INDIA’S INTERNATIONAL MOVEMENT TO UNITE NATIONS

STUDY GUIDE
COMMITTEE: UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND
CULTURAL ORGANIZATION
AGENDA: DISCUSSING THE VIABILITY OF A COMMON
UNIVERSAL EDUCATION SYSTEM
 MANDATE
UNESCO is an abbreviation for the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural
Organization. On November 16, 1945, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) was formed. UNESCO is administered by the General Conference and
the Executive Board and comprises 195 Members and 8 Associate Members. The decisions of
these two organisations are carried out by the Secretariat, which the Director-General leads. The
organisation has around 50 field offices worldwide, with its headquarters in Paris. Through
education, science, culture, communication, and information, UNESCO promotes peace, poverty
eradication, sustainable development, and intercultural dialogue. UNESCO seeks to foster
discourse across civilisations, cultures, and peoples based on mutual respect for common
principles. This discourse will help the world realise global visions of sustainable development,
including human rights, mutual respect, and poverty reduction, which are central to UNESCO's
purpose and operations. UNESCO's worldwide priority areas of “Africa” and “Gender Equality”
are the focus of its efforts.

And on a few overarching goals:

1. Quality education for everybody and lifelong learning.

2. Science knowledge and policy mobilisation for long-term development.
3. Addressing new social and ethical issues.

4. Building inclusive knowledge societies through information and communication.

INTRODUCTION
When defining education, the standard Universal Education System establishes students’
intelligence based on their theoretical performance in common subjects and concerns. This
Universal System of conducting examinations after teaching from books and texts has been
practised for centuries of a developed education structure. We consider that the curriculum has
evolved through decades, but the method or procedure of teaching has stayed the same. Children
are still taught in a standardised and industrialised way to absorb knowledge.

Each child learns best in different and unique ways. Each has a distinct personality, speed and
preferred mode of learning. Under the current system, each child is hustled in one standardised
manner. When considering the different types of learners, it is easy to see why some get left
behind in the classrooms or on tests. The current educational system doesn't accommodate any
learning style, nor does its vision for anything other than high test scores. Most of the time, sports
and play and creativity are restricted. They aren't allowed to harness their inquisitive minds by
questioning reality. The nature of our education system’s tests relies on memorisation and
repetition. They train students to learn the answers but never gain depth of knowledge.
The four learning styles any child develops include visual learners, auditory learners,
reading/writing learners, and kinaesthetic learners. Visual learners easily understand the concept
by memorising its significant picture or imagining it. Auditory learners catch the concept by
continuously hearing and listening to it. Kinaesthetic learners are the most important exception in
the classroom. These students learn best by being active, which leads them to be disengaged in
traditional learning settings.
The most significant criticism of the current classroom system is testing, which only serves the
purpose of children’s rote learning information. Still, the depth of processing is non-existent, and
the knowledge isn’t retained. A study by Fergus Craik and Robert Lockhart1 proves that
information learnt through rote learning does not make its way to long-term storage.

HISTORY
Education generally refers to a social institution providing information, skills, values, and
standards. In Mesopotamia, the early logographic system of the cuneiform script was complex
and took many years to master, but in the later centuries, education purposely made it even more
so. Only royal offspring and sons of the rich and professionals such as scribes, physicians, and

1
https://simplypsychology.org/levelsofprocessing.html
temple administrators were schooled. Most boys were taught their father's trade or apprenticed to
learn it. In the Islamic civilisation that spread between China and Spain between the 7th and 19th
centuries, Muslims started schooling in 622 in Medina, now a city in Saudi Arabia. Although
they did not provide girls with formal education in the Jewish academies, known as yeshivahs,
they had to know a large part of the subject areas to prepare them to maintain the home after
marriage. The first separate school was the Nizamiyah school, built in 1066 in Baghdad. Children
started school from the age of six with free tuition.
The political and economic demands of a varied and young society drove the development of
universal education in the United States. Because immigrants came from many cultures and
religious beliefs, there was no unified national culture.
In the 1800s, Founding Father Thomas Jefferson and dictionary compiler Noah Webster realised
that democracy required an educated, voting citizenry capable of reason and public discussion.
Many states perceived “the country”, which did not quickly fulfil its ideal of education, as a
collection of nation-states. Because of the fractured political environment, there was no education
system: each area operated its system with no link to any other locality. To make matters worse,
public schools charged tuition at the time, making them unavailable to the poor, unless they were
lucky enough to attend for free. Many religious groups established parochial schools, but
attendance was limited to the wealthy. Only the richest could afford to send their children to high
school and college. Furthermore, while the political system demanded an educated voter, the
economic structure, which remained dependent on agriculture, did not.
Horace Mann, a Massachusetts educator known as the “Father of American Education”, was
angry that ordinary folks couldn't afford to send their children to school. To address this issue, he
recommended in 1837 that taxes be used to finance schools and that the Massachusetts
government create schools throughout the state. These “common schools” were so successful that
the concept quickly spread to other states. Mann's proposal coincided with a nation poised to
undergo industrialisation and rising labour union demands to educate its children. The Industrial
Revolution required a more specialised, educated labour force. It also produced more
employment, which attracted more immigrants. Political leaders felt that having too many
competing beliefs would dilute democratic norms and weaken stability, so they turned to
universal education to help immigrants integrate into their new country.
As the need for specialized, educated workers grew, so did the availability of education. This
resulted in compulsory schooling; by 1918, all states in the US had mandated that all children
attend school until the eighth grade or the age of 16. High school was optional, and society saw
people with an eighth-grade education as well-educated. In 1930, fewer than 20% of the
population completed high school; by 1990, more than 20% had completed college.

