There are 125 million primary school-age children who are not in school, most of them girls. Another 150 million children start primary school but drop out before they have completed four years, the vast majority before they have acquired basic literary skills. The world community has made a commitment to universal primary education by 2015 but on current trends there is not the slightest chance of this target being hit. Oxfam, in a report out today, estimates that there will still be 75 million not in school by 2015, and that the numbers in sub-Saharan Africa will have increased. Yet the consequences of under-investment in education are clear.
Education saves lives, boosts growth and enhances democracy.
Each additional year a mother spent in primary school lowers the risk of child death by 8 per cent, while the completion of primary school in sub-Saharan Africa increases farmers' output by 8 per cent. Oxfam puts a price tag on providing universal primary education for all in the developing world. Put that way, it does not sound that much, particularly because the benefits are so great and the costs of not spending the money are potentially so grievous. The answer, so far, is yes. There is a compelling case for higher spending on education in developing countries, financed through more generous debt relief and additional aid.