Investing in education is vital, as education provides children with the best route out of poverty, giving them the power to improve their own lives and their country, and ultimately reduce developing countries’ reliance on aid. Globally we must push for education for both girls and boys because when a girl in the developing world receives seven or more years of education, it has a strong positive impact – she marries later and has fewer and healthier children. But it’s not just about having the chance to go to school, children must be well taught and what they learn must improve their opportunities in life. This is why these issues are particularly important.
It is a tragedy that more than 57 million children around the world do not go to primary school. However, I am encouraged by the progress made in this area: the number of children of primary school age out of school has almost halved since 1999. The previous Coalition Government pledged to support 11 million children in primary and lower secondary school by the end of 2015, and I am proud that we are on track to fulfil this pledge. This Government has committed to help at least another 11 million children in the poorest countries gain a decent education by 2020.
I welcome the recent adoption of the new Global Goals for Sustainable Development at the UN. Britain successfully pushed for Goal 4 on ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning for everyone.
By Patrick McLoughlin on October 27, 2015