CURRENT SCENARIO
● Class size: The number of students studying in a class simultaneously is referred to as the
class size. Nowadays, many schools have high-class sizes, i.e. 40-45 per batch with one
teacher. Students get distracted, undoubtedly with several students creating a nuisance.
Teachers must spend more time maintaining decorum rather than using that time to teach.
However, private schools tend to have much smaller populations due to a smaller
demographic. That means a disparity in teaching style and learning ability because of the
inherent personalization of teaching within a smaller classroom.
● Mental health and other health issues: Mental health issues due to the system can pose a
huge problem for students regarding academic success. This makes it difficult for children
to concentrate on their aim or make positive choices. Traditional educators have focused on
improving academic excellence and ignoring their overall well-being. Many students suffer
from Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, and Autism, making it strenuous for kids to read,
calculate, learn, write or speak. Schools today disregard these issues and even further
exacerbate them. This approach to equality in learning is not combated by considering
equity instead. This instance of universal learning is not applicable since students that
require a more targeted learning experience and lumped in with neurotypical learners.
● Student debt: A student loan is money borrowed from the government or a private lender
to pay for your education. This loan builds over time and has to be paid back with interest.
Interest on these loans is so high that most students discontinue their studies and work any
less-paying job to repay the loan. This affects many capable but financially challenged
 students. Some countries do have a fully funded education in place for their citizens. Still,
they are few and far between, with Nordic nations Norway, Denmark and Sweden being the
few countries that offer complimentary education.
● Bias to STEM: STEM refers to studies done in science, technology, engineering, or
maths. Many subjects such as music, dance, literature, history, theatre, animation, fashion,
and arts are disregarded in schools and society. Students are not encouraged to pursue
those fields. This promotes a focus towards said fields in teaching patterns, and the arts
faculties in most institutions are regularly underfunded unless the school takes specific
direction in the area.
● Poor grading system: The current grading system derives success from the grade
assigned to children, leading to stress and self-esteem issues when students get poor
grades. The prospect of a good grade can act as a motivator for the student. However,
focusing on the grades received instead of the retained knowledge makes the system
ineffective.

BLOC POSITIONS

India

Ancient India mainly imparted education through the Vedic and Buddhist education systems. The
main aim of education in ancient India was to develop a person's character, master the art of
self-control, bring about social awareness, and conserve and take forward ancient culture. Later,
the Gurukula system provided free education as well. India now recognises universal primary
education as a right with a goal of compulsory education for all children between the ages of
6-14. The gap that structural inequalities have created is being paid attention to2. Many policies
and programmes like Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, PISA (Programmes for International Students
Assessment), DIKSHA (one nation, one digital platform), Universalization of Elementary
Education (UEE) and Special e-content for visually and hearing impaired developed on Digitally
Accessible Information System (DAISY) and in sign language on NIOS website/YouTube

2
https://vikaspedia.in/education/policies-and-schemes/schemes-for-elementary-secondary-higher-education
thereby promoting inclusivity and giving importance to universal education.

China
With millions of young people needing skills for a modern economy, the country has sought to
make bespoke reforms to overhaul its rote-based education system. To attain the shift from a
nation with considerable human resources to a nation with strong human resources, China has
been working to implement various plans that it hopes will significantly improve its education
system within the coming years. China’s focus on standardised tests, known as “gao kao”, has led
to a teaching style emphasising memorisation. It has been dedicated to designing policies and
programmes to create a system that works for everyone. In just over 20 years, it has achieved
universal coverage in nine-year compulsory education, a goal that took western countries nearly a
century to attain.

United States of America

By state law, education is compulsory for ages 5-18. This requirement can be satisfied in
public-certified private schools or an approved home school programme. Policies like The No
Child Left Behind aimed to improve public primary and secondary schools. Subsequently,
student performance improved via increased accountability for schools, school districts and
states, and brought many positive and promising changes in the education system.

United Kingdom
In the UK education system,3 schools are either state schools funded by the government and are
accessible for all pupils, or they are independent schools and charge fees accordingly. The
government will publish plans to identify 55 cold spots in the country where school outcomes are
the weakest, target investment areas, and support and action to help children from all
backgrounds. The new funding to support programmes designed for families and parents of
children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) will improve
monitoring of their health, participation and access for parents and young people and directly
support schools and colleges to effectively work with pupils with SEND, for example, through

3
https://www.hmc.org.uk/about-hmc/projects/the-british-education-system/#:~:text=In%20the%20UK%20education
%20system,the%20parents%20of%20the%20pupils
training on learning disabilities like autism. Policies like Tripartite System4, New Vocationalism5,
Comprehensivisation6, the Education Reform Act7 and policies in relation to gender, and ethnic
differences have significantly ameliorated the education system.

