Ban stresses global access to education

KABUL, saying no child should face unsafe circumstances in exercising this basic right.

“We must do all we can to ensure schools are safe and secure learning spaces. Nowhere in the world should it be an act of bravery for an adult to teach or a girl to go to school,” he wrote in an article that appeared in the Huffington Post.

Ban’s call comes ahead of Pakistani education activist Malala Yousufzai’s visit to the United Nations headquarters on Friday. She was shot by the Taliban last October in the northwestern valley of Swat.

On July 12, Malala would be joined by hundreds of students from more than 80 countries in a unique Youth Assembly, where diplomats would take a back seat as young people take over the UN, the secretary-general added.

The students would gather to issue a global call for quality education for all, Ban said, adding during her visit to the UN, which coincides with her 16th birthday, Malala would share her experiences and raise awareness about education, particularly for girls.

“In far too many places, students like Malala and their teachers are threatened, assaulted, even killed,” regretted Ban, who observed: “Through hate-filled actions, extremists have shown what frightens them the most: a girl with a book.”

PAN Monitor/mud

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