InterAction Briefing: “Education for All: Are We On Track?”
July 19, 2004

InterAction held a briefing on Monday, July 19 titled “Education for All: Are We On Track?”. The briefing was co-sponsored by Senators Mike DeWine (R-OH) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) and featured Beverly Jones, Senior Vice President of the Academy for Educational Development (AED) and Ambassador Kassahun Ayele of Ethiopia. InterAction President Mary McClymont served as moderator.

Emphasizing the “fundamental role” of primary education in advancing development goals, McClymont opened the lunch briefing by highlighting the role that basic education plays in enhancing political stability, preventing HIV/AIDS, increasing GDP and promoting healthier families. With approximately 115 million children around the world still without access to basic education, 60% of which are girls, McClymont underscored that there is still much work to be done.

Beverly Jones presented an overview of basic education, noting that education is a “building block” for other development-related goals and an “essential democracy-building activity.” She also mentioned the pledge made by 180 countries at the 2000 World Education Forum to achieve full coverage for primary education by 2015, and the World Bank’s Fast Track Initiative. Jones noted that although there has been “a lot of progress in recognizing that education is a basic development goal,” many countries are not on track to reach the goal by 2015. Beverly Jones concluded her presentation by sharing an education “success story,” discussing AED’s work in Nicaragua, where school reform based on the active involvement of parents and the broader community has been extremely successful.

Ambassador Ayele discussed the experience of his government in promoting education in Ethiopia. He noted that Ethiopia has made significant progress in the expansion of coverage for basic and higher education over the past 10 years, sharing statistics on the enrollment rates for primary and secondary schools as well as for vocational schools and colleges. While he emphasized the commitment of the current government towards promoting access to education, he underscored the important role of external stakeholders and donors in achieving that goal.