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Developing Gender-Responsive Education

Guidance for Developing Gender-Responsive Education Sector PlansThe Guidance for Developing Gender-Responsive Education Sector Plans began in January 2017. It is a dual effort by the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative and the Global Partnership for Education. UNICEF also supports the project.

The multicomponent document has roots in the United Nations’ 2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

The fourth goal, in particular, focuses on changes in education. The SDG outlines 17 goals for improving global education and eradicate factors that compromise academic opportunities for men, women and children in developing nations by 2030.

The Guidance for Developing Gender-Responsive Education Sector Plans aims to cultivate gender equality by implementing and enforcing gender-sensitive policies in schools and other learning environments. It also intends to target both country-level and global and regional-level actors.

The Guide consists of nine interwoven modules grouped into four major categories: Gender Framework, Gender Analysis, Plan Preparation and Plan Appraisal. Here is a summary of the nine modules:

  • Module 1: Gives educators the opportunity to set or reconfirm credible gender-responsive goals based on vision and viability
  • Module 2: Understanding the legal, political, social and economic makeup of a country and how these variables affect gender inequalities in the educational system
  • Module 3: An analysis of current education policies and how the resulting achievements and drawbacks can be used to improve future approaches to policy advocacy
  • Module 4: Understand gender-disparity in education based on quantitative and qualitative data
  • Module 5: Understanding the local government’s capabilities in addressing gender equality in the educational system
  • Module 6: Involving all stakeholders in the planning process to ensure engagement and accuracy in future planning
  • Module 7: With reference to modules two through six, develop practical guidelines for the implementation of strategies for addressing gender inequalities
  • Module 8: Comprehending the cost involved in implementing the proposed strategies and making informed decisions with funding in mind
  • Module 9: Fully understanding how gender inequalities in education are evolving and how to ensure the success of education sector plans in the future

These modules combine to outline a plan that aims to level the playing field and neutralize the current gender disparity in educational outlets in developing countries.

The Guidance for Developing Gender-Responsive Education Sector Plans are currently implemented in Eritrea, Guinea and Malawi. If they prove successful, perhaps these initiatives will continue worldwide.

– Sloan Bousselaire

Photo: Flickr

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World Hunger Recently Increased

The State of Food Security as World Hunger IncreasesWorld hunger levels do not merely represent the amount of food a country has available. This level lends to the disparity of class, employment and education levels in a country. For those who find access to food and consume more than others, their energy for sustained work propels them above those with lower levels of caloric distribution. This begins the procession of beneficial livelihoods that are affordable for those who live without hunger.

Not only is hunger a contributing factor to living conditions, but in many cases, living conditions can also cause hunger. In 2010 for example, the number of undernourished people in the world declined for the first time in 15 years. The decline, according to the Food and Agriculture Association, was largely attributed to the “favorable economic environment in 2010—particularly in developing countries—and the fall in both international and domestic food prices since 2008.”

In 2017, the global hunger level rose for the first time in over a decade. In 2016, the world Prevalence of Undernourishment was 10.8 percent, continuing a consistent decline since 2003. The 2017 report published by the UN indicates that the world Prevalence of Undernourishment has risen to 11 percent.

“On September 15th, The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the UN World Food Program (WFP), the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) published the first-ever consolidated U.N. report on progress towards eradicating hunger and malnutrition by 2030.”

Under the U.N. Sustainable Development goals (SDG’s) these five U.N. organizations have pronounced to end hunger, promote sustainable development and achieve food security and improved nutrition by 2030.

The 2017 Global Report on The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World illustrates some of the biggest drivers of world hunger: armed conflict and natural disasters. “Of the 815 million chronically food-insecure and malnourished people in the world, the vast majority—489 million—live in countries affected by conflict.”

Armed conflict contributed to the onset of food insecurity in countries like Syria, South Sudan and Lebanon in 2017. In Syria, a six-year civil war has contributed to the onset of a record low agricultural production. An 85 percent poverty rate in 2016, along with the exodus of an estimated 4.8 million refugees since 2011, aggregates the lack of agricultural production and food insecurity in Syria.

