2.  Nearly two years ago, more than 100
representatives from universities, United Nations
agencies, and nonprofit organizations
declared that education must be at the heart
of the global development agenda. The
deputy executive director of UNICEF, Geeta
Rao Gupta, emphasized the extent to which
educational inequality can limit opportunity for
disadvantaged children, especially girls. Gupta
called for educational equity and equality to
be placed at the forefront of development
plans beginning in 2015.

3.  With the Millennium Development Goals’
target date of 2015 approaching, many
realized that education remained the
most important piece of unfinished
business. As a result, individuals from
several organizations asked that
education become a more central part
of post-2015 development initiatives.

4.  The two primary problems in education are
equity and quality. Lack of equity keeps
certain populations systematically
disadvantaged. Research has shown that
education is integral to reducing rates of
poverty and hunger, strengthening
resilience, and ending violence. Moving
forward, high-quality, equitable education
should become a primary goal of global
development work.