Background: Education – a human right

There are 862 million adults and young people worldwide who cannot read and write. 121 million children - one-fifth of all school-age children - have no opportunity to attend school. Denying people access to education means denying them a basic human right. Without education, human development is impossible. Promoting education is therefore a key task in international and German development policy.

Education is the basis for the cultural identity of the individual and society. Every child has the right to an education and every individual is entitled to satisfy their basic learning needs.

What does education mean for the individual?

The purpose of basic education is to encourage learning, facilitate the ongoing learning process, and promote independent thought and problem-solving. Besides literacy and numeracy, people must also acquire life skills, for example self-help skills.

A good basic education increases self-confidence and autonomy. Knowledge is a prerequisite for self-determined action and participation. Education is therefore also the basis of a functioning democracy, for people who can read and write are able to participate in social and political processes more quickly and effectively. They are able to assert their individual rights.

What does education mean for the economy?

A basic education empowers people to improve their social, cultural and economic status. It increases opportunities for economic growth and is therefore a key prerequisite for poverty reduction.

Studies by the World Bank show that just four years of education help people to increase the productivity of their agricultural smallholdings. Basic education is the prerequisite for developing a population's creative and productive capacities. A well-trained workforce enhances the quality and quantity of a country's labour productivity.

What does education mean for society?

Basic education helps people develop a rational understanding of causal relationships. It promotes environmental awareness, encourages the sustainable use of natural resources, and improves the status and living conditions of women and girls.

Education can also have a positive impact on reproductive health and nutrition. It helps improve health and reduce birth rates. According to a study by the World Bank, women who attended school for more than four years have one third fewer children than women without any schooling. The mortality rate of their children is also 50 percent lower than among children born to illiterate mothers. Children whose own parents attended school also have a better chance of being sent to school.

Promoting education - an international concern

The international community has pledged to improve education worldwide. This commitment forms part of the Millennium Declaration: by 2015, all children should have access to primary education. A further aim is to eliminate gender disparities at all levels of education by the same deadline. Concerted endeavours are under way to achieve these goals. The German Federal Government's development policy commitment in the education sector is geared towards these internationally agreed targets.