Resolution submitted by the Canadian delegation
on
Education and literacy

The Fifth Annual Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum,

Recognizing that standards of education in Asia Pacific differ throughout the region;

Recognizing that literacy rate in the region is still too low, even in some of the most developed countries;

Cognizant of the fact that education is an investment in the future and forms an important component of any strategy for reducing poverty;

Mindful that those countries in the Asia-Pacific which have invested the most in education and training are those which have experienced the highest rates of economic growth;

Noting that, although the proportion of children enrolled in school is increasing, the absolute number of children in the world without education is expected to increase in 20 years; and

Recognizing strongly that children are "our" future and are our most important investment;

Resolves:

• To strongly support access to education for all individuals;

• To urge governments to make education a priority and commit the resources necessary to achieve this goal;

• To encourage governments to ensure that levels of education and age of school access be facilitated to help with the increase in productivity of the region and full employment; and

• To work towards a goal of total literacy in the Asia Pacific region by the year 2010.

Adopted unanimously on January 9, 1997, in Vancouver.