The challenge: Worldwide, 600 million children and teenagers fail to reach basic levels of learning proficiency. Nearly half of them remain out of school. However, even those in school are not being prepared to succeed in or contribute to society. Among illiterate youth, nearly two out of three are girls – a fact that has remained largely unchanged for the last 20 years. These gaps in education translate to a world where people of all ages are left out of opportunity, and do not reach their full potential as adults.
Our solution: We strengthen education systems to equip girls and boys with the knowledge and skills to help them interact effectively with the world and contribute to a pluralist society. From preschool programs to advanced education for adults, our investments train teachers and administrators, and improve classrooms and schools, with a focus on dismantling the barriers to education for women and girls. We support policy and research to develop and scale affordable, innovative solutions that raise the quality and accessibility of public school systems for the most marginalized children worldwide.
For Betty and Acidiri, reading together is about more than quality family time. Acidiri’s teachers encourage all the parents in the community to read with their children – a strong predictor of academic success later in life.
Primary school enrollment in East Africa has improved significantly, but the number of children in class only tells part of the story. For students to get the most out of school, they need a quality education system with well-trained teachers and staff.