1990 marked the launch of the Education for All (EFA) movement, 2000 saw the reaffirmation of its goals and the adoption of the Millennium Development Goals and just last week, delegates from 20 countries compiled the 2010 declaration on girls’ education at UNGEI’s E4 conference. The international community has clearly articulated its commitment to ensuring that every boy and girl exercises his/her right to an education. However, despite this, 72 million children today are denied an education and the Global Monitoring Report (GMR) 2010 predicts that in 2015 56 million children still won’t have access to schooling. These alarming figures illustrate that current efforts dedicated to getting children into school are inadequate. As it stands, the world is letting down millions of children. The battle lies in translating this rhetoric into reality. This verbal commitment demonstrates political will on the part of governments but this becomes meaningless without the financial support to implement this goal. This commitment must be reflected in budget allocations, not as a token gesture but with a long-term vision. Donor countries also have a part to play, however the GMR highlights that aid commitments to basic education fell by 22% in 2007. 164 EFA member states have acknowledged the value of education for the health and livelihoods of families, the development of nations and above all, as a fundamental right for individuals. Education is a right that facilitates the realisation of other rights. To avoid the violation of 72 million children’s rights, action together with the necessary financial allocation is essential.

All figures obtained from:

http://www.unesco.org/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/ED/GMR/pdf/gmr2010/gmr2010-highlights.pdf