UNESCO's institute seeks to be associated with state’s education system

PTI, Kolkata, Mar 8, 2023 : An institute affiliated with UNESCO has written to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressing its interest in associating with the state’s education system, a government official said on Wednesday.

Banerjee has directed officials to explore the possible relationship with the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL), and a meeting may be held later this week on the issue between the two sides.

“The UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning has written to the chief minister expressing interest to be part of the state’s education system. Officials have been directed to look into the matter and take necessary initiative,” the bureaucrat said.

The Hamburg-based UIL is one of UNESCO’s key education-related institutes and is the only organisational unit in the UN family that holds a global mandate for lifelong learning.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) wants to be associated with the education system of the state by “giving priority to its social schemes” for the students, the official said.

The UIL promotes and supports lifelong learning with a focus on adult learning, continuing education, literacy and non-formal basic education. Its activities place particular emphasis on furthering educational equity for disadvantaged groups and in the countries most afflicted by poverty and conflict.

UNESCO runs several other institutes to address various issues of education across the world.