PROPOSED SOLUTIONS

The new agenda of Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 established in 2015 calls for a new
cooperative paradigm based on the concept of “full global partnership” and the principle of “no
one will be left behind.” Sustainable Development Goal 4 for Education aims “to ensure
inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning”. The steps towards a
unified and universal education system involve rectifying the faults and disparities that lie with
the current system.
● The aid of technology: With the advent of technology that caters to teaching needs,
schools can devise ways to make learning more accessible to students outside a
classroom setting. This can create a universal platform that encourages learning,
revision, and deeper learning of concepts using resources that can be created and
disseminated using technology.
● Social and emotional learning (SEL): SEL is an educational practice integrating social
and emotional skills into the school curriculum. The main five components of SEL are
self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible
decision-making. This helps build a strong and positive character, teaches students to
manage their tasks productively, prepares them for a real-life crisis, and focuses on
developing a good leader. Implementing holistic learning practices is viable on a large
scale, with region-appropriate changes to the curriculum.
● Reducing class size: As discussed above, high-class size can be problematic and hectic.
Studies have shown that reducing the class size allows students to focus and participate

4
https://www.tutor2u.net/sociology/topics/tripartite-system
5
https://www.tutor2u.net/sociology/topics/new-vocationalism
6
https://www.tutor2u.net/sociology/topics/comprehensive
7
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/40/contents
 more and get good grades. With fewer students, children get the correct space and pace
for learning. With greater access to educational institutions, the student population
wouldn't be as concentrated in public schools, so an overall improvement in
accessibility of education to all demographics would mean an eventual resolution of this
problem.
● Genius hour: Genius hour is the time given to the students. In that particular given time,
students will follow their passion or hobbies. This will make them participate more and
learn more. In this, they can also focus on their goals. STEM students can perform
experiments, literature students can write or debate, and students interested in sports can
continue with any sports activity. This opens different avenues of further learning for
students, creating a more unified learning approach. Universally implemented, this
would improve the underperformance of non-scientifically inclined students.

SUGGESTED MODERATED CAUCUS TOPICS

1. Discuss how governments can reduce the cost of higher-level education.
2. Discuss the requirements to achieve the education for all SDGs in the 2030 Goal.
3. Discuss how governments should tackle the issue of minimal teaching resources in
LEDCs.
4. Discuss the problems with a similar curriculum globally.
5. Discuss the implementation of a new testing and grading system.
6. Discuss the problem of increasing student debt.
7. Discuss and evaluate the virtues of homeschooling.
8. Analyse the connection between the absence of holistic learning and unemployment.
9. Analyse the ways to reduce the costs of learning for immigrant students.
10. Analyse the importance of establishing more schools for differently abled children.
 RESEARCH LINKS

(Note: Delegates, some of the links are only meant for light reading and thus are not highlighted;
only refer to the highlighted sources as valid proof, as others may or may not be accepted as a
source of proof in the Council. The decision of the Presiding Officer in regard to the acceptable
sources is Final and Binding.)

1. https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/immersive-story/2019/01/22/pass-or-fail-how-ca
n-the-world-do-its-homework
2. https://en.unesco.org/futuresofeducation/sites/default/files/2021-10/UNESCO%20Rei
magining%20our%20futures%20together%20EMBARGOED%20COPY.pdf
https://www.unicef.org/education
3. https://www.unicef.org/media/121736/file/Global-annual-results-report-2021-goal-ar
ea-2.pdf
4. https://www.unicef.org/media/116171/file/Education,%20Children%20on%20the%
20move%20and%20Inclusion%20in%20Education.pdf
5. https://www.unicef.org/media/94201/file/Reimagining%20Girls%20Education%20S
olutions%20to%20Keep%20Girls%20Learning%20in%20Emergencies%20.pdf
https://un.org/development/desa/dspd/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2020/08/sg_policy
_brief_covid-19_and_education_august_2020.pdf
6. https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-perso
ns-with-disabilities/article-24-education.html
7. https://www.unicef.org/education/inclusive-education
8. https://sdgs.un.org/news/higher-education-sustainability-initiative-discusses-transfo
rmation-higher-education-result
9. https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal4
10. https://en.unesco.org/education2030-sdg4/targets
11. https://byjus.com/free-ias-prep/indian-education-system-issues-and-challenges/
12. https://en.unesco.org/covid19/educationresponse/support
13. https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/opinion/2021/04/02/the-impact-of-covid-19-on-educ
 ation-recommendations-and-opportunities-for-ukraine
14. https://www.humanium.org/en/right-to-education/
15. https://www.unicef.org/media/123021/file/25%20Years%20Children%20in%20Armed%2
0Conflict.pdf
16. https://ineducationonline.org/2021/04/16/education-problems-around-the-world/
17. https://www.unicef.org/media/123216/file/Operational%20Guide%202B.pdf
https://www.unicef.org/media/122921/file/State%20of%20Learning%20Poverty%20202
2.pdf

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