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About 70 per cent of the poor live in rural areas. In the least developed countries about 70 percent of people make a living from the primary industries, mainly agriculture.
Education is an essential prerequisite for reducing poverty, improving agriculture and the living conditions of rural people and building a food-secure world. Education is a basic right in itself. In spite of this, children's access to education in rural areas is still much lower than in urban areas, adult illiteracy is much higher and the quality of education is poorer.
The fight against poverty and hunger is a fight for justice. Expanding access to quality education for rural people is thus of crucial importance in the realisation of human rights for all and in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
This is why Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO, Sustainable Development Department) and the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) are inviting member countries, international agencies and civil society to join the partnership on Education for Rural People (ERP) which is part of the International Alliance Against Hunger and of the Education for All (EFA) initiative.
FAO is the UN lead Agency for ERP.
This flagship is a call for a collaborative action to address rural-urban disparities by targeting the educational needs of rural people. The partnership is open to members committed to working separately to achieve the following goals.
OBJECTIVES
- Overcoming the urban/rural gap in education.
- Increasing access to basic Education for Rural People
- Improving the quality of basic Education for Rural People
- Fostering the national capacity to plan and implement ERP as part of National Education for All and Rural Development Plans.
- Building awareness on the importance of ERP as a crucial step to achieve all the Millennium Development Goals, and particularly, eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education and promoting gender equity.
ACTIVITIES
At the national level
- Technical support to countries willing to address the basic educational needs of the rural people by formulating specific strategies as part of National Education for all and Rural Development plans.
At the international level
- Advocate and mobilize partnerships for ERP by concentrating on strategic global, regional and international events, and encouraging the same within countries. Support the exchange of good practices and knowledge on Education for rural people.
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