Basic education for all

Expanding access to basic education, while improving its quality and reducing disparities

An international priority
At the World Forum on Education, held in Dakar in April 2000, the international community reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring universal access to primary education of high quality by the year 2015.

Five main challenges
Efforts have led to noteworthy increases in school enrolments. However, many countries, including those where universal primary education has almost been achieved, still face substantial challenges, such as:

• increasing access to relevant basic education through both formal and non-formal education
• Ensuring all classrooms are staffed with competent teachers
• expanding post-primary and secondary education to provide greater educational opportunities for primary school leavers
• improving school management in a context of decentralization
• coping with the disastrous effect of HIV/AIDS on education systems.

The IIEP will assist countries in achieving the objectives set at Dakar by

• identifying innovations and successful reforms in the four above-mentioned areas
• building capacities in implementation and monitoring.