As recently indicated by a global monitoring report on education, there are 250 million illiterate children in the world, 130 million of them at the primary school level. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has identified the development impacts on the illiterate generation and has made plans to lead efforts in contributing to universal education.

Human capital is at the foundation of improving the third world. However, providing access to the resources necessary for improving it is a difficult task for nations with weak economies to address.

In addition to the generation of millions of illiterate children, there are also 57 million primary school-aged children that do not have the opportunity to receive an education. Moreover, the areas that contain rampant illiteracy and a lack of educational resources will continue to face problems in the future, thus perpetuating their process of development.

In conjunction with achieving United Nations Millennium Development Goals of alleviating the international issues along the likes of climate change, hunger, poverty and illiteracy, the U.S. has joined the U.N. Global Education First Initiative. The USAID has already targeted Malawi, Zambia, Kenya and the Philippines for areas to implement programs that would supplement access to quality education.

The USAID has sponsored initiatives to improve literacy rates by establishing reading programs and introducing training programs for teachers as well. Additionally, the USAID has made efforts to improve educational infrastructure in multiple areas. For instance, it has done so by strengthening communication and feedback between teachers and the Department of Education administrators.

Assuming the role of an international leader, the U.S. is mobilizing resources through USAID to promote education as an investment. Its goals are well aligned with the U.N. Millennium Development goals to improve the third world; investment in human capital is a practice that results in a win for everyone.

– Jugal Patel

Sources: DIPNOTE, DIPNOTE U.S. Department of the State Official Blog
Photo: RT