We are now living longer than ever before
with global life expectancy
rising from 45 in 1950
to around 70 today
But when we look at the average person's life-cycle
most of our opportunities for education and learning
are confined to schooling
during our childhood and adolescence
but, in actual fact, we know that people
have the potential to learn throughout their whole lives
We also know that formal education doesn't always work
when it comes to preparing all of us for our entire lives
Education opportunity in the formal system
is sometimes unequal
and many get left behind
or left out along the way
About half of all public education resources
in low-income countries
are allocated to the 10% of students
that are most educated
and UNESCO data exposes wide inequalities in provision
Without learning opportunities after school
there is no second chance or safety net
for those that missed out
On top of that, UNESCO data confirms that
approximately 758 million adults globally
are unable to read or write
with 63% living in Asia.
Global illiteracy costs more than 1 trillion dollars a year worldwide
and there is an ever-increasing need
for lifelong learning opportunities that support livelihoods,
well-being, and sustainability across the globe
Despite this, and the fact that we live the majority of our life as adults
Nearly half of countries worldwide
spend less than 1% of their public education budget on adult learning
Today, the world is radically different.
Technology is moving at a faster pace than ever before.
An estimated 65% of children
will end up in jobs that do not exist yet
and even further change may yet take place
Can formal schooling alone accommodate these shifts?
The next generation may also face
even greater challenges than we do now
from growing inequality
to conflict, displacement and climate change
It will take the sum of every human's potential
to solve these problems for a better world.
So what do you think the possibilities would be...
if we could extend education opportunities
beyond just the formal stage?
What if people were truly supported
with endless opportunities to learn and grow
not just in school, but throughout their entire lives
Imagine what would happen if more than 7 billion people across the world were able to learn for life...
What's the true potential of lifelong learning for all of us and for our societies?
Quality of life for all of us would improve
Lifelong learning would allow people to learn and develop themselves throughout their whole lives
leveraging the full potential of our 7 billion minds to help make the world a better place
whilst improvements in literacy would open doors to better lives.
Lifelong learning would give people a second chance when they miss out on formal education.
Those who did not have access to schools can still get a training certificate
or obtain vocational skills to improve their livelihood
and can learn life skills to support happier and healthier living.
When people can have jobs that they love,
it allows them to make positive impacts to the society
and contributes to a happier community.
When one happy community combines with another
they make the world a better place to live in