“Let’s commit to promote education for all — today and every day,” said the UN chief in a message marking the International Day of Education that falls on Sunday.

Guterres said when education is interrupted; it affects everyone – especially students, teachers and families.

On the third International Day of Education, he paid tribute to their resilience in the face of a pandemic that, at its peak, forced almost every school, institute and university to close its doors.

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Although this disruption has led to learning innovations, it has also dashed the hopes of a brighter future among vulnerable populations, said the UN chief adding that, “All of us pay the price.”

After all, he said, education is the foundation for expanding opportunities, transforming economies, fighting intolerance, protecting the planet and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

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“As the world continues to battle the pandemic, education – as a fundamental right and a global public good – must be protected to avert a generational catastrophe,” said the UN chief.

Guterres said even before the pandemic, some 258 million children and adolescents were out of school, the majority of them girls.

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He said more than half of 10-year-olds in low- and middle-income countries were not learning to read a simple text.

“In 2021, we must seize all the opportunities to turn this situation around. We must ensure the full replenishment of the Global Partnership for Education fund, and strengthen global education cooperation,” said the UN chief.