Focus - Education

At least 80 million children do not attend school, 60 per cent of whom are girls. More than half of these live in a conflict area. 771 million people are illiterate, of whom 75 per cent are female. Many who have been to school lack the vocational skills needed to get a job.

Building education capacity

With the right support, local organisations can help start small-scale education projects in situations where governments have previously struggled to deliver effective local education. Existing programmes can be improved by helping teachers introduce new learning processes and information technology into primary and secondary schools, and specific efforts can focus on the empowerment of women and girls.

Thinking beyond the school

Targeted social and vocational education initiatives can help people find work, help people cope with pandemics such as HIV Aids, and help rebuild and reconnect communities affected by conflict or war.