Image credit: Plan UK
Currently, 126 million children are out of school, and 250 million children still do not know how to read or write by the time they reach year 3. But the consequences of this failure to educate young people extend well beyond academia. By funding the Global Partnership for Education, entire lives can be transformed.
THE ISSUE
Failing to send a child to school can have a significant impact on their health. Without an education, children are not given the skills, knowledge, and access they need to make free and informed decisions about their own health and, eventually, the health of their children.
Many girls who are denied access to an education are often forced to marry early - many become pregnant and give birth at an early age. Complications during pregnancy and childbirth are the leading causes of death in girls aged between 15-19 in the world’s poorest countries. Uneducated girls are also more likely to experience sexual violence and can be at increased risk of contracting HIV.
EDUCATION IS THE ANSWER
Children whose mothers can read are 50% more likely to survive beyond the age of five. An educated girl is less likely to be forced or coerced into an early marriage, to have an unwanted pregnancy at a young age and less likely to die during childbirth. A mother’s education is recognised as one of the most powerful predictors of child health as she is likely to have fewer, better nourished children and better able to support their education. This cycle means that investing in a girls’ education benefits both her and subsequent generations.
Schools are a key site for children’s healthcare. Worm infections are one of the greatest causes of childhood disease but can be effectively addressed through school-based de-worming programmes. Vitamin A Deficiency is a leading cause of preventable blindness in children and is often dealt with through supplements delivered in schools. Multiple vaccines and immunisations that defend against disease are commonly given in schools - those children without access to education are missing out on these valuable interventions.
TAKE ACTION
The Global Partnership for Education has a particular focus on improving girls’ access to education, aware of the difference that education can make to their health and wellbeing. If the Global Partnership for Education gets the $3.5 billion it needs in June, it will be able to support 29 million children getting a quality education. This is why the UK Government needs to continue its strong support for the Global Partnership for Education.Take action now by clicking on the button above and tell UK Ministers just how important this is!