Children's Education (Hansard, 19 February 1990)

§ Mr. Wells
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of the United Kingdom aid budget is spent on education; how much of this is spent on primary education; and whether he has any plans to increase spending in this area.

§ Mrs. Chalker
In 1988, expenditure on technical co-operation in education, including sums provided to the British Council amounting to £42 million, came to about £95 million or 23 per cent. of total technical co-operation. Some £1.7 million or 0.4 per cent. of total technical co-operation was specifically for primary education, but there are other projects which benefit both primary and other areas of education. Some £6.5 million or 3.2 per cent. of the ODA total financial project aid was spent on education; £1.1 million or 0.6 per cent. was on primary education. In determining how much the ODA spends on the various levels of education in each recipient country it takes into account existing or proposed projects by those organisations.
We shall wish to discuss with Education Ministers of Commonwealth countries at the Commonwealth conference of Education Ministers in Barbados later this year what proportion of our assistance they wish us to commit to primary education. We shall undertake discussions with other Governments in the light of the forthcoming world conference on education for all.

§ Mr. Wells
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has as to the proportion of children worldwide who fail to undertake or complete primary education.

§ Mrs. Chalker
The following information on the percentage of children enrolled in primary education is taken from the World Bank world development report 1989. In an explanatory note the report states that the figures are estimates of children of all ages enrolled in primary schools. Figures are expressed as the percentage of pupils to the population of school age children. Figures in italics are for years other than those specified. While many countries consider primary school age to be six to 11 years, others do not. The differences in country practices in the ages and duration of schooling are reflected in the figures given. For some countries with universal primary education the gross enrolment figures may exceed 100 per cent. because some pupils are younger or older than the country's standard primary school age.
I have no information on the number of children who fail to complete the period of primary education.
493W

