The recent UNESCO report, the Education for All Global Monitoring Report, released late last month, finds a disturbing drop in foreign aid made to education, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. According to the report, “In sub-Saharan Africa, home to over half the world’s out-of-school population, aid to basic education declined by 7 per cent in 2011.” This decline represents a cut of more than $134 million that could have provided a place in school for more than a million students.
Overall education aid peaked in 2010, and fell by 7 per cent to $5.8 billion in 2011. Aid to low-income countries fell by $1.86 billion, to $16 per child. Nine major international donors reduced aid to education in favor of creating strong democratic institutions through foreign aid.
Because of the cuts, most sub-Saharan African countries will not be able to meet the UN Millennium Development Goal that all children should have a primary education by 2015. The problem is especially intense in sub-Saharan Africa, a region ranking lowest in primary education in the world. Niger, for instance, with a primary school enrollment of only 8 per cent, is not expected to be able to meet that goal until 2090 for boys in rural areas, and 2120 for girls in rural areas. “Today, there are 250 million children around the world who aren’t learning the basics. This is primarily the responsibility of national governments, but donors need to step up to the mark in supporting states that are committed to improving their education systems,” said Pauline Rose, director of the EFA Global Monitoring Report.
Creative Commons Love: Oxfam International on Flickr.com
Written by Alex Leedom