Millennium Development Goal #2
Achieve Universal Primary Education
"Jesus said to them,
'Let the little children come to me;
do not stop them;
for it is to such as these that
the Kingdom of God belongs."
- Mark 10:14
The Prayer
Let us pray for schools and centers of learning throughout the world, for those who lack access to basic education, and for the light of knowledge to blossom and shine in the lives of all God's people.
Eternal God, the author and source of all knowledge and Truth: bless all who seek to learn and those who teach them, and inspire us to break down barriers that withhold education from your children; that, enlightened with the bright beams of Wisdom, all may be equipped to seek the blessings of liberty, justice and peace. God of love, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
See also:
An Evening Prayer service for MDG #2, 3 and 5 from St. Paul's Cathedral, London
The Challenge
77 million school-aged children are not in school: 56 percent of them girls and 94 percent of them in developing countries (this is down from 115 million when the MDGs were adopted ... though this figure represents enrollment and not all enrolled children attend).
In five regions, 90 percent of children or more are enrolled in primary school, though maintaining these high levels --and reaching the remaining few who are out of school has sometimes been difficult.
Sub-Saharan Africa has made progress, but still has over a third of its children out of school. In five African countries, less than half the children of primary school age are enrolled.
Ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling.
Click here for targets and progress indicators.
All children can go to at least a few years of school regardless of where they live or how much money they have.
Source: Kenyon Conference 2007 Children's Program - Experiencing the MDGs
Garantizar que todos los niños y niñas completen un ciclo completo de enseñanza primaria.
Are we on track to meet MDG #2 by 2015? Find out at:
MDGMonitor - basic, easy to navigate
GapMinder MDG Charts - This site is great ... moving graphics show how the development of all countries by the indicators you choose. You can even get country-specific charts (for your companion diocese, for example)
Human Development Trends Movable Charts -- More from gapminder, see graphic demonstrations of MDG trends past, present and future.
UN Human Development Report - much more detailed, looks at MDGs through lens of climate change.
Printable Progress Chart on all 8 MDGs
Did You Know...
- One in four adults in the developing world – 872 million people – is illiterate. (Oxfam UK – Education Now Campaign)
- More than 100 million children remain out of school. (Source:UNFPA)
- 46% of girls in the world's poorest countries have no access to primary education. (Source:ActionAid)
- More than 1 in 4 adults cannot read or write: 2/3 are women. (Source:ActionAid)
- Universal primary education would cost $10 billion a year – that's half what Americans spend on ice cream. (Source:ActionAid)
- Young people who have completed primary education are less than half as likely to contract HIV as those missing an education. Universal primary education would prevent 700,000 cases of HIV each year – about 30% all new infections in this age group. (Source:Oxfam)
What One Can Do - Give
Organizations that support MDG #2:
Episcopal Relief and Development - Learn about ERD's work with MDG #2 here.
Room to Read - partners with local communities throughout the developing world to establish schools, libraries, and other educational infrastructure. See CharityNavigator's Rating Page on Room to Read - 4 stars (highest rating)
Escuela Anne Stevens -- A primary school in San Eduardo, Ecuador sponsored by St. Augustine's Episcopal Church in Nashville, TN. The school now employs 6 full time teachers with 110 students grades K-7, is accredited by the government, and recently added a computer lab for teachers and students to use and learn about technology.
MercyCorps -- Mercy Corps exists to alleviate suffering, poverty and oppression by helping people build secure, productive and just communities. Specific to education, they provide the opportunity to give school supplies kits, classroom kits and children's playground's kits. See CharityNavigator's Rating Page on MercyCorps - 4 stars (highest rating)
Use CharityNavigator to search for and vet organizations that work toward this goal.
Scripture that references our call to heal the brokenness of perpetual suffering and desperation from barriers to education:
Luke 2:52 - "And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years,* and in divine and human favour."
Mark 10:14 - "Jesus said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs."
Proverbs 22:6 - "Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray."
Joel 2:28 - "Then afterwards I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions."
Baptismal Prayer, BCP p. 308 - "Sustain them, O Lord, in your Holy Spirit. Give them an inquiring and discerning heart, the courage to will and to persevere, a spirit to know and to love you, and the gift of joy and wonder in all your works."
For scriptural foundations for all 8 MDGs, click here for "The MDGs - Straight From Scripture"
For a comprehensive list of Peace and Justice related scriptures, click here.
What did we miss? Email us your scriptural references to our call to educate all God's children.
Sermons about educating all children:
Submit your sermons about our call to educate all God's children here.
What One Can Do - Activities
Ways you can make MDG #2 come alive for your congregation:
Hold an "Education Ice Cream Social" -- Hold an after-church ice cream social. Use the statistic of universal primary education costing $10 billion/year -- half of what Americans spend annually on ice cream. Use it to raise money for primary education in your companion diocese or through another organization in the developing world.
Have people take a "Literacy Test" -- Ask people if they can give you some basic information on a form ... and them hand them this gibberish form on a clipboard. Then talk to them about the 110 million children who can't go to school -- and how this is what language looks like to them.
