FORTALEZA, Brazil – At a recent global education conference, a panel of international school leaders confronted alarming data: spending disparities, low student performance, and insufficient educational investment. The figures were grim.
- By 2030, 300 million young individuals may still lack basic literacy and numeracy skills.
- Nearly 40% of countries allocate under 15% of public expenditure and less than 4% of GDP to education.
- A staggering 251 million children remain out of school, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa.
- In the poorest nations, $1 is spent on education per child for every $100 spent in the richest.
Despite the dire statistics, the UNESCO conference highlighted effective leadership’s potential to transform student outcomes, supported by a report on impactful school leadership.
“We are all so different, but we are also uniquely alike. None of us have enough resources,” said Ryan T. Chee, principal of Leupp Elementary School on the Diné reservation. Chee, attending his first international event, opened his remarks in Navajo.
Chee, a sheep farmer and school principal near Flagstaff, Arizona, challenges his students with a “No Excuses” culture, preparing them for college. Initially, his students were unaware of college and career options, but Chee now takes them to campuses like Arizona State University to learn about college life and applications.
The conference revealed UNESCO’s commitment to compiling data on education systems worldwide. Manos Antoninis, director of the Global Education Monitoring Report, emphasized the need for data from both affluent and impoverished nations. He expressed hope that the report would inspire new strategies for developing and supporting school leaders globally.
“An American reader should read the monitoring reports to open their eyes to the diversity in equality,” said Antoninis, stressing the importance of recognizing global educational challenges.
Despite the overwhelming nature of ongoing educational reports, the conference was a platform for sharing resilience and success stories. Chee’s dedication has led to several students graduating from college, with some returning as teachers. “Some of my former students are now teachers, and they come into the classroom and visit us,” Chee said. “Or a family will come in and say, ‘Hey, my son is graduating from college; my daughter graduated,’ and it all started here.”
Related: It’s time to bring back our relationship with UNESCO for its strong commitment to education
This story about school leadership was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for the Hechinger newsletter.
—
Read More Kitchen Table News
