Universal Primary Education by 2015: The Good and Bad News

The verdict is in. “Hope dims for universal education by 2015, even as many poor countries make tremendous strides,” announces the 2010 United Nations report (PDF) on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).  Indeed, one look at the primary education enrollment stats in the poorest parts of the globe and it becomes clear why only five more years probably won’t do.

Just how badly is the world doing in providing universal primary education for its children? It depends. Enrollment in elementary schools around the developing world has reached 89 percent.  The overall number of children out of school has decreased from 106 million in 1999 to 69 million in 2008, but there are significant regional differences. Among the un-enrolled children, 31 million are in Sub-Saharan Africa while 18 million live in Southern Asia.

Enrollment in Sub-Saharan Africa stands at just 76 percent, much less than the second and third lowest numbers – Western Asia at 88 percent and South Asia at 90 percent. Still, deeming Africa an MDG failure would be a mistake. The gains made by the continent are huge, going from a 58 percent enrollment rate in 1998 to 76 percent in 2008 – an 18 percent jump. No other region in the world has made that big of a stride. We should all feel encouraged by that.

That said, in an overwhelming majority of cases it is economical inequality that gets in the way of achieving universal primary education. Therefore, it makes sense that Sub -Saharan Africa – as one of the poorest regions in the world – has some of the biggest problems. The continent will also have to double its teaching force between now and 2015 if it is at all going to move closer to attaining the goal. That requires a massive amount of resource and expertise.

In addition, governments not only have to ensure children are signed up for school but they also have to fight the dropout rate. As it stands, 30 percent of elementary school children in Sub-Saharan Africa leave before they finish their last year of primary education. Those in charge must, at the same time, keep an eye on the gender gap ensuring girls have as many opportunities as boys do.

Over at The Brooking Institution, David Gartner argues that education is the key to achieving the other MDGs. I agree. Education is a time tested route to a better life for the simple fact that it helps people make smarter choices. In Africa, for example, children of mothers with five years of education are 40 percent more likely to survive to age five. This makes sense; there is a greater chance that these children get vaccinated and receive proper nutrition.  The same goes for maternal mortality. The more educated the mother to be is, the less likely she is going to perish in childbirth.

All this is to highlight that investment in education is an investment in the achievement of the other millennium goals. In places where resources are stretched to the max, if hard choices have to be made, it might be worthwhile to prioritize education. It is certainly going to pay off in many more ways than one.

Photo Credit: thechildrenofwar