Education For All - EFA

Education For All (EFA) is an international initiative first launched in Jomtien, Thailand, in 1990 to bring the benefits of education to every citizen in every society. It is a global movement led by UNESCO, aiming to meet the learning needs of all children, youth and adults.

UNESCO and the World Bank have been mandated to lead the movement and coordinate the international efforts to reach Education for All. Governments, development agencies, civil society, non-government organizations and the media are working toward to reach these goals.


The Fact
 

In 2000, governments around the world pledged to achieve "Education for All" (EFA) by 2015. As we passed the half way mark, it became clear that this goal was achievable but much more needs to be done:

• 75 million children are still not enrolled in primary school;
• Over a third of children drop out before completing primary school and many more quit school;
• There is a global shortage of teachers: 18 million teachers need to be trained and recruited by 2015;
• Not enough is being done to address the hard to reach children, secondary schooling, adult literacy, and early childhood education;
• 774 million adults have been denied an education and cannot read or write.
• Progressive governments, the private sector, faith-based groups and civil society organizations are all working together to address these gaps. By combining our efforts we believe even more could be achieved.
  

EFA six specific education goals:

• Expand and improve comprehensive early childhood care and education, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children.
• Ensure that by 2015 all children - particularly girls, those in difficult circumstances, and those belonging to ethnic minorities - have access to and complete, free, and compulsory primary education of good quality.
• Ensure that the learning needs of all young people and adults are met through equitable access to appropriate learning and life-skills programs.
• Achieve a 50 % improvement in adult literacy by 2015, especially for women, and equitable access to basic and continuing education for all adults.
• Eliminate gender disparities in primary and secondary education by 2005, and achieve gender equality in education by 2015, with a focus on ensuring girls' full and equal access to and achievement in basic education of good quality.
• Improve all aspects of the quality of education and ensure the excellence of all so that recognized and measurable learning outcomes are achieved by all, especially in literacy, numeracy and essential life skills.

 

More information can be find here.