Academy for Educational Development
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Educating the World's Children: Patterns of Growth and Inequality New Report Highlights Progress in Achieving Education for All Washington, D.C., October 26, 2005 — According to a new report, primary enrollment and completion growth in the last half of the 20th century has moved steadily upward, although the increase in primary school entry varies substantially from country to country. Educating the World’s Children: Patterns of Growth and Inequality, authored by the Education Policy and Data Center at AED, also reveals that the greatest disparities are found between urban and rural areas and between sub-regions within a country, rather than as a result of gender. The report provides an assessment of how much progress countries’ have made toward achieving the goal of universal primary education by 2015, which is part of the U.N. Millennium Development Goals. Using new projection methodologies and educational trends to forecast when 70 developing countries are likely to achieve universal primary education. Educating the World’s Children identifies countries that will achieve that goal by or before 2015. It also provides case studies of those that are unlikely to reach that goal by 2015, but should still be considered success stories because they are moving faster than the historic trend. A third group of countries will only approach universal primary access and completion over the next several decades with changed policies and conditions, as well as long-term support. “Education has always been the foundation for countries to achieve social and economic development,” said AED President Stephen F. Moseley. “We hope this publication will contribute to moving us toward that goal.” Among the report’s recommendations are that underserved populations be identified and targeted and that countries that are making progress toward the goal of universal primary completion should be recognized. The report is available at: ### |
