Lauding India’s progress towards achieving ‘Education for All’ (EFA), a UN report has lauded the reduction of ‘out of school children’ by over 90 per cent in the country since 2000. This year, India is predicted to be the only country in South and West Asia to have an equal ratio of girls to boys in both primary and secondary education, said UNESCO’s ‘EFA Global Monitoring Report’, which was released here on Thursday.

While globally, just one-third of countries have achieved all of the measurable EFAs set in 2000, the report said only half of all the countries had achieved the goal of universal primary education.

“India has made exemplary progress in helping children gain access to pre-primary and primary education since the global education goals were set in 2000. India’s example shows -with sufficient political will and resources the world can step up to meet the new education targets by 2030.” said the report’s Director, Aaron Benavot.

In her address, HRD Minister Smriti Irani elaborated on the recent measures taken by the government in harnessing technology for extending quality education and using education as a means for the “nation’s character building.” The 500-page report lays emphasis on expansion of early childhood care for vulnerable children, focusing on girls and ethnic minorities, ensuring access to life skills for youth, achieving gender parity and equality and improving the overall quality of education.

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