According to World Bank’s 2018 report, Learning to Realize Education’s Promise, the rise in school e

nrollment does not mean that all those children are getting a good education. Globally, 125 million children are not acquiring functional literacy or numeracy, even after four years in school. “Rabia Nura, a 16-year-old girl from Kano in northern Nigeria, goes to school despite ev

er-present threats from Boko Haram. She is determined to become a doctor. But 37 million African children will learn so little in school that they will not be much better off than kids who never attend school.”

Poverty/inequity is certainly a factor, both between and within countries. In low-income countries, the average student performs worse than 95% of the students from wealthier OECD countries. In South Africa, third graders from the poorest households are three years behind those from the richest households.

Many factors compromise school effectiveness in low-income countries. Chronic malnutrition, disease, and chaotic or violent environments undermine children’s early development. High-quality teachers—in fact, all teachers—are in short supply. School management is often weak, and availability of resources can’t always keep pace with fast-rising enrollments.