Is universal primary education sufficient to reduce poverty? Critically analyse this question with reference to Millennium Development goal on primary education?

Is universal primary education sufficient to reduce poverty ? Critically analyse this question with reference to Millennium Development goal on primary education

Introduction

Fighting poverty is the primary goal of each nation today especially the developing nations . The interconnectedness of education , job and income is the foothold to attain economic growth and stability . Education for all is what the dream of everyone especially those who cannot afford to send their children to school (Butler , 1987

Education Needs

The school is considered as the second home to students . This is where

they grow and become better persons next to homes . This is where they enhance their creativity , skills , and talents as they mature and start to share it with other people . This is where they become critical thinkers and advocates for truth

Every child has the right to go to school . They should be supported in any way by their government . The minimum number of years for a primary education is six years . The most ideal number of years to be in the primary is nine years . This is to be able to fully nurture the child and prepare him /her to the next level of education . Primary education is very important in a child 's learning foundation . So if the governments have the budget for it , send their school age population into a nine year primary education years (Arrow , 1979

But one factor that hinders the implementation is the hard times on the economy the developing countries experienced and are experiencing . Other than that , the parents themselves do not have enough finances to sustain the schooling of their kids . This is very sad because the only way to uplift them from poverty is through this education . So six years for them would be enough for their kids . The only important thing is that the children will learn how to read , write and calculate (Arrow , 1979

In some countries , parents send their children with only four years of primary education due to the low income of the family . In Africa and South Asia , formal education is only three years . Although this is the case , most of the educated are the men 's groups . There is a tendency that the women could not pursue their school because they tend to get marry at an early age or because of the culture the parents could not send both their kids at school (Birdsall , Levine , and Ibrahim . 2006

Education for all can uplift poverty

The United Nations identified eight goals towards achieving a better world . Every world and every individual has the right to fulfil these goals in to uplift them from poverty or at least give a decent life for each and everyone around the world . The eight goals tackled about education , health , food security , empowerment , gender equality and among others . One of the most important goals stated in UN Millennium Goals is universal primary education for all by 2015 (UN website , 2008

This clearly states that everyone has the right to education without the burden of paying any fee just to be enrolled in a school . This can be any school provided by the government with enough facilities and teachers in it

The government plays a critical role here . This should be vigilant in providing education for the younger population . Education is one of the basic services that should be make available for everyone who is willing to go to school

In 2000 , countries from all over the world gathered to discuss what should be done with the UN development goal and how to pursue it . There are 180 countries that are willing to enforce in their government the need to send the children to school especially in their primary years The primary year in school is very important because this is when they start to learn everything . In the gathering , they also discussed that the government should serve the poor families that could not afford to send their kids to school and would not have access to it . They made a Declaration and holding unto it until 2015 (Sperling , 2001

Although the Declaration confirms that every country should enforce the free education for all especially among the families that cannot afford to send their children to school still many of them are uneducated . Just in 2000 , there are 113 million children all over the world with ages ranging from 6 to 11 years old were not able to attend school or stopped schooling (Sperling , 2001

As what we have always known , education is the most essential part in the life of a person . This is the weapon that is used whenever we want to grow not only for ourselves but also for the growth of the nation (Birdsall , Ross and Sabot . 1995

Investing in a primary education is the most expensive in sending children to school . This is considered as the foundation of the student when he /she pursues school into high school and college . This is where they are shaped as a person and grow and mature (Birdsall , Levine , and Ibrahim . 2006

The conference in 2000 , gathered commitments but there are still governments that cannot fully assure that they will enforce it within their jurisdiction . The argument is that it is difficult to provide free and quality education for those countries that the economy is in crisis Much more to those countries that cannot even give enough food to eat for the population (Birdsall , Ross and Sabot . 1995

The universal primary education is always stressed in these cases . This is to give free education for all children and it should not only be a basic education but a quality one

In a study done , those who invested more in the primary years of schooling of their children reaped better rewards . The child was able to compete with the other children and able to cope with the advancements in the technology and adjust well with the environment (Blackburn 1994

The UN goal number 2 clearly says that it is important to enforce the goal by 2015 . Based on researches , providing children with better education during their primary years will , in any other way , efficient and sufficient in reducing poverty . People who gained higher education and had sufficient number of years during his /her primary years are the most successful in their field of work . They are the person who has a position in any government agencies . Though their effort in pursuing education they were able to sustain their needs

