Nobel laureates urge more cash for education in poor countries
According to the UN, 58 million children remain out of school and 781 million adults are illiterate
Kailash Satyarthi, last year's Peace Prize co-winner, said he had brought together the world's most renowned science laureates for the first time to urge rich nations "to be more generous" on the eve of the Oslo Summit on Education for Development.
"Donors have failed to deliver the investments needed for education," the Indian child rights activist said by phone from Stuttgart, Germany.
"We need an additional US$22 billion annually, which is not that much. If you compare it with global defence budgets, it works out at 4½ days of military spending
"That is why I brought the issue before a group of Nobel laureates last week. They agreed to speak out clearly through an open letter on the need for more financing for education as well as ending child slavery."
According to the UN, 58 million children remain out of school and 781 million adults are illiterate despite a 2000 global agreement to increase enrolment in primary schools and halve adult illiteracy, among other goals.
An April report by Unesco said that two-thirds of the countries - including Niger, Pakistan and Ethiopia - had missed some of the goals, while others such as Nepal, India, Rwanda and Sierra Leone had improved access to schooling.
Satyarthi said only 4 per cent of all Overseas Development Assistance was targeted at education, arguing it should be 15 to 20 per cent.
