14 April 2015
GMR 2015: Despite Progress, World Will Not Achieve Education for All Goals
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The world has made progress toward Education for All (EFA) and the six education-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) but will not achieve the MDG education agenda, according to the findings of the 2015 EFA Global Monitoring Report, produced by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and launched on 9 April 2015.

report_education_for_all9 April 2015: The world has made progress toward Education for All (EFA) and the six education-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), but will not achieve the MDG education agenda, according to the findings of the 2015 EFA Global Monitoring Report, produced by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and launched on 9 April 2015.

One-third of countries have achieved all the MDG education goals, according to the report, titled ‘Education for All 2000-2015: Achievements and Challenges.’ Forty-seven percent of countries achieved universal primary enrollment; an additional eight percent were close to reaching the goal while 20% were far from the goal. Additional progress highlighted in the report includes: 50 million more children enrolled in school than in 1999; positive impacts on enrolment for the poor from cash transfer and school feeding programmes; and a doubling of students in lower secondary education in sub-Saharan Africa.

Inequality persists in education progress, according to the report, which explains that the poorest children are five times less likely than their peers in the richest countries to complete a full cycle of primary education. Fifty-two percent of countries met the universal primary education goal for girls, ethnic minorities and marginalized children and 38% of countries remain far or very far from achieving this goal. Only half of all children in low-income countries are projected to complete lower secondary education by 2030, and achieving universal primary education will remain out of reach of many countries without concerted efforts. The report also finds that the focus on universal primary enrolment resulted in less attention to other areas, such as in reducing adult illiteracy.

The report highlights funding as one of the main obstacles to achieving progress on education. Although 38 countries increased their commitment to education by one percentage or more of their gross domestic product (GDP) and many others significantly increased their education spending, an additional US$22 billion per year is needed to achieve education targets being set for 2030.

UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova called for “specific, well-funded strategies that prioritize the poorest – especially girls – improve the quality of learning and reduce the literacy gap so that education becomes meaningful and universal.” Without increased attention to education and concerted action, “the transformative vision of the new sustainable development agenda will be jeopardized,” said the report’s Director, Aaron Benavot.

The report further recommends: specific, relevant and realistic post-2015 targets on education; programmes to meet the needs of the most disadvantaged; abolishment of fees for tuition, textbooks, uniforms and transport; identification and prioritization of skills to be acquired at each level of schooling; and improved teacher training.

Launch events took place in Paris, France; New Delhi, India; and New York, US. At the New York event, participants discussed the report within the context of the post-2015 development agenda. The event focused on challenges related to: ensuring adequate funding; measuring and monitoring progress on equitable and inclusive lifelong learning; identifying and filling data gaps; and adopting monitoring mechanisms to promote accountability. Almost 30 additional launch events are scheduled to take place in the next few weeks. [Publication: Education for All 2000-2015: Achievements and Challenges] [UNESCO Press Release on Launches] [UNESCO Press Release on Report] [UN Press Release] [UNRIC Press Release]

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