South Sudan has seen inflation due to shortages, currency devaluation and high transportation costs as a result of the ongoing conflict. Lebanon is an example of how the spillover effect of conflicts in other countries contributes to an economic slowdown. The conflict in Syria has “disrupted trade routes, and declined confidence among investors and consumers” in Lebanon, which has “absorbed more than 1.5 million refugees.” Political crises thus contribute to increases in world hunger.

Natural disasters such as El-Niño-driven drought and other climate shocks lead to unfavorable agriculture conditions and food scarcity in countries like Ethiopia, Zimbabwe and Haiti. In Southern Africa, where countries were experiencing high levels of poverty and structural insecurity, El Niño’s dry conditions induced crop losses and reduced access to food.

The combination of insecurities in these countries prompted critical food insecurity in Malawi, Zimbabwe and Madagascar. In 2015, Hurricane Matthew hit Haiti and coupled with El Niño induced drought to create unfavorable cropping conditions that left “1.6 million…in need of food assistance.” World hunger thus increases due to natural disasters.

The rise of undernourished people in the world in 2017 brings attention to the multi-dimensional effects of conflict in developing nations. Armed conflict coupled with unfavorable weather conditions have risen the rate of Prevalence of Undernourishment and brought multiple nations to critical food insecurity.

The 2017 report looks at Uganda as an example of how resolving conflict can decrease food insecurity. Two decades of conflict lead to reliance on international food assistance in Uganda. Since 2011, after the end of the conflict, Uganda has increased food security and no longer requires assistance. Steps like the ones Uganda has made continue to inspire work towards reducing world hunger.

– Eliza Gresh

Photo: Flickr

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2016 UN Refugee Education Goals – One Year Later

2016 UN Refugee Education Goals - One Year Later

At the UN General Assembly Meeting in New York last year, world leaders confronted the Syrian refugee crisis, focusing primarily on the plight of displaced children. Leaders set a goal of getting every refugee child back in school within two months of their arrival. However, a year later the future of their education remains uncertain.

The annual education report from UNHCR “Missing Out” was released in advance of the UN General Assembly meeting last year. The New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants was signed by 193 countries. Education was the primary focus of the report.

The focus on the refugee crisis and the establishment of refugee education goals was in reaction the influx of mainly Syrian refugees in Europe upon the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2015. The commitment, according to refugeesmigrants.un.org, stated that world leaders would “ensure that all refugee and migrant children are receiving education within a few months of arrival.”

The New York Declaration states, “We are determined to ensure that all children are receiving education…and we will prioritize budgetary provision to facilitate this, including support for host countries as required.” The UN recognized the right for the world’s children to be educated as part of their “obligation” under the Convention of Rights of the Child. The Convention considers education necessary for the full realization of children’s inalienable human rights and capabilities, along with basic health and psychosocial development.

In 2015, approximately 50 million children were uprooted and more than 27 million of them were forced from their homes due to violence and lack of adequate security.

According to UNICEF, refugees are five times more likely to be out of school than other children. As of 2016, half of refugee children were enrolled in primary school and one-fourth of them were enrolled in secondary school. Today, despite the refugee education goals set by the UN, more than 3.5 million refugee children between the ages of five and 17 did not have the chance to attend school in the last academic year.

There have been notable improvements in the last academic year, however. An increase from half to 61 percent of refugee children were enrolled in primary school, thanks to European educational policies and investment for Syrian refugees. However, secondary school enrollment remains stationary.

– Melanie Snyder
Photo: Flickr

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The Right to Education in Sub-Saharan Africa

The Right to Education in Sub Saharan Africa

“Everyone has the right to education,” stated the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 61 years ago. Unfortunately, this statement has not been true for all countries in the world. More than 72 million children are currently out of primary school, with 50 percent living in Sub-Saharan Africa and 11 million of them concentrated in Nigeria alone. According to a ruling from the Economic Community of West African States Community Court of Justice, all Nigerians are entitled to education as a legal and basic right. However, the right to education in Sub-Saharan Africa has not been granted to many children who suffer from marginalization and deprivation of education.

Recent data from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) and the Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report revealed alarming out-of-school rates in Sub-Saharan Africa. The report shows rates reaching 21 percent for primary school-aged children, 34 percent for lower secondary school-aged children and 58 percent for upper secondary school-aged adolescents – the highest percentage worldwide.

UNICEF released a report in 2016 on The State of the World’s Children, showing that even children in school for at least four years are not learning the skills and knowledge that are vital for their intellectual and social development. Because of inaccessibility to quality education, the same report states that about 130 million children of primary school age in Sub-Saharan Africa lack basic literacy and numeracy skills. According to the World Bank, Sub-Saharan Africa has the lowest adult literacy rate worldwide, with 60 percent of their population of 15 and over able to read and write, which is far below the 80 percent world rate.

Increases in out-of-school and dropout rates are directly linked to many poverty factors such as health issues, unemployment and have illiterate parents. Some children are forced to quit school for health problems or the need to provide support for their household. Another factor increasing risks of non-schooling concerns the lack of financial resources needed for schooling materials, creating schools and recruiting and training teachers.

By taking a closer look at the data, girls reveal to be the ones majorly disadvantaged by non-schooling. UNESCO data discloses major gender inequity statistics such as 23 percent of out-of-school girls compared to 19 percent of boys in primary school. It also states that the exclusion rate of adolescent girls reaches 36 percent, while the one for adolescent boys is 22 percent.

Now, the question is what needs to be done to achieve the right to education for all in Sub-Saharan Africa? First of all, there needs to be additional investments in educational aid from leading international donors, such as the U.S. Reducing the general costs of schooling for families will also help increase access to education for many children. Gender equality is also a key issue to be considered in education that can be achieved through training teachers and parents to increase gender awareness in the classroom.

According to the UNICEF report, it is also important to make sure all children get quality education by acquiring skills that enable them to participate fully in society and obtain jobs that can help lift them out of poverty. If every child was entitled to education and had the opportunity to build a secure livelihood, it would have major positive effects on the society and economy of Sub-Saharan Africa and around the globe.

– Sarah Soutoul

Photo: Flickr

How to Help People in Gabon

How to Help People in GabonGabon, a very small country in West Africa, is regarded as stable in terms of politics, but it has many other issues when it comes to its socioeconomic conditions. One third of the country lives in poverty; the population is 1.5 million, so this means that 500,000 people in Gabon are living in poverty. In addition, the unemployment rate is high, at 25 percent.

Surprisingly, then, Gabon is one of the richest countries in Africa, with a high GDP per capita. Unfortunately, however, due to the number of people living in poverty in this country, there is much improvement to be made to alleviate this. Here are some of the ways that you can help people in Gabon:

1. Donate to or Volunteer for a Nonprofit

Organizations such as UNICEF are trying to encourage people to volunteer their time or donate to UNICEF. These donations would provide the organization with the means to assist the many people living in the rainforests of Gabon who have poor access to healthcare and sanitation. You can also ask UNICEF or other nonprofits for suggestions on other ways to help people in Gabon.

HIV/AIDS is also a huge problem among people in Gabon – nine percent of the population had this disease in 2002. Organizations like UNAIDS are working on combatting this issue, which affects the population in various ways.

2. Call Your Representatives and Senators

Call your elected officials to support bilateral and trade agreements with Gabon. Contact various departments within the Executive Branch as well. Asking them to support measures or bills that would pressure the Gabonese government to focus on the wealth gap, due to its oil export profits going to the wealthiest Gabonese people.

3. Educate Yourself and Others

You can start a group at your school or university concerning issues in Gabon. There are many classes on wealth disparities in Africa as well as a lot of research on it. Get the word out about this issue because it is easy to get caught up in the positive numbers that Gabon has (such as its GDP). Study why issues like this exist in political economies such as Gabon and other countries around the world. You could even start your own nonprofit or lobby organizations and governments yourself someday. Being a global citizen is incredibly important.

While Gabon may seem to be in a great place in terms of its wealth, much of what is happening there is benefiting a small group of people – the wealthiest group, that is. Unemployment and poor healthcare are unequally affecting poor people in Gabon. That is why it is important for us to think about how we can help people in Gabon, even from abroad.

– Emilia Beuger

Photo: Flickr

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How to Help People in Guyana

How to Help People in GuyanaA small South American nation of fewer than one million people, Guyana has faced a history of political and social turmoil that has left its economy and its people struggling in poverty. With a GDP per capita of a mere $8,000, Guyana ranks as the third poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, surpassed only by Haiti and Nicaragua.