In any country , most of the educated countries have the highest growth in economy . These countries have the lower rate of illiterate or others really can send their young population to school without requiring them to pay instead their government does . Truly , education is an effective weapon in reducing and fighting poverty

Implementation

Even in the early 80s there had been increase in the enrolment pattern of the schools . More children had been enrolled in different grade levels . Enrolments were seen to increase every year except in Africa . At the start of 1990s , there had bee a decrease in the number of enrolees especially in the primary years which are much needed in the formation of a better and quality education for the children . This was carefully noted down what the problems were encountered why there was a sudden decrease in the number of kids attending the schools (Blackburn , 1994

Based on the data most of the children who were not able to pursue the primary education were the poor ones . The families were not able to send them to school because for some reason they were much more needed in tilling their lands where they get their day-to-day food . Some cannot just cope with the lessons because they the difficulty in studying and adjusting to quality education provided by the school (Citro Michael (eds . 1995

How to achieve universal education

A lot has been said and a lot of Declarations and gatherings have been made by various countries but the data shows that there is still a decline in the number of enrolees every year . Why is this so ? If the country wanted to target a universal primary education by 2015 the countries must not forget

1 . The government should allot a budget higher for the education alone If the government really wants to achieve the MDG number 2 this should be the implemented well . The budget should be used in providing the students with free and compulsory education . In some private schools the tuition fees continue to increase . Those who can send their children to school are those who can afford the continuous increase of the fees It is very difficult for the poor countries to do this because of low income and the economy is not growing (Birdsall , Ross and Sabot . 1995

2 . Construct schools in every location as possible . This is not just an infrastructure but ensuring that that there should also be teacher present to accommodate the students

3 . Ensure that the teachers are equipped with trainings and skills in pursuing their career . This is very important because they impart their knowledge to their students (Atkinson , and Mogensen , eds . 1993

4 . Provide the teachers with higher salaries and compensation . Give them the raise . In most countries , the teachers receive the lowest compensation from any other jobs . They are even marginalized when it comes to providing benefits (Atkinson , and Mogensen , eds . 1993

5 . Focus on the education only and not on other programs that are not beneficial at all to the population . In this case , some of the countries put much weight of the budget on debt-servicing , especially in developing countries . Education was ruled by the private schools . These schools have the right to increase fees at any time and at any cost without consulting the government

Conclusion

The most successful officials nowadays are the children who were fully equipped in their education during their primary years . Education is the best strategy in achieving the future goals . It is very important in gaining knowledge and improving one 's self . The educated people are more competitive with the environment they are faced with . They are less likely marginalized and more often than not they are empowered in anything they do . Education can bring a person into greater heights of knowledge and ability . Better education would simply mean that there is a better opportunity awaits the future

This is an arm in developing a better country and developing a better world . It is a primary strategy in empowering people to solve poverty in one 's nation

Education for all requires a careful study . It is not just a simple reading , writing and calculating . This is the essence of everything in a person 's life . That is why the government should be vigilant in creating a people that are educated to be able to compete in the global scene

References

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Atkinson , Anthony B , and Gunnar Viby Mogensen , eds . 1993 . Welfare and Work Incentives : A North European Perspective . Oxford University Press

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Birdsall , Nancy , David Ross , and Richard Sabot . 1995 "Inequality and Growth Reconsidered " World Bank Economic Review 9 :477-508

Birdsall , Nancy , Ruth Levine , and Amina Ibrahim . 2006 . Toward Universal Primary Education : UN Millennium Project Report on Education and Gender Equality . Global Urban Development 2 :1

Blackburn , McKinley L . 1994 "International Comparisons of Poverty American Economic Review 84 :371-74

Blank , Rebecca M . 1997 . It Takes a Nation : A New Agenda for Fighting Poverty . Princeton University Press

Butler , Stuart , and Anna Kondratas . 1987 . Out of the Poverty Trap . Free Press

Citro , Constance F , and Robert T . Michael (eds . 1995 . Measuring Poverty : A New Approach . Washington , DC : National Academy Press

Clayton , Richard , and Jonas Pontusson . 1998 "Welfare State Retrenchment Revisited : Entitlement Cuts , Public-Sector Restructuring , and Inegalitarian Trends in Advanced Capitalist Societies " World Politics 51 :67-98

Sperling , HYPERLINK "http /www .foreignaffairs .org /author /gene-b-sperling /index .html " Gene B . 2001 . Toward Universal Education : Making a Promise , and Keeping It

Foreign Affairs , September /October

UN Web Services Section . 2008 . Department of Public Information , United Nations

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