Thursday February 26 - MDG#2 Achieve Universal Primary Education

As a continuing Lenten meditation on the MDG’s, today we will look at Achieving Universal Primary Education.

Target 1:
Ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling

Recent Status

Globally, 570 million children are enrolled in school. The number of children of primary school age who were out of school fell from 103 million in 1999 to 73 million in 2006. In that year, primary school enrolment in developing countries reached 88 per cent on average, up from 83 per cent in 2000.

In sub-Saharan Africa, the net primary school enrolment ratio has only recently reached 71 per cent, even after a significant jump in enrolment that began in 2000. Around 38 million children of primary school age in this region are still out of school.

In Southern Asia, the enrolment ratio has climbed above »» 90 per cent, yet more than 18 million children of primary school age are not enrolled.

"Projections suggest that without further acceleration, 58 out of the 86 countries that have not yet reached universal primary education will not achieve it by 2015. In all regions, inequalities in access to education are a major barrier to reaching Goal 2. The children most likely to drop out of school or to not attend at all are often girls and those from poorer households or living in rural areas. For example, recent estimations show that 25 per cent of children of primary school age in rural areas of the developing world are out of school, compared with 16 per cent of children in the same age group living in cities."

Please see http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/2008highlevel/pdf/newsroom/Goal%202%20FINAL.pdf

Achieving Universal Primary Education is an important step in a country’s move towards economic development. I ask you to pray for the children, parents, teachers and school administrators that all children may have a opportunity for a primary school education. The poorest children are affected the most and children from rural areas.

As part of your Lenten devotions I ask you to pray the following:

Most loving God,
as your desire for mercy for the poor is unrelenting,
may we be unrelenting in our pursuit of mercy for all;
as your compassion for the suffering of the poor knows no limit,
may our hearts overflow with compassion for all;
as you long for justice for the poor,
may we strive for justice for all.
Open our eyes to the structures of oppression from which we benefit,
and give us courage to accept our responsibility,
wisdom to chart a sound course amid complexity,
and perseverance to continue our work until it is finished.
Breathe your life-giving Spirit afresh into your Church
to free us from apathy and indifference;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Thank you.