Primary Education
Children need primary education to develop critical foundational literacy and
numeracy skills.
The near universalization of primary schooling is one of the great global
achievements of past decades. In the early 1950s, some 50 per cent of primary
school-aged children worldwide were out of school. Today, that figure stands at 11
per cent.
Still, the most marginalized children remain cut off from primary education –
deprived of their right to develop foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) skills.
An estimated 70 per cent of 10-year-olds in low- and middle-income countries are
now unable to understand a simple written text.
In low-income countries, only two thirds of children are estimated to
complete primary school. Inequitable access exists across other divides: Children
living in emergency and fragile settings, including refugee children, have fewer
chances to complete primary school. Gender also plays a role, as girls who grow up
in poor households are more likely than their male peers to have never attended or
to have dropped out of primary school.
Even for students in school, far too many are not learning the critical
foundational skills (literacy and numeracy, but also digital and transferrable
skills) they need to thrive.
Primary education forms the bedrock of development. It is in primary school
that children learn foundational skills that prepare them for life, work and active
citizenship. Quality education empowers children and young people, safeguards
their health and well-being, and breaks cycles of poverty. It also empowers countries,
ushering in economic prosperity and social cohesion.
These benefits come not just from getting children in school, but from getting
them learning to their full potential.
