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2 0 0 2 Education for All EFA Global Monitoring Report Education for All IS THE WORLD ON TRACK? 1 1 Education for All: Is the world on track? EFA Global Monitoring Report 2 Education for All IS THE WORLD ON TRACK? UNESCO Publishing 0 0 2 The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNESCO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Published in 2002 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization 7, Place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris 07 SP Graphic design by Sylvaine Baeyens Graphics by Visit-Graph Printed by Graphoprint, Paris ISBN 92-3-103880-X © UNESCO 2002 Printed in France EFA Global Monitoring Report 2 Foreword he aim of extending a basic level of education to all children, young people and adults around the world has captured the imagination of all nations. It was a major outcome of the World Conference on Education for All, held in Jomtien in 1990, and was reconfirmed in a series of summits throughout the following decade. The aim was re-specified as six major goals at the World Education Forum, held in Dakar in April 2000, two of which were adopted as Millennium Development Goals in the same year. Provision of basic education was thereby properly recognized as being a central part of the world’s strategy to halve the incidence of global poverty within less than a generation. T At the Dakar Forum, a new resolution made plain that all parties should be accountable for their record in meeting the commitments they had made. National governments agreed to dedicate themselves to securing the goals, while international agencies pledged that no country thus committed would be prevented from achieving them by a lack of resources. One of the instruments for securing greater accountability for the implementation of these pledges was the establishment of the EFA Global Monitoring Report. This Report has been produced by an independent international team based in UNESCO. Work began to be commissioned in July 2002, but the team was not fully in place until the beginning of September. Preparation of this report was thus extremely time-constrained. Longer preparation cycles of 12–18 months will become established in annual editions over the next few years. The Report charts progress against the six Dakar goals and targets, highlights effective policies and strategies, and alerts the global community to emerging challenges for action and cooperation. Drawing upon the latest available data, it sets out a challenging framework for reform. The goals of EFA are of enormous significance. Without constant and steady progress towards them, development cannot be judged to be happening. The Report shows that the challenge faced by the nations of the world remains substantial. Although planning is under way, it needs to be strengthened. National commitment by both governments and civil society is the key to securing the goals, but costs and resources are crucial considerations, too. Although most countries will be able to meet these costs and find the necessary resources, the report shows that a significant minority will not if existing trends persist. In response, as yet, the international community has not adequately demonstrated its own commitment. In spite of grand promises, the aid record (both overall and for education) over the 1990s was both disappointing and worrying. Since Dakar, the question of education, especially basic education, has risen higher on the international agenda, but much remains to be done to ensure that aid flows are adequate,