Education and poverty
Globally, more than a hundred million children still don't have any access to schooling, mostly in poor countries. Around 60% of them are girls. This lack of basic education means that young people have fewer choices and opportunities and is also making it harder for countries in the developing world to tackle poverty. Twenty years ago, eight out of 10 children in the world went to primary school. Today it's nine out of 10, but getting to 100% will be a big challenge.
Education is not just a good thing in itself. The evidence shows that it is crucial to reducing poverty, improving general health, halting the spread of HIV and AIDS, and enabling people to play a full part in their communities and nations. There are two Millennium Development Goals that cover education:
Millennium Development Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education
Ensure that by 2015 children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling.
Millennium Development Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education, preferably by 2005, and at all levels of education no later than 2015 - this means the same number of boys and girls should be able to go to school.