sa国际传媒

For many people, the world right now seems more chaotic and on edge than it has done for decades.

Conflicts and long-running refugee crises rage. Unrest and extreme views abound. Poverty and persecution persist.

Leaders from the worlds of politics, business and civil society are gathering this week in Davos, Switzerland, to try to unravel some of those issues.

The theme of the 2018 World Economic Forum annual meetings is “Creating a shared future in a fractured world”.

The solutions to many of our social and economic problems lie in education, said Justin van Fleet, Director of the Education Commission and Senior Advisor to sa国际传媒, who is in Davos.

He added: 鈥淭o make a shared future a reality, we must dramatically expand access to education. And not just any education but a quality education.”

More than 260 million children and youth are out of school. And half the world’s children face leaving school聽.

聽that education is the best way to prepare young people to be knowledgeable, adaptable and ready to participate as global citizens.

This is a critical year for the future of education.聽Next week sees a major funding conference for the Global Partnership for Education, which works in the world’s poorest countries.聽United Nations agencies also need their education work financed, as does the Education Cannot Wait fund for schooling in humanitarian emergencies.

Then the G20 countries have the opportunities to see in the new International Finance Facilty for Education that could unlock $10 billion a year to help get millions of children into school.

“Starting with Davos, we can make 2018 the year where collaboration鈥� – 鈥奺specially around education鈥� -鈥� will help us shape a world where equality reigns supreme,” said van Fleet.

Sarah Brown, President of sa国际传媒 and Executive Chair of the Global Business Coalition for Education, is also in Davos this week.聽She said: 鈥淲orld leaders are cheering an upturn in global growth – but we know from history that this doesn’t trickle down to those who need it the most.聽

鈥淭he focus needs to be on how we urgently invest in what young people need to equip themselves with the skills and learning to thrive.聽聽

鈥淭his means investing in the ‘bookends’ of learning that are woefully missing – the skills young people need now and the investment needed in the early years so children are ready to learn and thrive.聽

鈥淔or this we need creativity, innovations in financing, embracing new technology for all, not just a few. Without this we let young people down and the result is poor education, poor health and lack of opportunities.鈥�

础听聽to mark the start of the Davos meetings revealed that 42 people are as wealthy as 50% of the entire global population combined. 82%聽of wealth generated last year across the world went to the richest 1%.

Mark Goldring, Oxfam GB Chief Executive, said: 鈥淟eaders should ensure that wealthy individuals and businesses pay their fair share of tax by cracking down on tax avoidance – and invest this into essential services like schools and hospitals, and creating jobs for young people.”

Business leaders will be told at Davos this week that boys in developing countries are more likely to want to become doctors, teachers and engineers than those in the United Kingdom.

The careers charity in 20 countries and found British boys wanted to be footballers or YouTube stars. But medicine and teaching is the aim of boys in Zambia and Uganda.

In Uganda and the Philippines, girls most want to be teachers.聽In Pakistan, Bangladesh, Colombia and Indonesia they want to be doctors.