Oxfam – Education News Release

Don Foster’s Comment

“Having just come back from a trip to Ethiopia with WaterAid, I have seen at first hand how vital it is to ensure that people’s basic needs are met.

“Everyone must agree that clean water and primary education are two such basic rights.

“Yet every year, 500,000 Ethiopian children below the age of 5 die because of problems caused by poor water quality.

“Furthermore, basic education in Ethiopia is very poorly funded. In the schools I saw in rural areas, class sizes are 90+ and teachers are poorly trained and poorly paid, receiving a wage of £45 a month.

“The third problem is that the education that’s available can be devalued. Schools have problems with low enrolment, high drop-out rates and absenteeism - particularly amongst young girls.

“All children have a right to an education. And yet the shameful truth is that this UN target for developed countries to give 0.7% of their GNP to overseas development dates back to 1970.

“Ethiopia is the 4th poorest country in world, and the UK is the 4th richest country in the world.

“If Gordon Brown made a commitment to meet this target of 0.7% of GNP, it would only cost us £1.08 per person. But from that grand total of £7 billion, we could fund a primary education for every child in the poorest nations, by 2015.

“That’s what I consider a result!”

ENDS.

This article published: 18/09/2023

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