Approaches, actors and instruments

In the Action Plan of Dakar and the Millennium Declaration, the international community pledged to enable all children, by 2015, to receive a formal basic education. Basic education comprises early childhood learning, primary school education, secondary school education and the extracurricular (non-formal) acquisition of basic knowledge and life skills.

In the Ac­tion Plan of Dakar and the Mil­len­nium De­c­la­ra­tion, the in­ter­na­tional com­mu­nity pledged to en­able all chil­dren, by 2015, to re­ceive a for­mal ba­sic ed­u­ca­tion. Ba­sic ed­u­ca­tion com­prises early child­hood learn­ing, pri­mary school ed­u­ca­tion, sec­ondary school ed­u­ca­tion and the ex­tracur­ric­u­lar (non-for­mal) ac­qui­si­tion of ba­sic knowl­edge and life skills.

Early child­hood learn­ing

The foundation stone for lifelong learning and individual development is laid in early childhood. Omissions at this stage are difficult to rectify later, so it is worth investing in early learning. Early learning programmes help to counteract developmental delays, particularly in disadvantaged children; prepare children for school; help combat exclusion and poverty; prevent educational disadvantages from being passed on from parent to child; and improve children's prospects of a successful school career. Children's chances of leading a productive and self-determined life are also considerably improved.

The BMZ has introduced early learning into its education strategy and is sharpening the focus on it. The first programmes are already in implementation.

Pri­mary ed­u­ca­tion

Once the foundation stone has been laid in early childhood, primary education provides the basis for lifelong learning. Not only are reading and writing most easily learned at primary-school age, social and behavioural skills, abstract reasoning and moral conduct all develop during this phase of life.

Despite the significant progress made in recent years, almost 10 per cent of children of primary-school age do not attend school. The most common reason is poverty: parents cannot afford school fees, travel expenses or purchases such as school uniforms, pens and books. Furthermore, many families rely on their children’s labour and contribution to the family's income.

Sec­ondary school ed­u­ca­tion

Secondary education is very important as a bridge between primary education and the acquisition of vocational and professional qualifications. Only those who have successfully completed secondary education have any chance of moving on to vocational education and training or higher education.

Enrolment rates for secondary education increased from 43 to 82 per cent in the period from 1970 to 2011. There are large regional disparities, however. While all young people in North America and western Europe move on to secondary school after completing primary school, the corresponding figure in the Arab countries is only 88 per cent, and in sub-Saharan Africa only 49 per cent of children in the relevant age group go on to secondary education.