What is millennium development goal two?
The second of the eight development goals launched at the turn of the century called for every child in the world, boys and girls alike, to receive a full course of primary school education by 2015. Progress towards this lone target has been measured by looking at how many children enrol in primary education, how many complete the process, and how many 15- to 24-year-olds are able to read and write.
Will the goal be met?
The headline figures might suggest a success story in the making, but the short answer is no. In 2012, the most recent year for which worldwide data is available, 58 million children aged between six and 11 were out of school. The problem was nowhere more acute than in sub-Saharan Africa, where roughly 30 million children were affected. So while more children are registering for primary school than ever before – in 2012 the global figure stood at 90%, up from 83% at the turn of the century – the ideal of universal enrolment remains elusive. Progress since the turn of the century was made mostly before 2007, with only an additional 2 million children making it to the classroom since then. Moreover, about a quarter of children worldwide – half of them living in conflict-affected areas – drop out of primary school before their studies are complete, a statistic that has remained unchanged since the millennium development goals were introduced. And while there has been a slight increase in literacy among 15- to 24-year-olds, which went from 87% in 2000 to 89% in 2012, again there is a sting in the tail, with 126 million young people worldwide still unable to read and write. It does not help that donor funding for education has been in decline since 2010.
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How have girls fared?
Again, it’s a mixed story. The education goal called for “girls and boys alike” to receive a primary school education, but it failed to acknowledge that the challenges they face are far from alike. In some poor countries, sons are still seen as the breadwinners of the future, and their education prioritised over daughters. This means they are more vulnerable to early or forced marriage and early pregnancy, and are often left to shoulder a disproportionate share of the domestic workload. On the plus side, perhaps partly because of the emphasis on education in the gender equality goal, boys and girls are now enrolling for primary school in equal numbers. That, though, means very little if they subsequently fall by the wayside, and the reality is that for every 100 boys out of primary school there are 117 girls.
What still needs to be addressed?
Increasing primary school enrolment without making provision for improved access to secondary and higher education was a fundamentally flawed strategy. Governments and donors supported the education goal by building and equipping new primary schools, in the process creating a burgeoning generation of young learners. But not enough provision was made for what would happen further down the line. The consequences of this approach are perhaps nowhere more apparent than in sub-Saharan Africa, where more than half of children old enough to be in secondary school are no longer in education, even though the region has recorded the most significant increase in primary school enrolment since the turn of the century. In some cases, buildings and books were emphasised over the more basic aim of improving literacy. Moreover, inadequate resources made it difficult to reduce class sizes, increase the number of qualified teachers, promote better teacher training or enhance academic curricula. Building more schools while neglecting to populate them with enough skilled teachers who were paid on time was not a recipe for success.
How did MDG2 fit with existing global education initiatives?
In April 2000, at the World Education Forum in Dakar, 164 countries pledged to meet a set of six targets by 2015. The agenda called for expanded and improved early childhood care and education, and stipulated that school attendance for children should be compulsory, free of charge and of good quality. It also promoted lifelong learning, adult literacy, the provision of learning opportunities for old and young, gender equality and an all-round improvement in education quality. But the Education for All initiative was overshadowed by the millennium development goals and their emphasis on universal primary education. As the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation said in a recent report: “The focus on universal primary enrolment meant less attention to other crucial areas, such as education quality, early childhood care and education, and adult literacy.”
What steps will the sustainable development goals take to address the original education target’s shortcomings?
The new education goal promises to be far more comprehensive than its predecessor. Goal four proposes that, by 2030, “all girls and boys [should] complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education”, a formula that – in succinctly covering many existing problem areas – suggests lessons have been learned. There is a clear anxiety to touch all the relevant bases, with targets devoted to preparing children adequately for primary school, university and professional life. Schools must be sensitive to the needs of both sexes, with provision made for disabled children and a greater emphasis on safety and quality. Percentage targets for literacy, numeracy, life skills and – crucially – teacher training will be set when the sustainable development agenda is formally adopted in September.
