Back-to-school: Good Grades, Bad Grades for Global Education
Addis Ababa (Sept. 7, 2015) – World Vision is celebrating International Literacy Day along with communities and partners around the world. For many countries, it is time of year when many children head back to school. Since 2000 great strides have been made towards universal education for children; however, this progress is posing challenges in terms of provision of quality learning for children.
In Ethiopia the government has set a target to achieve universal primary education for children aged 7-14 by 2015. The net enrolments in primary school have tripled over the last two decades, with 92 percent of primary age children attending primary school. WVE has contributed to this success, directly benefitting over 800,000 children in preschool and primary school as well as over 750,000 children through its literacy program in Ethiopia.
Today the world celebrates achievements in primary school net enrolment rates in developing regions, which now reach 91% (up from 83% in 2000). This is coupled with the improvements in literacy rates globally among youth aged 15 to 24 from 83% to 91% between 1990 and 2015. Similarly, the number of out-of-school children of primary school age worldwide has fallen by almost half, to an estimated 57 million in 2015, down from 100 million in 2000. However, globally there are still 250 million children – including many of the most vulnerable – who are not learning basic literacy and numeracy skills. Half of the out-of-school children live in countries affected by conflicts and war. In order to respond to this need, WVE provides Education in Emergencies (EiE) activities for 21,000 refugee children, particularly those from Somalia and South Sudan.
World Vision is committed to ensure children are protected and educated for life.. “WVE will continue scaling up its education program to reach the most vulnerable and marginalized children, “ensuring inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning,” This will be done in partnership with the Ministry of Education and communities themselves to improve child wellbeing.,” says Margaret Schuler, National Director, World Vision Ethiopia.
For more information, please contact: Meron Aberra, at meron_aberra@wvi.org, 0911-221060
End Note: World Vision began its first intervention in Ethiopia in 1971 with relief and opened the Ethiopia office in 1975. During the 1984/85 drought, World Vision Ethiopia participated in a massive relief operation that saved the lives of millions of people. After an intensive relief and rehabilitation programme, the organization developed a new integrated development approach the objective of which was to ensure empowerment and transformational change. This approach led to the establishment of Area Development Programs (ADPs) in the 1990s that is still being implemented and continuously strengthened today.