The Canadian Commission for UNESCO’s National Youth Consultation Report 2009 has been released. This document forms the backbone of Canada’s contribution to the upcoming Youth Forum. Based on consultations with an estimated 130 youth, this document represents – in broad terms – what Canadian youth hope to see as a global reaction to the current economic crisis, both in terms of youth involvement with UNESCO and wider structural changes.
I want to emphasize one component of this document, educational reform, that I find very interesting. While Canada boasts an excellent educational system, I – and it seems many of the youth participating in this consultation – believe that we need to integrate new topics of particular interest to Canada and the globe.
Education was most often highlighted as the principle answer to the global economic crisis. Young Canadians generally agreed that the average provincial education curriculum does not sufficiently prepare young people for the challenges they may face in a globalized world. Most participants felt that a broader educational system is needed in the sense that course topics should be thought within a wider scope and international context.
Not only is our educational system probably too “Canada-centric,” but it also fails to tackle (or introduce) the multitude of external difficulties that both Canadians and other populations are faced with – war, poverty, hunger, environment, HIV/AIDS – until post-secondary level education. Even then, this type of grounding is optional. While there are many inspirational teachers who manage to integrate these themes into the standard curriculum, Canada should ensure that all young people (from primary school and on) are given the opportunity to learn and critically analyze these world difficulties which also intimately affect Canada.
As mentioned in the report, critical thinking is particularly key. Youth must be encouraged to dissect the information they are given – from the media, textbooks, mainstream literature, sciences, religion – and begin to understand the formulation of these theories and where there might be gaps or alternative opinions.
This type of education must begin at a young age. Children are becoming adults at a younger and younger age across the world. Encroaching pollution and the financial crisis in particular means that even Canadian children – some of the wealthiest on this globe – are left taking care of each other and are therefore bound into the mess that previous generations have allowed to continue and corrode.
On this note, I would urge our Prime Minister to consider this report and the recommendations it puts forth. Canada is a country with a powerful and engaged youth force whose talents are not yet being optimized.
