EFA: Promoting Education as a Fundamental Right

Recognizing Education as the Key to Success for All the World's Peoples

Six Goals for 2015:
1. Expand early childhood care and education
2. Provide free and compulsory primary education for all
3. Promote learning and life skills for young people and adults
4. Increase adult literacy by 50 per cent
5. Achieve gender parity by 2005, gender equality by 2015
6. Improve the quality of education

In 2000, 164 nations from across the globe joined together in Dakar, Senegal at the inaugural World Education Forum. Realizing the necessity for a true commitment to education at the start of the the new millennium, the participating countries pledged to "vastly improve learning opportunities for children, youth, and adults" around the world by 2015, and outlined six goals to do just that. Determined to overcome the frequent challenge of greatly lacking resources, a collection of international agencies promised to support any country working towards Education for All (EFA) goals. Governments also agreed to carry out "regular and rigorous monitoring" to chart progress towards the six goals, record proven strategies, and hold all participants accountable to their promises. The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) leads the global Education for All movement.

"Time is running out to meet the EFA goals set in 2000. Despite continued overall global progress at the primary level, including for girls, too many children are not in school, drop out early or do not reach minimal learning standards. By neglecting the connections among early childhood, primary and secondary education and adult literacy, countries are missing opportunities to improve basic education across the board — and, in the process, the prospects of children, youth and adults everywhere." [UNESCO EFA Report Highlights, 2007]

"Time for School" from PBS
World Education Forum
UNESCO Education
2007 EFA Regional Overview for Latin America