30 July 2007
Lagos — The British Department for International Development (DFID) says the world will need 110 billion U.S. dollars to meet UN target of getting all children into primary school by 2015.
The department in a report published in its quarterly magazine "Development", said the UN owes a responsibility to these children to realise the amount.
It pointed out that in the drive towards the attainment of this key Millennium Development Goal (MDG), the rich countries would need to provide 11 billion dollars of new aid every year for a decade.
The magazine given said at the current rate of progress less 5 billion dollars in foreign aid, 75 countries mainly in sub-Saharan Africa would not achieve the goal.
"Every minute, an extra 13 children were enrolled in primary education globally between 1991 and 2004.
"Investigations have shown that, even with this development, there are 77 million primary age children out of school and out of this 57 per cent are girls," the magazine said.
It also pointed out that in war ravaged countries in Africa and Asia, 1 in 3 children were not in school.
"To reach the goal of full access to primary education, 1.6 million teachers need to be hired in Africa alone.
According to the publication, in Africa children whose mothers have received five years of primary education are more likely to live beyond the age of five.
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