WISE
WISE unveils global education barometer
PARIS, January 26, 2020
On the occasion of the International Day of Education, WISE, an initiative of Qatar Foundation, has released an extensive study on the views of young people.
Conducted by Ipsos the barometer aims to understand how the youth perceive their education and how prepared and confident they are in their future.
The survey was carried out in 20 countries in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, the Americas and Europe among 9,509 young people aged 16 to 25 years old.
The survey found that 87 per cent of young people believe their generation has a responsibility to better the planet, but only half of those surveyed stating that they feel ready to understand big societal issues and take action in finding solutions to these issues (43 per cent).
The WISE survey reveals that youth are primarily worried about "poverty and social inequality" (17 per cent), followed by "climate change and the environment" (19 per cent) and "access to employment" (20 per cent).
The survey revealed that the three main reasons for attending school, according to young people, are to expand their knowledge (89 per cent), be ready for the future (87 per cent), and be able to find a job (87 per cent).
Indeed, young people really value their education with nearly 90 per cent agreeing that education is more than learning for a career and is valuable in and of itself.
While 80 per cent of young people claim to be satisfied with their education, there remain two major areas in which they want to see improvement in their education.
First, a more individualised approach, with over 60 per cent of youth saying they would like their teachers to give them more personal advice on their career orientation. Second, more space for 21st century skills, with less than half of young people claiming that their schooling gives too little space for new technologies and soft skills.
For young people to be ready to face their future and the global challenges ahead, it is clear that wide-scale improvements to education systems across the board are needed and the WISE survey gives us some indications as to what young people think has to change. -- Tradearabia News Service
