Potential ‘human tragedy’ unfolding in global education, former UK PM says

Potential ‘human tragedy’ unfolding in global education, former UK PM says

Former U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown is urging nations to make major investments in education to bridge a widening global inequality gap created by the coronavirus crisis.

"Financing education has got to be taken seriously," said Brown, a UN special envoy for global education who served as the British leader from 2007 to 2010.

"A human tragedy is unfolding if we do nothing and leave education completely underfunded," he warned, saying "hope will die" if poorer nations aren't able to address education investment as part of their coronavirus crisis response.

The United Nations has described the disruption from Covid-19 on education as "unparalleled" and experts fear that low and middle income countries with meager education budgets won't have the resources to meet the needs of their students.

''As well as persuading countries that they cannot build for a long-term future without investing in education, we have to remind them that education unlocks opportunities for employment,'' Brown added.

The former prime minister was addressing a web forum hosted by the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) entitled "Education Disrupted, Education Reimagined."

Debt relief key

As the pandemic tilts the balance of risks for the global economy to the downside, forcing governments to combat funding challenges with fewer fiscal