03/02/2025
World Education Day was celebrated on Jan 24, 2025.
On this day, we are reminded of the profound impact that education has on individuals, communities, and societies.
This year's theme, "AI and Education: Preserving Human Agency in a World of Automation," highlights the urgent need to equip future generations with skills & knowledge necessary to thrive in an increasingly automated world.
However, despite the importance of education, millions of children around the world remain out of school. According to UNESCO, 242 million children in 85 countries are currently out of school, with 26 million of them in Pakistan alone. This staggering number underscores the need for concerted efforts to ensure that all children have access to quality education.
In today's digital age, education must also address the challenges posed by AI, deep fake, fake news, misinformation, and disinformation. The proliferation of these phenomena has created a complex information landscape that requires critical thinking, media literacy, and digital awareness.
Media literacy, in particular, has become an essential skill in the 21st century. As AI-generated content becomes increasingly sophisticated, it is crucial that individuals are able to distinguish between fact and fiction, and to evaluate the credibility of sources.
In this context, education must go beyond mere literacy and numeracy. It must foster critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills, as well as emotional intelligence and empathy. By doing so, we can empower future generations to navigate the complexities of the digital world and to preserve human agency in the face of automation.
As we celebrate World Education Day, let us renew our commitment to ensuring that all children have access to quality education, regardless of their background or circumstances. Let us also recognize the importance of media literacy and digital awareness in today's world, and work towards creating a future where individuals are empowered to think critically, creatively, and independently.
To address the challenges, we must adopt a multi-faceted approach that involves governments, educators, media organizations, and civil society. Some potential strategies may include Integrating media literacy into school curricula, Promoting digital awareness and online safety, Supporting fact-checking initiatives and independent media, Fostering critical thinking and creativity etc.
By working together, we can create a future where education empowers individuals to thrive in a world of automation, and where media literacy and digital awareness are essential skills for navigating the complexities of the digital age.
Reporter:
Ikram Barkat
Director General PEMRA
Punjab Operations
Pakistan
