Activists Call on Educators to Build up School Systems after Pandemic

Activists² Call on Educators to Build up School Systems after Pandemic

Education activists have called on world leaders to take steps to build up school systems weakened by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The call came during a United Nations conference centered on "transforming" education systems across the world. The gathering³ was held Monday, before the official start of the yearly U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York.

Activists attending the conference appealed to the world's nations to make sure children in their countries do not fall too far behind. They urged nations to prioritize schools and put money back into education systems that suffered during the pandemic.

One person taking part was Pakistani human rights activist¹ Malala Yousafzai. Yousafzai won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 for her campaigning efforts that girls should have a universal right to education. She currently serves as a U.N. Messenger of Peace.

Yousafzai told the U.N. conference, several "years ago, I stood on this platform hoping that the voice of a teenage girl who took a bullet in standing⁴ up for her education would be heard."

Yousafzai added that on that day, countries, corporations and others promised to work together to reach a goal that every child would be able to attend school by 2030. But now, she said, "It is heartbreaking that halfway⁵ through that target date, we are facing an education emergency."

Yousafzai urged world leaders to put at least 20 percent of their budgets toward school systems. "Most of you know what exactly needs to be done," she said.

Nigerian youth activist Karimot Odebode was also clear in her appeal. "We demand you take responsibility," Odebode told U.N. General Assembly members. "We will not stop until every person in every village and every highland⁶ has access to an education."

An international report supported by the World Band, UNESCO, UNICEF and other aid organizations demonstrates how education was harmed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The report found that the percentage of 10-year-old children in poor and middle-income countries who cannot read a simple story had increased to about 70 percent. That was a rise of about 13 percent compared to before the pandemic, the report said.

Educational experts say solving the current learning issues will require changes to systemic problems that existed even before the pandemic. They believe it will be necessary to increase school spending and change policies to increase access for girls and disabled students. The experts said teaching methods should also be changed to improve students' critical thinking abilities rather than centering on memorization.

"This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for us to radically⁸ transform education," U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed told reporters ahead of the education meeting.

A closing statement from the U.N. after the conference said 130 countries had promised to "reboot" their education systems and seek actions to end the worldwide learning crisis.

When COVID-19 closed schools around the world in spring 2020, many children simply stopped learning. Some students stayed out of class for months, while others were delayed much longer.

Many children did not have a way to take part in distance learning. A 2020 study by UNICEF and the International Telecommunication⁹ Union estimated that more than 800 million young people around the world lacked internet access at home.

Words in This Story

transform – v. to change something completely, usually to improve it

prioritize – v. decide which things are the most important so they can be dealt with first

platform – n. a raised surface for people to stand on, especially when they are speaking to a large group of people

access – n. the ability to find or see something

opportunity – n. a situation that makes it possible for you to do something

radical⁷ – adj. relating to or affecting the fundamental nature of something

1 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

2 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

4 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

5 halfway   

adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途

参考例句：

• We had got only halfway when it began to get dark.走到半路，天就黑了。
• In study the worst danger is give up halfway.在学习上，最忌讳的是有始无终。

6 highland   

n.(pl.)高地，山地

参考例句：

• The highland game is part of Scotland's cultural heritage.苏格兰高地游戏是苏格兰文化遗产的一部分。
• The highland forests where few hunters venture have long been the bear's sanctuary.这片只有少数猎人涉险的高山森林，一直都是黑熊的避难所。

7 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

8 radically   

ad.根本地，本质地

参考例句：

• I think we may have to rethink our policies fairly radically. 我认为我们可能要对我们的政策进行根本的反思。
• The health service must be radically reformed. 公共医疗卫生服务必须进行彻底改革。

9 telecommunication   

n.电信，远距离通信

参考例句：

• Telecommunication is an industry of service.电信业是一个服务型的行业。
• I only care about the telecommunication quality and the charge.我只关心通信质量和资费两个方面。