In the world today, 113 million children and young people do not attend school, and more than 860 million people can neither read nor write.  Not only are these people denied their human right to education, but they also lack the basic skills necessary to find their way out of poverty and contribute to the development of their community. For this reason, basic education plays a key role in poverty alleviation.

With the "Millennium Development Goals", the international community has pledged that by 2015, all children should be able to receive a full course of primary schooling.  Simply building schools is not enough. A consistent educational policy with special attention paid to gender equality is vital. Well-trained educators must teach relevant subject matter using suitable material and be supported by an efficient administration.
 
GIZ accompanies its partner countries through the reform process to the achievement of Education for All. This ranges from policy and management advisory services on teacher training and curriculum work to out-of-school education for special target groups.  Success in learning is improved by elementary instruction in the native language; basic subjects are taught with a practical approach relevant to the lives of those involved.  Important topics, such as HIV/ AIDS, peaceful co-existence and conflict resolution, are integrated into basic education in a practical manner.