A recent UNICEF study found that nearly 50 percent of the country’s children under 16 years of age suffer from poverty – a number disproportionately greater than the 36 percent of the entire nation’s population who live in poverty. Many of those who suffer extreme poverty are from rural areas, where they lack the infrastructure and resources necessary to provide for themselves and their families.

While initiatives that seek how to help people in Guyana will have to turn their attention to helping the nation as a whole develop, there are ways to get involved and help make a difference in the lives of people in Guyana.

  1. Consider volunteering your time with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which, last November, launched a $64 million project to aid and assist the youth of Guyana. USAID gladly accepts volunteers and partners who want to get involved and help reduce poverty across the entire globe.
  2. Some support organizations are already assisting the poor in Guyana, such as UNICEF and the United Nations Development Programme. These groups have strategies and goals for helping Guyana; they are outlined on their websites, so you can familiarize yourself with them and consider volunteering time or money to help make an impact.
  3. Write to your representatives in Congress to urge them not to support bills that would cut U.S. funding to Guyana, such as a recently proposed budget which would slash a great deal of federal funding. Many Guyanans feel this budget would likely end with a large amount of essential American aid being stripped away from them.
  4. Recently, Guyana was discovered to possess huge amounts of natural oil reserves – a resource that many companies are hungrily eyeing, particularly ExxonMobil, who already plans to drill in Guyana. Spreading awareness of the largely negative outcome of such drilling can help prevent Guyana’s environment from being destroyed and its people and economy from being further exploited.

While these may not be the most hands-on ways of lending aid, there are plenty of organizations who already know how to help people in Guyana most effectively. However, these groups also need support so they can expand their efforts and send more help to the people of Guyana.

– Erik Halberg

Photo: Flickr

Gavi’s Vaccine Programs to Save 20 Million by 2020

Gavi's Vaccine Programs to Save 20 Million by 2020It can be difficult to appreciate the effects of preventative measures, as many of their benefits are not always easily visible. In the case of vaccines, the benefit, although important, is simply that people do not get sick – which may not seem as outwardly impressive to many as it should. Assessing the economic and health advantages of vaccines remains a necessity for very clearly displaying the immense rewards of implementing vaccine programs.

Vaccines continue to be the most cost-effective and efficient methods used in public health. Through the efforts of Gavi, a vaccine alliance, it is estimated that from 2001 to 2020 a staggering 20 million deaths will be prevented and about 500 million cases of illnesses, 70 million hospitalizations and 9 million long-term disabilities will be avoided as well. With a lower disease burden due to vaccines, lower income countries will save a projected $350 million in healthcare costs alone.

Vaccinations also lead to countless social and economic benefits in addition to the expected health benefits. For example, due to the prevention of illnesses, disabilities and death, there would be reduced productivity losses for caregivers and those who avoid disability and death from the vaccine. Those who live longer and healthier offer more value and are able to contribute to society at a higher level. Furthermore, they can also participate in the economy to a higher degree, as they no longer have to pay thousands of dollars for expensive treatment. Additionally, in many developing countries the burden of diseases on society, such as rotavirus and measles, can often be both economically and socially substantial. Countries are forced to invest more money into treatment and care for those affected by dangerous diseases than they would have spent on vaccines – money that could have been used to build infrastructure or expand the economy.

In fact, according to researchers, these additional benefits along with the avoided healthcare costs will translate to a total of $820 billion saved. These values are calculated from the various beneficial effects of 10 different vaccine programs in 73 low- and middle-income countries around the world. Vaccinations for measles, Hepatitis B and bacteria that causes pneumonia and meningitis proved to offer the largest economic return.

One of the most important advantages of large-scale vaccination programs is known as herd immunity. Also called the herd effect and community immunity, the term herd immunity describes a form of indirect protection where vaccinating a large percentage of a group shields the rest of the community from an illness because of the severely reduced opportunity for an outbreak. Those who are unvaccinated as well as those who are unable to be safely vaccinated receive protection, due to the higher likelihood of the chain of infection being disrupted before it reaches them. This phenomenon can be seen in developed countries with high rates of vaccinations, where infectious disease outbreaks seldom run rampant.

