vermont classroom Don Shall/Flickr

No Education, No Development

The 121 million young people who are out of school today are not only being denied their basic right to education; they are being denied a fair chance to escape poverty, support their families, and develop their communities. This year, so crucial for global development, we must change this by making education a top priority.

OSLO – Education is a human right. And, like other human rights, it cannot be taken for granted. Across the world, 59 million children and 65 million adolescents are out of school. More than 120 million children do not complete primary education.

Behind these figures there are children and youth being denied not only a right, but opportunities: a fair chance to get a decent job, to escape poverty, to support their families, and to develop their communities. This year, decision-makers will set the priorities for global development for the next 15 years. They should make sure to place education high on the list.

The deadline for the Millennium Development Goals is fast approaching. We have a responsibility to make sure we fulfill the promise we made at the beginning of the millennium: to ensure that boys and girls everywhere complete a full course of primary schooling.

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