Primary school enrollment rates are high and still rising in East Asia. Most other regions could reach full enrollment by 2015 if current trends persist. Some will be aided by a demographic shift, which will see relatively fewer school-age children and a larger working-age population in the next 15 years. But in Africa almost 80 million new places will have to be created to accommodate all children.

Ten years after the first conference on Education for All proclaimed the goal of universal primary education, more than 100 million children do not attend school. But enrollment rates tell only part of the story. The quality of the education provided is also important. Better teachers, improved school facilities, and a curriculum that attracts students and keeps them in school are needed if the goal is to be met.