Global education champions are looking for a benefactor, one who can help pull the sector out of its funding slump and turn a disappointing track record into an ambitious — but achievable — agenda. Step one is greater transparency.
The Millennium Development Goals committed the world to achieving universal primary education by the end of this year. Fifty-eight million children remain out of school, according to UNESCO’s MDG report card 2000-2015, and primary school enrollment has slowed in recent years. Of those who do go to school for five years, 245 million do so without achieving basic literacy. The proposed sustainable development goals expand the world’s ambition beyond primary school to universal secondary education, and they tackle challenging questions about educational quality, in addition to access.
Is the world setting itself up to fall short again?
About the author
Michael Igoe@AlterIgoe
Michael Igoe is a Senior Reporter with Devex, based in Washington, D.C. He covers U.S. foreign aid, global health, climate change, and development finance. Prior to joining Devex, Michael researched water management and climate change adaptation in post-Soviet Central Asia, where he also wrote for EurasiaNet. Michael earned his bachelor's degree from Bowdoin College, where he majored in Russian, and his master’s degree from the University of Montana, where he studied international conservation and development.
