empower them. You don’t pity them. You don’t dehumanize them. You just sit with them and say, ‘what do you need?’”

She told the World Economic Forum there can be no peace in the world without educating children.

“Let’s invest in education to live on the world of peace and take the fuel out of the terrorist group[s]. All those angry people out there because they felt left out of the system that we have today.”

Kidjo said education gives children “hope, perspective, challenges and opportunities.”

1 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

2 equity   

n.公正，公平，（无固定利息的）股票

参考例句：

• They shared the work of the house with equity.他们公平地分担家务。
• To capture his equity,Murphy must either sell or refinance.要获得资产净值，墨菲必须出售或者重新融资。

3 enrolling   

v.招收( enrol的现在分词 )；吸收；入学；加入；[亦作enrol]( enroll的现在分词 )；登记，招收，使入伍（或入会、入学等），参加，成为成员；记入名册；卷起，包起

参考例句：

• They lashed out at the university enrolling system. 他们猛烈抨击大学的招生制度。 来自辞典例句
• You're enrolling in a country club, Billy. 你是注册加入乡村俱乐部了，比利。 来自辞典例句

4 enrolled   

adj.入学登记了的v.[亦作enrol]( enroll的过去式和过去分词 )；登记，招收，使入伍（或入会、入学等），参加，成为成员；记入名册；卷起，包起

参考例句：

• They have been studying hard from the moment they enrolled. 从入学时起，他们就一直努力学习。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He enrolled with an employment agency for a teaching position. 他在职业介绍所登了记以谋求一个教师的职位。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 annually   

adv.一年一次，每年

参考例句：

• Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
• They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。

6 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

7 precarious   

adj.不安定的，靠不住的；根据不足的

参考例句：

• Our financial situation had become precarious.我们的财务状况已变得不稳定了。
• He earned a precarious living as an artist.作为一个艺术家，他过得是朝不保夕的生活。

8 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

9 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

10 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

11 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

12 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

13 goodwill   

n.善意，亲善，信誉，声誉

参考例句：

• His heart is full of goodwill to all men.他心里对所有人都充满着爱心。
• We paid ￡10,000 for the shop,and ￡2000 for its goodwill.我们用一万英镑买下了这家商店，两千英镑买下了它的信誉。