Global Policy Forum

New Coalition Report Highlights Importance of Education to Developing World

Basic education is a prerequisite for economic development, individual health, poverty reduction and democracy, according to a report released today by the Basic Education Coalition *, an umbrella group of 19 private and non-governmental development and relief organizations.

Based on the most current data from the World Bank, United Nations and other agencies, the report, Teach a Child, Transform a Nation, illustrates the correlations between education and the benchmarks that determine a country's growth.

The report notes that while education alone is not sufficient to generate development, it is a major factor in the ultimate effectiveness of other country investments. In fact, no country has achieved sustained economic growth without attaining near universal basic education. An educated populace is more likely to enjoy higher agricultural productivity, longer life expectancies, lower infant mortality rates and greater political stability. Educated people also are better equipped to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS.

"Education provides the foundation upon which stable nations are built," said Stephen F. Moseley, chair of the Coalition advisory board and president and CEO of the Academy for Educational Development. "It is not a luxury that can be addressed at some point in the future, but rather it provides people with the tools to survive and improve their lives."

The report indicates that enrollment in primary school is increasing around the world. Still, 115 million children—three-fifths of them girls—are not in school. Meanwhile, one-fourth of adults in the developing world can neither read nor write. Other findings include:

- Countries that improve literacy rates by 20–30% have seen GDP growth of 8–16%,

- One year of additional education increases individual output by 4–7%,

- Educating girls, in particular, increases per capita income and reduces poverty,

- Educated women have healthier children,

- As secondary enrollment increases, political stability improves,

"The benefits of education go far beyond the individual level," said George M. Ingram, executive director of the Basic Education Coalition. "And it has become increasingly evident that the world community cannot afford to ignore the long-term ramifications of allowing millions of people to never see the inside of a classroom, however humble."

In 2000, 164 countries signed the Dakar Framework for Action, which committed developing and industrialized countries to ensuring that all children have access to and complete a quality primary education. Currently, more than 40 nations are likely to miss that target, known as the Education for All (EFA) goal.

* The Basic Education Coalition is dedicated to rallying support for the goal of Education for All (EFA) and to enhance awareness and knowledge of the fundamental importance of quality basic education for economic development and human well-being. Its 19 member organizations, which conduct humanitarian and development activities in more than 100 countries, are: Abt Associates, Academy for Educational Development, Africare, American Institutes for Research, Bread for the World, CARE, Christian Children's Fund, Creative Associates International, Education Development Center, International Youth Foundation, Plan, RESULTS, RTI International, Save the Children, Women's Edge, World Education, World Learning and World Vision.