Primary

Total Male Female

1965 1986 1965 1986 1965 1986

Low-income economies ¹73 ¹103 — ¹113 — ¹92

China and India ¹83 ¹113 — ¹124 — ¹101

Other low-income ¹49 ¹76 ¹60 ¹83 ¹37 ¹68

1. Ethiopia 11 36 16 44 6 28

2. Bhutan 7 23 13 29 1 17

3. Chad 34 43 56 61 13 24

4. Zaire 70 — 95 — 45 —

5. Bangladesh 49 60 67 69 31 50

6. Malawi 44 64 55 72 32 55

7. Nepal 20 79 36 104 4 47

8. Lao PDR 40 94 50 102 30 85

9. Mozambique 37 82 48 92 26 73

10. Tanzania 32 69 40 70 25 69

11. Burkina Faso 12 35 16 45 8 26

12. Madagascar 65 121 70 125 59 118

13. Mali 24 22 32 27 16 16

14. Burundi 26 59 36 68 15 50

15. Zambia 53 104 59 112 46 101

16. Niger 11 29 15 37 7 20

17. Uganda 67 — 83 — 50 —

18. China 89 129 — 137 — 120

19. Somalia 10 20 16 26 4 13

20. Togo 55 102 78 125 32 78

21. India 74 92 89 107 57 76

22. Rwanda 53 67 64 68 43 66

23. Sierra Leone 29 — 37 — 31 —

24. Benin 34 65 48 87 21 43

25. Central African Republic 56 66 84 81 28 5o

26. Kenya 54 94 69 97 40 91

27. Sudan 29 50 37 59 21 41

28. Pakistan 40 44 59 55 20 32

29. Haiti 50 78 56 83 44 72

30. Lesotho 94 115 74 102 114 127

31. Nigeria 32 — 39 — 24 —

32. Ghana 69 63 82 75 57 59

33. Sri Lanka 93 103 98 104 86 102

34. Yemen PDR 23 — 35 — 10 —

35. Mauritania 13 46 19 57 6 35

36. Indonesia 72 118 79 121 65 116

37. Liberia 41 — 59 — 23 —

38. Afghanistan 16 — 26 — 5 —

39. Burma 71 — 76 — 65 —

40. Guinea 31 29 44 40 19 27

41. Kampuchea, Democratic 77 — 98 — 56 —

42. Viet Nam — 100 — 107 — 94

Middle-income economies ¹93 ¹104 ¹99 ¹108 ¹86 ¹100

Lower-middle-income ¹89 ¹104 ¹96 ¹108 ¹81 ¹100

43. Senegal 40 55 52 66 29 45

44. Bolivia 73 87 86 93 60 82

45. Zimbabwe 110 129 128 132 92 126

46. Philippines 113 106 115 107 111 106

47. Yemen Arab Republic 9 79 16 125 1 31

48. Morocco 57 79 78 96 35 62

49. Egypt Arab Republic 75 87 90 96 60 77

50. Papua New Guinea 44 — 53 — 35 —

51. Dominican Republic 87 133 87 131 87 135

52. Cote d'Ivoire 60 78 80 92 41 65

53. Honduras 80 102 81 103 79 102

54. Nicaragua 69 98 68 93 69 103

55. Thailand 78 99 82 — 74 —

56. El Salvador 82 70 85 69 79 70

57. Congo, People's Republic 114 — 134 — 94 —

494W 495W

Total Male Female

1965 1986 1965 1986 1965 1986

58. Jamaica 109 — 112 — 106 —

59. Guatemala 50 76 55 82 45 70

60. Cameroon 94 107 114 116 75 97

61. Paraguay 102 99 109 102 96 97

62. Ecuador 91 14 94 — 88 —

63. Botswana 65 105 59 101 71 109

64. Tunisia 91 118 116 127 65 108

65. Turkey 101 117 118 121 83 113

66. Colombia 84 114 83 112 86 115

67. Chile 124 110 125 110 122 109

68. Peru 99 122 108 125 90 120

69. Mauritius 101 106 105 105 97 106

70. Jordan 95 — 105 — 83 —

71. Costa Rica 106 102 107 103 105 101

72. Syrian Arab Republic 78 111 103 117 52 105

73. Malaysia 90 101 96 100 84 99

74. Mexico 92 114 94 115 90 113

75. South Africa 90 — 91 — 88 —

76. Poland 104 101 106 101 102 101

77. Lebanon 106 — 118 — 93 —

Upper-middle-income ¹97 ¹104 ¹102 ¹107 ¹93 ¹101

78. Brazil 108 105 109 — 108 —

79. Uruguay 106 110 106 111 106 109

80. Hungary 101 98 102 97 100 98

81. Panama 102 106 104 109 99 104

82. Argentina 101 109 101 109 102 109

83. Yugoslavia 106 95 108 95 103 94

84. Algeria 68 95 81 105 53 85

85. Korea, Republic 101 94 103 94 99 94

86. Gabon 134 126 146 127 122 125

87. Portugal 84 117 84 131 83 123

88. Venezuela 94 110 93 110 94 110

89. Greece 110 106 111 106 109 106

90. Trinidad and Tobago 93 95 97 93 90 96

91. Libya 78 — 111 — 44 —

92. Oman — 94 — 101 — 86

93. Iran, Islamic Republic 63 117 85 127 40 107

94. Iraq 74 99 102 107 45 91

95. Romania 101 97 102 98 100 97

Low- and middle-income ¹78 ¹103 ¹84 ¹112 ¹62 ¹94

