Sarah's Insights: MDG#2 Primary Education

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were established following the Millennium Summit of the United Nations in 2000. It's comprised of eight international goals that were agreed to by 193 countries aiming to meet the needs of the global poor by 2015. Last week we discussed Goal #1. This week the focus is on Millennium Development Goal #2.

2. Achieve universal primary education

A simple (sounding) target for this goal: Ensure that by 2015, children everywhere, inducing boy and girls alike will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling.

Progress

Access to primary education is at a whopping 90%! The number of children not in school has almost been slashed in half, from 102 million to 58 million.

What's Still to Be Done

While huge strides had been made since the year 2000, progression has remained stagnant since 2007.

Examples and Stories of Progress

In Tanzania, where approximately 140 girls are estimated to be living with the consequences of female genital mutilation/cutting. UN Women and Maasai Women Development Organization are providing school scholarships.

The World Food Programme is working governments to shape school feeding programs which helps keep children in school. WFP reaches 22 million children in 60 countries including 1 million school children in Bangladesh who receive micronutrient biscuits every day.

2015 and beyond

Gender, poverty and location are the most widespread factors contributing to the differences in school attendance globally. 50% of out-of-school children live in conflict-affected areas – all but 6% live in sub-Saharan Africa. Expanding education access to include early childhood development programs and pre-primary programs will help ensure a love of learning and ease the need for older sibling to stay home to care for younger siblings.

The official website for the MDG's contains plenty of information and encouraging stories: LINK

I also found an interesting progress chart here: LINK Who doesn't love charts??!!