Giving Compass' Take:

• Homi Kharas and Rebecca Winthrop explain why prioritizing education access and quality in fragile states is essential for the achievement of the SDGs.  

• How can funders effectively improve education in fragile countries? 

• Learn about the connection between education and peace in Somalia. 

The ability to identify human-development hotspots—what we call “severely off-track countries” (SOTCs)—should, in theory, make it easier to apply solutions. Unfortunately, some aid agencies tend to avoid fragile states out of fear that their resources will be wasted. Currently, less than a quarter of OECD countries’ programmable aid is allocated to SOTCs.

But the perception that fragility presages failure is misplaced. With adequate planning, it is possible to implement projects that improve lives in even the riskiest places. Best of all, we know where to start: by investing more in human capital, and especially in education.

According to the Goalkeepers report, the number of children enrolled in primary school in Africa increased from 60 million in 2000 to some 250 million today, and the rate of growth was equal for boys and girls. But while more children are attending classes, school quality remains uneven. The challenge now is to ensure that all children, including those who are in school—at all grade levels—are learning the full breadth of skills they need to thrive.

Development specialists know that a good education is transformative for students as well as families, communities, and countries. One study from 2008 found that the quality of a country’s education system—and the cognitive abilities of its graduates—positively influences economic growth. That fact alone should be enough to convince fragile states and their donors to invest in expanding access to quality education.

Read the full article about education for fragile states by Homi Kharas and Rebecca Winthrop at Brookings.