“Only the educated are free.”
-- Epictetus
Nearly one billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names. (UNICEF)
Around the world, more than 115 million children of primary-school age are not in school. Some of the primary reasons so many children are not in school include: poverty, safety, and local traditions. (UNICEF)
Nearly 53% of the children currently not in primary school are girls. Uneducated girls grow up to be disadvantaged women. For instance, more than half (64%) of the 771 million adults in the world who cannot read or write are women. Without an education, women have fewer employment options and often earn less than men. (UNICEF)
An increasing percentage of highly trained personnel are emigrating from lower-income countries to higher-income ones. As many of 70% of newly qualified doctors are emigrating from some African nations. (OECD)
Between 1993 and 2002, Ghana lost to foreign recruitment 604 of 871 medical officers trained there, and only 50 doctors remain of the 600 trained in Zambia in the past 40 years. Just 360 of the 1200 doctors trained in Zimbabwe still practice there, while in the large Zimbabwe town of Kadoma eight years ago there was a nurse for every 700 residents but now the ratio is 1:7500. Malawi has 930,000 people with HIV, but in the last five years it has lost 53% of health administrators, 64% of nurses, and 85% of physicians, mostly to wealthy nations and NGOs. (The Carter Center)
More highly educated women (>50%) are emigrating from lower-income countries as well. The emigration of educated women has significant consequences in poorer countries, resulting in increased infant mortality rates and reduced levels of secondary school enrolment among other societal impacts. (OECD)
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. (UNICEF)
It has been estimated that less than 1% of what the world spends on weapons every year was needed to put every child in all developing countries into school. (New Internationalist)