Achieve universal primary education

Targets

Ensure that children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling by 2015.

Progress

Net enrolment ratio in primary education in developing regions:

1990 - 80%
2004/5 - 88 % (94% in Asia Pacific in 2005)

At the current rate, around 94% of children in developing regions will be able to complete primary schooling by 2015. Asia Pacific is expected to maintain 94%.

Businesses can contribute to MDG 2 by:

• Saying no to child labour
  Ensure that you directly or indirectly (through your supply chain) employ no child labour, which stands in the way of universal primary education.
• Stimulate primary education
  Investments in education lead to improved economic performance in the long term. Young people are the key to more stable and prosperous economies and are the employees, customers and leaders of the future.

Primer questions:

• Can you support the education of your employee’s families?
• Can you engage with governments through public-private partnerships for the supply of educational infrastructure?
• Can you offer adult education and skills training for your staff and suppliers in order to build capacity?
• Can you provide training, scholarships or apprenticeships to local communities to secure a low-cost local workforce for the future?
• Can you help bridge the ‘digital divide’ by providing scaled down PC and Internet services for the poor?