Denial of Education

Abstract

International and national laws guarantee that every child has the right to at least a basic education. Besides developing individuals’ sense of efficacy, an educated populace makes for successful democracies. Yet, this universal right is denied millions of children throughout the world due to religious extremism, cultural tradition, government indifference, and poverty, among other things. In addition, even in wealthy countries educational opportunities for the poor are often limited. Because of the efforts of UNICEF and various non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in recent decades progress has been made in providing many of the world’s children with at least a primary school education. But much, yet, needs to be done. Data on opportunities for and achievements in providing education in countries throughout the world are presented. Some of the major barriers to achieving universal access to education are discussed as are major issues associated with doing so. Special attention is devoted to the education of girls, who are still often unable to attend school or, if so attending, progress much beyond the primary level. Universal laws mandating that countries provide educational opportunities for all are described. Included are a number of local and international initiatives designed to compel governments to live up to these mandates.