Although there has been noteworthy progress made in introducing vaccine programs to countries around the world, UNICEF and the World Health Organization estimate that 19.5 million children still do not have access to basic vaccines, putting them and those around them in danger. These children primarily live in poor households in extremely remote areas, which are hard to reach with humanitarian aid.

There needs to be a significant increase in the effort of governments and societies to not only offer vaccines but also to promote their use for adults and children. Every country in the world can undoubtedly benefit from the various economic and social benefits provided by a strong immunization program.

– Akhil Reddy
Photo: Flickr

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Why Is Kuwait Poor?

Why Is Kuwait Poor?Kuwait, a small country located in the Middle East, is a country that tends to be stereotypically characterized as stricken with poverty. A common question that is asked is, why is Kuwait poor?

But this stereotype is not necessarily true. Kuwait is indeed small, but its oil reserves have made it one of the richer countries in the region. In terms of purchasing power, Kuwait’s GDP is ranked 55th in the world by the CIA World Factbook.

Due to Kuwait’s small population size, this success directly correlates to its people’s standard of living. As of 2016, Kuwait’s GDP per capita ranked 11th in the world at $71,900. This figure is much higher than many major economies such as the United States, which ranked 20th at $57,400.

Based on these figures alone, Kuwait appears not to be a poor country, but one of the most prosperous in the world. So, why is Kuwait poor? On the international stage, it is not. When one looks further, however, key figures may legitimize that question.

What is interesting about Kuwait is that the country’s poverty rate is extremely difficult to find. Neither the World Bank, the CIA World Factbook nor UNICEF have access to it, which raises a lot of questions. Why do these trusted international organizations not have this information? Is this information being withheld, and if so, for what reason?

Based on other metrics, it is hard to see Kuwait as a stereotypical poor country. The figures mentioned above related to GDP show that the nation as a whole is seeing economic success, and an unemployment rate of 3 percent suggests that its poverty rate must be low.

Still, the lack of specific data in this area is unsettling. If Kuwait is as prosperous as it seems to be, there should be no issue in providing data relevant to its poverty rate and income distribution. In order for the world to know for certain, the international community needs this data.

So, why is Kuwait poor? It technically is not poor, but that is not necessarily the right question to be asking. By asking questions regarding Kuwait’s poverty rate, its income distribution, and the general livelihoods of its people, we can better analyze the country’s successes, its shortcomings and its opportunities for growth long into the future.

– John Mirandette

Photo: Flickr

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The Continued Struggle Against Poverty in Greenland

Inescapable Poverty: Greenland Continues to StruggleLocated between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans is the world’s largest island, Greenland. Ironically, it is also the least populated country in the world, with about 57,728 people as of July 2016. Nevertheless, it is not safe from the problems that plague the world today. The Central Intelligence Agency reports that 16.2 percent of the population lived below the poverty line in 2015. This is a serious problem, given the country’s already small population.

Famous for its Arctic landscapes in the north and sheep farms in the south, Greenland is often a tourist destination, with tourism having grown 20 percent in 2015 and 2016.

However, what countless people do not see when they travel to Greenland is the poverty and the helplessness of individuals around the country. The signs of poverty in Greenland are the same as everywhere else. The inability to afford food and inadequate living conditions are rampant. Furthermore, Project World reports that “many people in Greenland do not have water or sanitation capabilities in their homes, particularly in rural areas, because there is no national grid to supply these services”. Additionally, climate change is affecting the daily lives of indigenous people who live in the Arctic region, as global warming causes erosion, which destroys homes and heritage sites.

Approximately 88 percent of Greenland’s population is Greenlandic Inuit, an indigenous group of people. These people rely on traditional methods of obtaining food, which mainly include fishing, hunting and gathering. The Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program reports that unpredictable shifts in the number of animals, “travel safety in changing ice and weather conditions present serious challenges to human health and food security”.

Many people wonder what contribution they can make to alleviate this suffering. The best way to eliminate poverty is by directly donating to organizations that support financially disadvantaged individuals. Global associations like UNICEF and the International Rescue Committee all work to eliminate human suffering in the world. While the latter focuses on refugees primarily, it also provides aid to people who live in disastrous conditions.

However, donations are not the only way to improve the lives of these people. Another method is fundraising. Many of these organizations support both large and small-scale projects that raise money for the association.

