Chapter 2. Progress towards the EFA goals - Unesco

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CHAPTER 2
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Education for All Global Monitoring Report
Since 1999,
sub-Saharan
Africa and South
and West Asia
have increased
net enrolment
ratios at five
times and three
times the rate
of the 1990s,
respectively
For all its limitations, the net enrolment ratio is
useful in providing an average picture of progress
over time. That picture has been positive since
the Dakar forum. Most developing countries that
started the current decade a long way from
universal primary enrolment have made significant
strides (Table 2.2). Since 1999, sub-Saharan Africa
and South and West Asia have increased net
enrolment ratios at five times and three times
the rate of the 1990s, respectively, reaching 73%
and 86% in 2007. However, regional aggregates
inevitably mask large intraregional differences.
Sub-Saharan Africa has a particularly wide range
of net enrolment ratios, from 31% in Liberia to 98%
in Madagascar and the United Republic of Tanzania.
In the Arab States, the spread extends from less
than 45% in Djibouti to 75% in Yemen and over 95%
in Bahrain and Egypt (Annex, Statistical Table 5).
Progress on enrolment has been uneven
Global progress towards universal net enrolment
masks a more complex picture. Countries are
moving forwards at different rates, some are not
moving – and others are moving backwards.
Figure 2.15 provides a summary progress report.
Some countries have achieved extraordinary
advances. The United Republic of Tanzania raised
its net enrolment ratio from around 50% in 1999
to 98% in 2006. Madagascar, Nicaragua and Zambia
have also broken through the 90% threshold
towards universal primary enrolment. Benin started
out in 1999 with one of the world’s lowest net
enrolment ratios and could now be on track for
universal primary enrolment by 2015. As the
education system expands, however, the challenge
of extending opportunities to populations that are
hard to reach will intensify (Box 2.6). Some of the
countries furthest from breaking through the 90%
barrier towards universal net enrolment have
nonetheless moved a long way, including Burkina
Faso, Ethiopia and the Niger.
Past net enrolment trends provide a limited
indicator of the potential for countries to achieve
universal primary completion. As Figure 2.15
demonstrates, very rapid progress on net
enrolment is possible. However, countries with
current net enrolment ratios of less than 75% face
very steep challenges. Ensuring that all primary
school age children progress through the
education system is even more challenging,
especially when schools are dealing with a large
backlog of over-age children.
Several countries in sub-Saharan Africa have
tailored their ambitions to current circumstances.
Burkina Faso’s original goal of attaining universal
Table 2.2: Primary enrolment by region, 1999 and 2007
Total enrolment
Net enrolment ratios Gender parity in primary 1
World
Developing countries
Developed countries
Countries in transition
Sub-Saharan Africa
Arab States
Central Asia
East Asia and the Pacific
East Asia
Pacific
South and West Asia
Latin America and the Caribbean
Caribbean
Latin America
North America and Western Europe
Central and Eastern Europe
School year ending in School year ending in School year ending in
1999
2007
1999 2007 1999
2007
(millions)
(%) (F/M)
646 694 82 87 0.92 0.96
559 615 80 86 0.91 0.95
70 66 97 96 1.00 1.00
16 13 88 91 0.99 0.99
82 124 56 73 0.85 0.90
35 41 78 84 0.87 0.90
7 6 88 92 0.99 0.98
218 191 96 94 0.99 0.99
214 188 96 94 0.99 0.99
3 3 90 84 0.97 0.97
155 192 74 86 0.84 0.95
70 68 92 93 0.97 0.97
3 2 75 72 0.98 0.99
68 66 93 94 0.97 0.96
53 51 97 95 1.01 1.00
26 21 91 92 0.96 0.98
1. Gender parity in primary education is measured by the gender parity index of gross enrolment ratios. See annex for details.
Source: Annex, Statistical Table 5.
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