""Reaching the Marginalised""

Despite notable gains in educational enrollment since 2000, the Education for All goals for 2015 are now unlikely to be met. The recent economic downturn has negatively affected governmental funding for education. It has also made it harder for families to pay for children's education. In addition, it is now apparent that simply getting children in school does not guarantee that education takes place. Teacher absenteeism, poor-quality instruction, and lack of learning resources undermine student achievement. Those children most likely to be marginalised educationally are the poor, those who live in remote areas, those who speak minority languages, and those from ethnic minorities or lower castes. Girls are more likely to be marginalised than boys are.