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| Education Factsheet (164
kb)
 Globally, there are some 72 million primary-aged
children not enrolled in school - 57% (41 million) of whom are girls (UNESCO Institute of Statistics, 2008).
This lack of basic education deprives young people of choices and
opportunities, and makes it harder for countries in the developing world
to tackle poverty and disease.
Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for more out-of-school children than any other
region: 33 million, including 18 million girls (UIS). Meanwhile, across
South and West Asia 17 million primary-aged children are out of
school, 11 million of them girls (UIS).
But progress is being made. Global enrolment in primary education increased
by over 41 million between 1999 and 2005. There are now 95 girls enrolled in
school for every 100 boys, compared with 92 girls for every 100 boys in 1999. The
number of primary-aged children not enrolled in school fell by over 24 million
between 1999 and 2005. Over the same period of time, the net enrolment rate
increased in Sub-Saharan Africa from
57% to 70%.
DFID is spending £8.5 billion pounds over 10 years to ensure that, by 2015,
children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete at least
five years of quality education. Most of the money will be going to Sub-Saharan
Africa and South Asia.
We are working closely with the governments of poor countries to improve both
the access to and the quality of schooling.
Although it's a tough target, the achievements of some countries do give
grounds for optimism. In countries like Uganda and Malawi, for example, the
number of children enrolling in primary school has doubled in five years and is
now over 90%.
What we do –
policy priorities
In helping countries to make progress towards achieving these goals, DFID
recognises the need to work with partner governments and the international
community. This is not just to attain universal primary education and gender parity, but
to sustain the achievement of these goals as the basis for expanding and
developing all levels of the education system and contributing to economic
growth. DFID’s education policy priorities are:
- Universal primary education – DFID is a strong advocate
for the removal of all of the financial barriers that deny children
educational opportunities.
- Gender equality - DFID has elaborated its approach to work in
this important area in girls’ education -
Towards a
Better Future for All (516kb)
- and committed £8.5 billion over the years 2006/07-2015/16 in
support of education, which will help governments enrol and retain more
girls in school.
- Access and inclusion - DFID is committed to working
creatively with governments and with other providers to seek imaginative
and manageable approaches to inclusion and education for all.
- Education quality - DFID works hard in its bilateral,
international and research programmes to recognise the centrality of
improving the quality of education and the implications that this has
for building and strengthening capacities throughout national education
systems.
- Education and HIV/AIDS - DFID is supportive of the
development of national education HIV and AIDS strategies, ideally set
within education sector plans as part of wider national AIDS strategies
(rather than as separate educational campaigns).
- Education in conflict-affected and fragile states - DFID is
working with UNICEF and Save the Children to offer support to conflict-afflicted and fragile states and to work proactively in the OECD-DAC and
through the Fast Track Initiative to promote and support international
good practice.
- Higher education and vocation skills training - DFID supports
higher education, vocational skills training and lifelong learning in
order to promote sustainable economic growth in an increasingly
knowledge-driven, global economy.
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Last updated: 22 July 2008
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