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Over the last ten years, the number of children in school has increased. Yet access to basic education has not improved for millions of people belonging to ethnic or linguistic minorities or for disabled people, people in remote rural areas, street children, war orphans and those suffering from Aids.

Universal primary education may have increased significantly, but this is often offset by deterioration in quality. Millions of young people leave school without the knowledge and skills they need to make their place in society or to find a job. And a significant proportion of adults, particularly women, are still illiterate. The situation is most concerning in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia.

In 2000, the World Education Forum in Dakar defined a framework for action, setting out six goals to achieve education for all (EFA) by 2015. These goals concern all young people and adults whose basic education needs have not been met.

Basic education needs comprise all basic skills, including essential learning tools (such as literacy, oral expression, numeracy and problem solving) and basic learning content (such as knowledge, skills, values and attitudes). Meeting basic education needs is fundamental to implementing the right to education. This means not only providing universal access to primary education and literacy programmes but also ensuring that these programmes are completed and that real knowledge and skills are acquired. This is essential if individuals are to learn to live autonomously and adapt to a changing environment. Education is therefore both a means to development and its end.

EFA is a relevant social objective. Achieving it is primarily the responsibility of the government, but it depends also on all other stakeholders, including international aid organisations, civil society associations and organisations, pupils, learners, teachers, trainers, parents and their associations.

To achieve these goals, the international community must overcome three major problems in education systems: