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Nine giants: one goal
Nine High-Population Countries take action

The challenge of achieving education for all (EFA) is particularly daunting in nine of the world's most populous countries: Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria and Pakistan. Together they account for half the world's population and 70 per cent of the world's illiterates. In 1993, leaders of these countries met during an education summit in New Delhi and pledged to work together to achieve EFA.
"Visible high-level commitment is important, given the leadership role these giants play in their respective regions," says Dieter Berstecher of UNESCO's Basic Education Division. "Their words and ambitions are being matched by concrete steps in the right direction."

Reaching people in their billions

Thirty million more children were enrolled in primary education between 1990 and 1995, and these large countries are making progress to reach the EFA goals by the year 2000.

Demography and education are so interdependent that one cannot examine one without discussing the other. The "demographic transition" -- a significant drop in birth rates -- has been made in some but not all of the E9 nations, as they are commonly called ("E" referring to Education).


A primary school in Bangladesh.
More than 30 million additional children in the nine high-population countries
were enrolled in primary education in the last six years.
(UNICEF/Shamshuz Zaman)

Education plays a key role in slowing down population growth, and low birth rates make it easier to provide education. With a low birth rate and high enrolment, Mexico only needs to increase school places by 10 per cent to provide access to universal primary education by the year 2000. Because of its relatively high birthrate and low enrolment, Pakistan would need a 300 per cent increase to achieve the same goal. China, Mexico and Indonesia may actually need fewer teachers by the year 2000 but in Bangladesh their numbers must double to achieve universal primary education.

Different situations, similar problems

Even with such sharply differing situations, these nine countries all have to cope with similar problems of scale and diversity. All need to decentralize in order to improve efficiency and involve local communities.
"The role of government in making education a success is indeed necessary. But how education is implemented in the field is for the greater part determined by every member of society," emphasized President Suharto of Indonesia at the E9 meeting in Bali in 1995.
Since 1990, a summit meeting, a ministerial review conference and many other gatherings have accelerated the exchange of information, as well as the preparation of joint projects in crucial areas such as distance learning.

A new sense of commitment

"Almost all of the nine high population countries have increased their national spending on basic education that's a major step in the right direction," noted O.J. Sikes of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
India aims to increase its spending on basic education from 3 per cent to 6 per cent of GDP by the year 2000. Bangladesh's education budget rose 16 per cent in 1995. Brazil, which is making a push to reach the poorest and the most disadvantaged children, provides free school lunches, which 34 million children now enjoy. Egypt has built 1,750 new schools each year since 1992. Indonesia built 1,125 schools in 1994-1995 and Nigeria built 2,821 in 1990 to 1993.

Distance education and open learning have become key areas for exchange of experience and joint initiatives amongst the E9 countries. For these giants with millions of learners spread out, often over huge distances, high investments in hardware and software pay off because economies of scale allow a relatively low cost per child.
"Distance learning is vital to reach minorities, nomads, school drop-outs -- all those who are often the last frontier to be conquered by EFA. Distance learning also beefs up and improves education in remote areas," stressed Berstecher.

New projects are underway. The five Asian E9 nations, in partnership with UNESCO and the Asian Development Bank, are looking into using distance learning for teacher training and primary education. Egypt, with little previous experience in this field, is working with the World Bank, UNESCO and other partners on two distance education projects. Brazil is extending its existing distance education system to offer vocational training combined with related academic subjects in a bid to enhance skills important for the country's development.

Pursuit of quality

The E9 initiative has also spurred these countries to seek innovative alternatives to the "business-as-usual" approach in education. The mobilization of the community, involvement of local non-governmental organizations (NGOs), closer attention to school retention and learning achievement all come into play. India, with its many varied regions, is shifting planning from the state to the district and local levels. Bangladesh and Pakistan have encouraged NGOs to become more involved in primary school education and teacher training. Mexico has launched an ambitious education reform which stresses greater equity of access and improved quality in education. China's literacy projects are increasingly bearing fruit: "About 5 million illiterates become neo-literates each year. Of these 65 per cent are women," explained Liu Bin, Vice-Chairman of China's State Education Commission.

As new projects continue, so does collaborative thinking and planning. The E9 will hold their second Ministerial Review Meeting in Pakistan in 1997 on the theme Political and Social Mobilization for EFA. "We can be optimistic about the way education for all is going in the E9 and that means we can be optimistic for three-quarters of the world's population," noted Berstecher.