This document discusses barriers to achieving universal primary education as outlined in the UN's Goal 2. The key barriers identified are humanitarian emergencies/conflict which displace millions of children from school, gender discrimination that prevents girls' education, and child labor pulling children from schooling. The document argues that education is needed to overcome these barriers by fighting conflict, discrimination, and labor. Progress is noted in increasing enrollment rates and reducing the number of out-of-school children from 100 million in 2000 to 57 million in 2015, though more work remains.

1. Goal 2: Achieve
Universal Primary
EducationLOGAN PACEY
T UNIV 200
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON TACOMA

2. What are the
Barriers
 Humanitarian emergencies,
especially conflict:
• More than 40% of out-of-school
children live in conflict-affected
and/or poor areas and millions are
forced out of school by natural
disasters
 Gender Discrimination:
• Girls face a unique set of barriers
when it comes to obtaining
primary education which include
child marriage, unsafe travel,
domestic labor, and more. 34
million adolescent girls are out of
school and women make up
nearly 2/3 of the illiterate adults.
 Child Labor:
• For households living in poverty,
children may be pulled out of
school and into work in the face of
external shocks such as natural
disasters, rising costs, or a parent’s
sickness or unemployment.
• (global citizen 2012)

3. Why is it Important
 Ironically, the same barriers that impede access to
education could themselves be eradicated by making
education more available.
 We need education to fight armed conflict
 We need education to fight gender discrimination
 We need education to end child labor.
(Global Citizen 2012)
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4. Progress (as of 2015)
 The primary school net enrolment rate in the
developing regions has reached 91 per cent in 2015, up
from 83 per cent in 2000.
 The number of out-of-school children of primary school
age worldwide has fallen by almost half, to an
estimated 57 million in 2015, down from 100 million in
2000.
 Sub-Saharan Africa has had the best record of
improvement in primary education of any region since
the MDGs were established. The region achieved a 20
percentage point increase in the net enrolment rate
from 2000 to 2015, compared to a gain of 8 percentage
points between 1990 and 2000
 The literacy rate among youth aged 15 to 24 has
increased globally from 83 per cent to 91 per cent
between 1990 and 2015. The gap between women and
men has narrowed.
(United Nations 2015)
https://www.afidep.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Closing-Gender-Gap.jpg

5. Why does it resonate
with me?
 I have spent 5 months in Thailand
working on the Thai-Burma border
teaching English to students who
come from areas of poverty and/or
conflict.
 In my experience I have seen first
hand, how with today’s technology
has made education more accessible
and how it has made education in
these areas higher quality
 (Pacey, 2017)

6. How can it be Applied Locally?
 With the connections of the internet the limits are endless on how we
can help at a local level. Some ideas include:
• Students at UWT can be required to have pen pals in areas with little
access to education. Students can share their education or be required to
do online lectures with their pen pals instead of writing a paper. We can
share our education in exchange for academic credit while gaining cultural
literacy in a culture different from our own. Students will become more
globally aware and will learn what impacts they can have on the global
community.
• The innovative ideas that come from trying to get education to poor and
conflict stricken areas can be applied to domestic areas that lack quality
education.
• Broadly speaking, it will cost the country less if we invest in global primary
education. Education creates stability and sustainability in a country and
primary education fights armed conflict. Less governmental spending on
foreign aid would allow for more spending in domestic concerns such as
education.

7. Where can I make
the Greatest
Contribution?
 As college students we
can all make the greatest
contributions by sharing
our education. This can
be done both, virtually, or
by volunteering.
 Getting the community
involved and interested in
the benefits of Global
Education! This can be
done by sharing my
experiences with this
cause, telling others how
to get involved, and
teaching others of its
importance!
https://www.google.it/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ve
d=0ahUKEwiK2vCQvoXXAhXDOBQKHbQTCLYQjRwIBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lescacosnoir
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haiti%2F&psig=AOvVaw3dJjqDaWBVlRLAs_ZuNcgs&ust=1508804824101984

8. How can Social Media
be Applied?
 Social media connects the world. This
means that our resources are the worlds
resources. The free exchange of ideas and
of learning resources would help the
world become more educated (pen pals).
 There is always a way to help. If you know
a way to help adolescents get an
education, you can instantly tell
thousands of people about it through
social media.
 Networking. One of the largest barriers in
educating the global youth is finding
quality educators. Social media allows you
to find qualified educators from all over
the world and through the internet there
is an opportunity to educate in different
parts of the world at the same time.
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/multimedia/dynamic/03051/hiring_3051232f.jpg

9. Works Cited
 United Nations. (2015) The Millennium Development Goals Report 2015.
Retrieved from:
http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/2015_MDG_Report/pdf/MDG%202015
%20rev%20(July%201).pdf
 Global Citizen. (October 18th 2012.) Global Citizen: Primary Education.
Retrieved from https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/introduction-to-
the-importance-of-primary-educatio/