The accessibility of education for children : How to break down the existing barriers

The accessibility of education for children: How to break down the existing barriers Achieving universal primary education is at the top of the global agenda, which is not a surprise as high illiteracy rates continue to undermine social and economic development in many parts of the world. Yet, despite significant efforts to promote universal education, about 115 million children are still out of school, the majority of them (62 millions) being girls (UNGEI, 2006a). So what is it exactly, that keeps children away from schools? Evidence suggests that the main barriers to education include, among others, poverty, war, cultural assumptions, lack of infrastructure and poor quality. This policy brief gives an overview of the situation today, summarizes the main barriers to education and describes some of the innovative programmes, which are put in place with the ambitious but essential goal of achieving education for all. At the Millennium Summit in 2000, governments agreed on a vision for the future and on eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), including the commitment to " ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling (MDG 2) ". In six years, significant progress has been made: net enrolment ratios in primary education have increased from 79% to 86% in the developing world, ranging from 95% in Latin America and the Caribbean to 64% in sub-Saharan Africa (UN, 2006). However, neither sub-Saharan Africa nor SouthEast Asia are on track and many countries will need to perform at historically high levels in order to achieve the education MDG by 2015. Today, an estimated 115 millions children are out of school, the majority of them (62 millions) being girls (UNGEI, 2006a). Clearly, a gender gap in education persists in many parts of the world and more efforts need to be concentrated on addressing the special needs of girls. Other children particularly at risk include minority populations, children affected or infected by HIV/AIDS as well as trafficked and working children. Moreover, it is important to note that rural children account for 82% of the children being out of school in developing countries (UN, 2006). The benefits of education to both children and the broader society are widely acknowledged and cannot be overestimated. Firstly, education breaks the inter-generational cycles of poverty by enabling children to gain skills and knowledge for better jobs and wages. Moreover, education is strongly …