There is also the opportunity to educate. Many times, people do not realize that almost everywhere, there are people who cannot afford an appropriate living space, food, water and other essential resources. By attending city council meetings, starting a conversation with neighbors, or even visiting schools and universities to inform the community about the widespread poverty in the world, a huge difference can be made.

It is important to realize that such tragic circumstances can be prevented, as long as people come together to solve the underlying problem. These different methods of support all contribute to alleviating poverty in Greenland.

– Sheharbano Jafry

Photo: Flickr

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Global School Attendance Rates Have Stalled

Global School Attendance Rates DropAs students around the world return to school, there are those who will spend their bitters winters in makeshift shelters. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNESCO), about 123 million or 11.5 percent of school-age children worldwide do not attend school due to wars, conflicts and global poverty. Improvements in global school attendance rates have dropped in recent years. While the number of out-of-school children has declined globally from 99 million to 59 million between 2000 and 2013, progress has largely stalled in the last ten years.

“The lack of education for displaced children could create a lost generation,” stated Gabriella Waaijman, Regional Director for the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), an independent humanitarian organization assisting refugees. Schools, she went on to say, are a secure location for children, helping to build social structures and teaching survival knowledge.

Persistent wars and protracted conflicts, bouts of droughts and other humanitarian emergencies have been responsible for threatening and, in some cases, even reversing the educational gains of the last decade. For example, in the ongoing war in Syria, about 8.4 million Syrian children are in need of urgent humanitarian aid. Nearly two million Syrian children are no longer in school. An even greater number of these children, about 2.5 million, live on the run or as refugees in displacement camps.

The conflicts in Iraq and Syria have resulted in a combined total of 3.4 million missing out on school. With increasing global populations exacerbating the situation, global school attendance rates have dropped even further.

Nowhere is this as salient as in East Africa. Only 65 percent of primary-school-age Burundian and Congolese refugee children are able to go to school. In South Sudan, the country with the highest proportion of out-of-school children (2.2 million), 70 percent of children do not receive an education. Of the one million South Sudanese refugees spilling over into neighboring Uganda, more than half are children. Forty percent of these primary-school-age students are not enrolled in primary school, and 80 percent of eligible students cannot obtain a secondary school education.

Still, according to the UNICEF, though global school attendance rates have dropped, there have been some notable gains, particularly in Ethiopia and Niger. Despite the poverty endemic in these poor countries, the number of children enrolled in primary school has increased by 15 and 19 percent, respectively.

Children deserve the best we can provide. Already having been displaced from their homes, schools and communities, children deserve a chance to build their educational futures on their own bright, hopeful terms. Education can teach children about diseases they can then protect themselves and their families from. It can curtail the flow of recruitment of child soldiers. It can help reduce child malnutrition and vulnerability to disease.

While teachers can help guide the students along the way, a shortage of teachers also underscores secondary reasons why global school attendance rates have dropped. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) Institute of Statistics, if every child in the world were to receive a primary and a secondary education by 2030, nearly 69 million new teachers will be needed. This includes 24.4 million primary school teachers and 44.4 million secondary school teachers.

Tens of millions of potential students–more girls than boys—are not in school. They work to support their families, live in remote areas or are too poor to afford basic supplies as shoes and school uniforms. Cycles of poverty and regional or global conflicts only place more burdens on children, who are our next generations.

UNICEF Chief of Education, Jo Bourne, has noted that “learning provides relief for children affected by emergencies in the short-term, but is also a critical investment in the future development of societies in the long-term.”

Bourne called for increased investments. In the first half of 2017, UNICEF received only about 12 percent of the required funding dedicated to providing education, opportunity and stability for children in crisis. Even so, Bourne stated that “investments aimed at increasing the number of schools and teachers to match population growth are not enough.

Earlier this year, the Commons International Development Committee in the United Kingdom called on the country’s Department for International Development to increase international aid money spending dedicated to education, which lags behind other forms of spending, in order to tackle “the global learning crisis.”

Similarly, Bourne underscores the path that countries should follow: “Governments and the global community must target their investments at eliminating the factors preventing these children from going to school in the first place, including by making schools safe and improving teaching and learning.”

– Mohammed Khalid

Photo: Flickr