International Youth Day Monday

UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres has said education today should combine knowledge, life skills and critical thinking.

He came up with the remarks in a message issued on the occasion of the International Youth Day that falls on Monday, according to UNB.

“We are facing a learning crisis. Too often, schools are not equipping young people with the skills they need to navigate the technological revolution. Students need not just to learn, but to learn how to learn,” Antonio Guterres stated.

The UN chief said this year’s day highlights the theme of Transforming Education to make it more inclusive, accessible and relevant to today’s world. “It should include information on sustainability and climate change. And it should advance gender equality, human rights and a culture of peace,” he said.

All these elements are included in Youth 2030, the United Nations strategy to increase their engagement with young people and support them in realising their rights, Antonio Guterres said.

Meanwhile, different organisations have chalked out various programmes on the occasion.

Bangladesh Youth Leadership Center (BYLC) together with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, organised a 7.5km run at Hatirjheel on 2 August, marking the International Youth Day.

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) organised a human chain at Dhaka University's Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) on 6 August on the occasion when it urged the authorities concerned to ensure quality education and made 12 recommendations to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs).