• MDGs and education

MDGs and education

This fourth edition of the EFA Global Monitoring Report focuses on literacy. The report measures the world's progress towards achieving the six Education For All goals, and especially the neglected one of universal literacy. It stresses the urgency of devoting increased policy attention and resources to literacy, emphasising the profound benefits it confers on individuals, communities and nations.

The main argument of the report is that literacy is essential not only for achieving Education For All, but also for reaching the overarching goal of reducing human poverty.

The report is divided into ten chapters:

• Literacy: the core of Education for All - explores some of the reasons for the neglect of literacy, and notes signs of renewed attention. It traces the changing notions of literacy from a narrowly defined concept to one embracing a holistic view of educational development
• EFA progress: where do we stand? - assesses progress towards the six EFA goals, using the most recent global education data, for the 2002/3 school year
• Country efforts: increasing momentum - examines selected elements from a sampling of national EFA plans, considers public financing and household costs and continues the 2005 Report's attention to teachers, focusing particularly on projected needs
• International commitments: time to act - reviews recent performance in aid to education and examines how international assistance for EFA can be better coordinated
• Why literacy matters - explores the case for literacy, especially for youth and adults; summarises the foundations of the right to literacy through a review of international agreements; and, reviews the broader benefits that result from literacy
• Understandings of literacy - traces the evolution of these different understandings of being (and becoming) "literate" and shows how variants of these ideas have been integrated into policy discourse
• Mapping the global literacy challenge - highlights major trends and patterns of adult and youth literacy in different regions, nations and locales
• The making of literate societies - reviews the history of various countries’ transitions to widespread literacy, examining the factors that have accelerated this process and those that have hindered it; and, examines the broader social context of literacy
• Good policy, good practice - suggests policy priorities and good practices for countries and for the international community
• Setting priorities for action - suggests some high-priority areas for national and international action.

The report finds that steady progress has been made since 1998, especially towards universal primary education (UPE) and gender parity among the poorest countries, but the pace is insufficient for the goals to be met in the remaining ten years to 2015. The authors argue that the evidence in the report suggests four major policy directions for governments and other literacy stakeholders, especially in developing countries:

• to consider literacy policy as central to the entire EFA framework
• to develop a three-pronged policy for literate societies
• to take careful account of multilingualism
• to place literacy firmly within education sector plans and poverty reduction strategies.

To meet the challenges of achieving EFA and to consolidate the progress that has already been made, the report recommends the following priorities for action:

• accelerating efforts towards UPE and quality in primary education
• recommitting to the gender goal
• spending more on education, and spending more efficiently
• making youth and adult literacy a higher priority on national and international agendas
• focusing on literate societies, not just on literate individuals
• defining government responsibility for youth and adult literacy
• doubling aid to basic education to reach US$7 billion
• targeting aid to the greatest educational needs
• Complementing the flow of funds with knowledge and technical support.

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