Education for Rural = People: NGOs in the front line

Education for Rural People: NGOs in the front line

Gap between urban and rural illiteracy is widening

17 November 2004, Rome - Representatives from more = than=20 100 nongovernmental and civil society organizations from = developed=20 and developing countries, senior officials from the Italian=20 Development Cooperation programme and experts from FAO, = UNESCO and=20 other international organizations have agreed on = strengthening their=20 cooperation in order to address the basic education needs of = the=20 world's biggest neglected majority: rural people.

A=20 partnership project will raise public awareness in Europe on = the=20 importance of education for rural people in poor countries = and the=20 urgent need to target rural areas where over 70 percent of = the=20 world's poor are caught in the vicious circle of being = unable to=20 access the services and opportunities that might take them = out of=20 poverty.

The project, discussed at a three-day = meeting which=20 ended today, is co-financed by the European Commission, = several=20 European NGOs, FAO and UNESCO.

"Basic education is a = fundamental human right in itself and an essential = prerequisite for=20 achieving the Millennium Development Goals, specifically the = first=20 two goals which focus on eradicating extreme poverty and = hunger, and=20 achieving universal primary education," FAO Assistant=20 Director-General John Monyo said.

"The gap between = urban and=20 rural illiteracy is widening and, in several countries, = rural=20 illiteracy is two or three times higher than in urban = areas," stated=20 Mr Monyo, pointing out that worldwide the great majority of = the 2.8=20 billion people who survive on less than two dollars a day = live in=20 rural areas.

Children writing in the sand =

In=20 Wikihi, a village in the rural Niassa Lake region in = Mozambique,=20 schoolchildren and their teacher have no books. They write = down in=20 the sand what the teacher writes on an old wooden board = using dried=20 cassava.

"In Wikihi, as in so many other African, = Asian, and=20 Latin American villages, what is needed is an efficient, = inclusive=20 and widespread education system, which addresses the basic = learning=20 needs of rural people," Mr Monyo said.

In the past = decade,=20 international aid has stressed the importance of = concentrating on=20 the poor, but it has neglected rural areas and that means = the=20 majority of disadvantaged people.

In many poor = countries,=20 rural areas have seen little or no economic development and=20 population pressure constitutes a threat to agricultural = resources=20 and the natural environment, according to FAO.

The=20 phenomenon is particularly true for education. Children's = access to=20 education in rural areas is still much lower than in urban = areas,=20 adult illiteracy is much higher and the quality of education = is=20 poorer.

Illiteracy on the increase=20

"Illiteracy, which is on the increase in the = developing=20 world, also means that more and more farmers will be unable = to read=20 the instructions on a bag of fertilizer or the warnings on a = box of=20 pesticide. Without basic education, rural people cannot = increase=20 their productivity, adopt enhanced technologies and improve = their=20 livelihoods," FAO expert Lavinia Gasperini said.

She = underlined that the problem of poverty is first of all a = problem of=20 rural poverty and food security. "This has prompted FAO to = accept=20 the challenge of leading the partnership project on = education for=20 rural people and food security," she said.

More than = 30=20 European NGOs will contribute to the project by sharing with = FAO and=20 UNESCO experience, knowledge, methodologies and competences = on=20 education for rural people.

"An advocacy campaign = launched=20 by a group of Italian and European NGOs will target = governments,=20 ministries, public administrations, regional and local = decision=20 makers, schools, civil society organizations and media in = order to=20 raise awareness on the education needs of rural areas and on = initiatives to address rural-urban disparities," said Ada = Civitani=20 from Italian NGO Associazione di Cooperazione Rurale in = Africa e=20 America Latina (ACRA).

Contact:
Pierre Antonios
Information Officer, = FAO=20
pierre.antonios@fao.org
(+39) 06 570 53473

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Contact

Pierre Antonios
Information = Officer,=20 FAO
pierre.antonios@fao.org
(+= 39)=20 06 570=20 = 53473

In Mozambique, schoolchildren in = remote rural=20 areas receive little or no education.

Related links
	Education for=20 rural people and food security
	UNESCO=20 International Institute for Educational = Planning
	Associazione di = Cooperazione Rurale=20 in Africa e America = Latina

Education for Rural People: NGOs in the front line

Gap = between urban and rural illiteracy is widening

17 November = 2004, Rome - Representatives from more than 100 nongovernmental and = civil society organizations from developed and developing countries, = senior officials from the Italian Development Cooperation programme and = experts from FAO, UNESCO and other international organizations have = agreed on strengthening their cooperation in order to address the basic = education needs of the world's biggest neglected majority: rural = people.

A partnership project will raise public awareness in = Europe on the importance of education for rural people in poor countries = and the urgent need to target rural areas where over 70 percent of the = world's poor are caught in the vicious circle of being unable to = access the services and opportunities that might take them out of = poverty.

The project, discussed at a three-day meeting which = ended today, is co-financed by the European Commission, several European = NGOs, FAO and UNESCO.

"Basic education is a fundamental = human right in itself and an essential prerequisite for achieving the = Millennium Development Goals, specifically the first two goals which = focus on eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, and achieving universal = primary education," FAO Assistant Director-General John Monyo said. =

"The gap between urban and rural illiteracy is widening = and, in several countries, rural illiteracy is two or three times higher = than in urban areas," stated Mr Monyo, pointing out that worldwide = the great majority of the 2.8 billion people who survive on less than = two dollars a day live in rural areas.

Children writing in = the sand

In Wikihi, a village in the rural Niassa Lake = region in Mozambique, schoolchildren and their teacher have no books. = They write down in the sand what the teacher writes on an old wooden = board using dried cassava.

"In Wikihi, as in so many = other African, Asian, and Latin American villages, what is needed is an = efficient, inclusive and widespread education system, which addresses = the basic learning needs of rural people," Mr Monyo said.
=
In the past decade, international aid has stressed the importance of = concentrating on the poor, but it has neglected rural areas and that = means the majority of disadvantaged people.

In many poor = countries, rural areas have seen little or no economic development and = population pressure constitutes a threat to agricultural resources and = the natural environment, according to FAO.

The phenomenon is = particularly true for education. 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.
=
Illiteracy on the increase

"Illiteracy, which = is on the increase in the developing world, also means that more and = more farmers will be unable to read the instructions on a bag of = fertilizer or the warnings on a box of pesticide. Without basic = education, rural people cannot increase their productivity, adopt = enhanced technologies and improve their livelihoods," FAO expert = Lavinia Gasperini said.

She underlined that the problem of = poverty is first of all a problem of rural poverty and food security. = "This has prompted FAO to accept the challenge of leading the = partnership project on education for rural people and food = security," she said.

More than 30 European NGOs will = contribute to the project by sharing with FAO and UNESCO experience, = knowledge, methodologies and competences on education for rural people. =

"An advocacy campaign launched by a group of Italian and = European NGOs will target governments, ministries, public = administrations, regional and local decision makers, schools, civil = society organizations and media in order to raise awareness on the = education needs of rural areas and on initiatives to address rural-urban = disparities," said Ada Civitani from Italian NGO Associazione di = Cooperazione Rurale in Africa e America Latina = (ACRA).

Contact: