Millennium Development Goal Goal #2: Achive Universal Primary Education Guarantee that all girls and boys complete eight years of schooling Some 103 million children of primary-school age worldwide are not enrolled in school. Of those that do enroll, the highest proportions drop out in the earliest grades. Girls make up more than half of all children not in primary school; in the developing world, one girl in every four never makes it past fifth grade. Children born to uneducated mothers are nearly twice as likely to die before age 5 as those born to mothers who completed primary school. Myths and Realities about Primary Education Myth #1: All girls around the world go to school. Reality: Despite progress in educating girls, 58 million girls worldwide are still not in school – and many girls who start school soon drop out. One out of four girls in developing countries never completes primary school. This is a personal tragedy for them, but it also has devastating consequences for their communities. Countries that fail to educate girls can expect higher rates of child and maternal deaths, increased incidence of AIDS, and more poverty and instability. Girls’ education is a proven and powerful investment in the well-being of future and present generations of children. Myth #2: The problems of keeping girls in school are too hard to solve. Reality: We know what works. No matter what the economic or cultural challenges, there’s a strategy to get girls into school and help them stay there. W here school fees are an obstacle, communities are launching scholarship programs and endowments. Where nearby government schools are not available, communities and non-governmental organizations are setting up schools nearby that offer flexible schedules and curriculum tailored to community priorities. Where conflict and emergency situations uproot children from their homes, communities and non-governmental organizations are establishing makeshift schools to provide safety and a sense of normalcy. Myth #3: A nation’s wealth determines its success in educating girls. Reality: Where there is political will, there is a way. Some of the world’s poorest nations are showing greater rates of progress in girls’ education than wealthier ones. With strong global financial commitments, they could do even better. According to the State of the World’s Mothers 2005, published by Save the Children, Kenya with a per capita gross domestic product (GDP) of only $1,020 is doing an admirable job in educating its girls, while Saudi Arabia is under-performing in girls’ education despite a GDP more than 12 times higher. In Kenya , 71 percent of grade school girls are enrolled in school, while in Saudi Arabia , that number is only 57 percent. Myth #4: The U.S. government is doing all it can. Reality: Without increased global financial commitments, including U.S. support, many poor countries will fail to achieve this MDG. U.S. funding for basic education in poor nations has risen only slightly in recent years. The Bush administration’s July 2005 pledge of greater foreign assistance for girls’ education in Africa could help more girls realize their dreams. But U.S. support does not equal the need. The Asian Tiger success story is proof that e ducation is the best investment a country can make in its future: South Korea , Taiwan , Thailand and Indonesia in the 1950s resembled sub-Saharan Africa today in their economies, literacy, health care and fertility rates. Today, 94 percent of their populations can read and write. Education – particularly for girls - played a huge role in this turnaround.   Donate now to support Save the Children's work in the U.S. and around the world