Submit your activities about our call to educate all of God's children, here.
Ways you can make MDG #2 come alive for children and youth:
School Days Experience -- Create two different experiences of school for children -- one in U.S. and one in Uganda. (Page 6 - Kenyon Conference Children's Conference: Experiencing the MDGs)
Keepers of the Story -- Make Jewish tefillin box for Shema – talk about how we learn and how we are Keepers of the Story (Page 6 - Kenyon Conference Children's Conference: Experiencing the MDGs)
Pennies for Peace -- A program of the Central Asia Institute, P4P Pennies for Peace teaches children the rewards of sharing and working together to bring hope and educational opportunities to children in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The program, begun by Three Cups of Tea author Greg Mortenson, makes a simple act (collecting pennies) into a bridge to MDG #2.
Submit your children's activities about our call to educate all of God's children, here.
Books about achieving universal primary education.
Three Cups of Tea -- An inspirational story of one man's efforts to address poverty, educate girls, and overcome cultural divides.
Leaving Microsoft to Change the World: An Entrepreneur's Odyssey to Educate the World's Children by John Wood - an engaging journey from Wood's life as a rather ordinary marketing director at Microsoft through the transformative decision to launch the nonprofit organization Room to Read (www.roomtoread.org), which has created more than 2,000 schools and libraries for children across Asia.
Achieving Universal Primary Education by 2015: A Chance for Every Child - By analyzing education policies, and financing patterns in relatively high-performing countries, the study identifies a new policy, and financing framework for faster global progress in primary education. The authors use a simulation model to show how adoption of this framework, could accelerate progress in low-income countries, currently at risk of not reaching the education MDG.
Movies/video about achieving universal primary education
Back to School - Part of PBS' "Wide Angle" series, Back to School is the second installment of Time for School, the multi-year project launched in 2003 when Wide Angle profiled seven children in seven countries – Afghanistan, Benin, Brazil, India, Japan, Kenya, and Romania – starting their first year of school, often despite great odds. Returning in 2006, we find that some are already hanging onto their enrollment by a thread. Thirteen-year-old Neeraj attends a special night school so she can work during the day, but extended trips to graze the livestock have arrested her progress. In Benin, Nanavi is the first girl from her family to enroll in school, but her father's death has made it difficult to afford the chalk and supplies. With over 100 million children around the globe out of school, Back to School puts a human face on an issue with profound consequences for global development. Find out more and get lesson plans to go with the video here. Watch the full show online here.
Granito de Arena (Grain of Sand) - American filmmaker Jill Friedberg focuses on the work of 100,000 teachers, parents, and students in southern Mexico to resist efforts to turn their schools into training grounds for low-income workers. (2005). Read a synopsis here. A short version (3+ minutes) is available on YouTube here. Watch a trailer online here. Buy the DVD here.
Submit your books and movies about educating all of God's children, here.
Click here for the reading list for the Rev. Ian Douglas' EDS course Contemporary Issues in World Christianity, which includes readings on globalization/international debt, the environmental crisis, HIV/AIDS and women's empowerment, the effect of colonialism and neo-colonialism and more.
Websites with more resources/activities about MDG #2
The ONE Campaign's "Education for All" page -- Great brief talking points on how important universal primary education is.
Global Campaign for Education - The Global Campaign for Education promotes education as a basic human right, and mobilizes public pressure on governments and the international community to fulfill their promises to provide free, compulsory public basic education for all people; in particular for children, women and all disadvantaged, deprived sections of society.
U.N. Cyberschoolbus MDG #2 page - The UN's global teaching and learning project site
http://www.netaid.org/ - Focusing on wealthy countries, Netaid raises awareness about extreme poverty and promotes activities that empower and make a meaningful difference in the lives of the world’s poorest people.
http://www.oxfam.org/ -- Working in both advocacy and grassroots development, Oxfam works to find lasting solutions to poverty and suffering.
http://www.bread.org/ - Bread for the World – resources and advocacy opportunities
www.borgenproject.org -- poverty reduction through political accountability. Great eye-opening statistics and studies.
Submit your website suggestions about achieving universal primary education here.
What One Person Can Do
Stories about One Person working to achieve universal primary education
Submit your One Person stories about our call to educate all of God's children, here.
What One Congregation Can Do
Stories about One Congregation working to achieve universal primary education
Submit your One Congregation stories about our call to educate all of God's children, here.
What One Diocese Can Do
Stories about One Diocese working to achieve universal primary education
Submit your One Diocese stories about our call to educate all of God's children, here.
What One Church Can Do
Stories about The Episcopal Church working to achieve universal primary education
Submit your stories about The Episcopal Church working to achieve universal primary education, here.
Other Resources
Information and resources about eradicating extreme hunger and poverty
The MDGs: They Are About Children - information about how this MDG (and others) effects children
What One Has Said
Quotes about educating and nurturing all children.
"Education is not filling a bucket but lighting a fire." - William B. Yeats
Submit your favorite quotes about educating and nurturing all children here.