Sub-Saharan Africa ¹41 ¹66 ¹52 ¹73 ¹ ¹58

East Asia ¹88 ¹123 — ¹131 — ¹117

South Asia ¹68 ¹84 ¹83 ¹98 ¹52 ¹69

Europe, Middle East, and North Africa ¹83 ¹97 ¹94 ¹104 ¹71 ¹91

Latin America and Caribbean ¹98 ¹108 ¹99 ¹110 ¹96 ¹108

17 Highly indebted ¹88 ¹106 ¹91 ¹109 ¹84 ¹104

High-income economies ¹105 ¹102 ¹106 ¹103 ¹105 ¹102

OEDC members ¹107 ¹102 ¹107 ¹103 ¹106 ¹102

Other ¹74 ¹90 ¹80 ¹94 ¹7 ¹87

96. Spain 115 101 117 104 114 103

97. Ireland 108 100 107 100 108 100

98. Saudi Arabia 24 71 36 78 11 65

99. Israel 95 99 95 98 95 100

100. New Zealand 106 105 107 106 104 104

101. Singapore 105 115 110 118 100 113

102. Hong Kong 103 105 106 106 99 104

103. Italy 112 97 113 99 110 99

104. United Kingdom 92 106 92 105 92 106

105. Australia 99 106 99 106 99 105

106. Belgium 109 96 110 95 108 97

107. Netherlands 104 114 104 113 104 115

107. Austria 106 100 106 100 105 100

109. France 134 112 135 113 133 111

496W 497W

Total Male Female

1965 1986 1965 1986 1965 1986

110. Germany, Federal Republic — 97 — 97 — 97

111. Finland 92 104 95 104 89 104

112. Kuwait 116 98 129 99 103 96

113. Denmark 98 98 97 98 99 98

114. Canada 105 105 106 106 104 104

115. Sweden 95 99 94 97 96 99

116. Japan 100 102 100 101 100 102

117. United Arab Emirates — 100 — 99 — 101

118. Norway 97 98 97 97 98 97

119. United States — 102 — 103 — 103

120. Switzerland 87 — 87 — 87 —

Total reporting economies ¹82 ¹103 ¹88 ¹110 ¹70 ¹95

Oil exporters ¹68 ¹110 ¹78 ¹114 ¹59 ¹105

Non-reporting non-members ¹102 ¹105 ¹103 — ¹102 —

¹ Weighted average.

Primary
	Total	Male	Female
	1965	1986	1965	1986	1965	1986
Low-income economies	¹73	¹103	—	¹113	—	¹92
China and India	¹83	¹113	—	¹124	—	¹101
Other low-income	¹49	¹76	¹60	¹83	¹37	¹68
1. Ethiopia	11	36	16	44	6	28
2. Bhutan	7	23	13	29	1	17
3. Chad	34	43	56	61	13	24
4. Zaire	70	—	95	—	45	—
5. Bangladesh	49	60	67	69	31	50
6. Malawi	44	64	55	72	32	55
7. Nepal	20	79	36	104	4	47
8. Lao PDR	40	94	50	102	30	85
9. Mozambique	37	82	48	92	26	73
10. Tanzania	32	69	40	70	25	69
11. Burkina Faso	12	35	16	45	8	26
12. Madagascar	65	121	70	125	59	118
13. Mali	24	22	32	27	16	16
14. Burundi	26	59	36	68	15	50
15. Zambia	53	104	59	112	46	101
16. Niger	11	29	15	37	7	20
17. Uganda	67	—	83	—	50	—
18. China	89	129	—	137	—	120
19. Somalia	10	20	16	26	4	13
20. Togo	55	102	78	125	32	78
21. India	74	92	89	107	57	76
22. Rwanda	53	67	64	68	43	66
23. Sierra Leone	29	—	37	—	31	—
24. Benin	34	65	48	87	21	43
25. Central African Republic	56	66	84	81	28	5o
26. Kenya	54	94	69	97	40	91
27. Sudan	29	50	37	59	21	41
28. Pakistan	40	44	59	55	20	32
29. Haiti	50	78	56	83	44	72
30. Lesotho	94	115	74	102	114	127
31. Nigeria	32	—	39	—	24	—
32. Ghana	69	63	82	75	57	59
33. Sri Lanka	93	103	98	104	86	102
34. Yemen PDR	23	—	35	—	10	—
35. Mauritania	13	46	19	57	6	35
36. Indonesia	72	118	79	121	65	116
37. Liberia	41	—	59	—	23	—
38. Afghanistan	16	—	26	—	5	—
39. Burma	71	—	76	—	65	—
40. Guinea	31	29	44	40	19	27
41. Kampuchea, Democratic	77	—	98	—	56	—
42. Viet Nam	—	100	—	107	—	94
Middle-income economies	¹93	¹104	¹99	¹108	¹86	¹100
Lower-middle-income	¹89	¹104	¹96	¹108	¹81	¹100
43. Senegal	40	55	52	66	29	45
44. Bolivia	73	87	86	93	60	82
45. Zimbabwe	110	129	128	132	92	126
46. Philippines	113	106	115	107	111	106
47. Yemen Arab Republic	9	79	16	125	1	31
48. Morocco	57	79	78	96	35	62
49. Egypt Arab Republic	75	87	90	96	60	77
50. Papua New Guinea	44	—	53	—	35	—
51. Dominican Republic	87	133	87	131	87	135
52. Cote d'Ivoire	60	78	80	92	41	65
53. Honduras	80	102	81	103	79	102
54. Nicaragua	69	98	68	93	69	103
55. Thailand	78	99	82	—	74	—
56. El Salvador	82	70	85	69	79	70
57. Congo, People's Republic	114	—	134	—	94	—