English - IFAD

Chapter 2 The state of rural poverty today 67
education, particularly in the poorest countries, and rates today range from just
over 30 per cent in sub-Saharan Africa to almost 90 per cent in Latin America.
In all regions, moreover, rural children have less access to education at all levels
than their urban peers – in some countries rural enrolment rates are only half those
in urban areas, 62 and out-of-school rates for rural children are twice as high as
those for children living in urban areas. 63 This is partly linked to lesser availability
and quality of education infrastructure (particularly in remote areas, and especially
beyond the primary level) and partly to reliance on child labour in poor
households, in addition to gender inequalities. Education systems need to take
into consideration the specific needs of poor and working children in order to
ensure their inclusion, but this is rarely the case – even though there are some
important exceptions, such as the Escuela Nueva in Colombia and the Bangladesh
Rural Advancement Committee. 64
Due to their limited assets and overall poor access to education, poor rural
children and youth are generally vulnerable and face high risks in labour markets
and mostly work in informal employment, often in very low-skilled, insecure and,
“Education is very good, it enlightens
the minds of girls and boys. It makes
them know how to live. In the past,
we sat at home and watched our
fathers die of exhaustion… We are
more comfortable than our fathers
and our sons are more comfortable
than us.”
Nawal Mohamed Khalil,
female, 47 years, Egypt