Location:In certain areas of the world it is more difficult

for children to get to school ie. In India there are severe weather conditions and children are forced to remain at home for seven months.

In rural areas the schools are in poor and unsafe conditions.

Factors as to why everyone doesn’t attend primary school

Gender:Today 78% of girls drop out of primary

school compared to 48% of boys. It’s believed that girls are often discouraged from attending primary school, especially in less developed countries for religious and cultural reasons.

Costs:An estimated 121 million children are kept

out of primary school to work in the fields or at home. School fees can be very expensive, especially for poor households.

Millennium Development goal 2

To ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be

able to complete a full course of primary schooling.

In 2011, 57 million children of primary school age were out of school.

Progress on primary school enrolment has slowed. Between 2008 and 2011, the number of out-of-school children of primary age fell by only 3 million.

Globally 123 million people aged 15 to 24 lack basic reading and writing skills. 61 % of them are women.

Most girls drop out of school because of lack of hygiene in their classrooms.

Attendance in primary schools around the world

A girl with primary education is more likely to:Marry at a later ageHave fewer childrenDecrease their chances of getting HIV or aidsFind employment later in lifeSeek medical careVote in her community

Education helps reduce poverty and encourage economic growth.

Why primary education is important

The EU is the main donor for trying to achieve universal primary education. The EU supports efforts to increase enrolment of the poorest children by:Eliminate school fees. For example, in Uganda, in 1997 they introduced free schooling and primary school enrolment doubled from 3.4 to 6.5 million by 1999. Constructing schools in undeserved areas.Boosting recruitment and training of teachers.Encouraging gender equality at school.

Solutions

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