youth
... to interpret meaningfully. First, the data are highly context-dependent. Second, in global terms, the diversity in educational access and attainment—between world regions, countries within these regions, and areas and social groups within each country—is overwhelming in its complexity. Third, the information available for comparative analysis is limited in terms of both quantity and quality and is unbalanced in its coverage of individual countries and across world regions. Such issues pose significant problems even for comparisons within Europe, a region in which educational research and statistics are long established and well developed.1 A worldwide perspective magnifies the difficulties. Reports and statistics at the international level are, in effect, the only practicable comparative sources.2 There is also a wealth of useful and important material available on the ground—which would be enormously valuable if it were accessible in practice, and if the sources could be brought into reliable, valid and meaningful relationships with one another. In the light of such limitations, the present chapter restricts itself to an evidence- based overview, drawing on international statistical data to highlight key comparisons, in particular between the developed and developing countries. The thematic focus takes its cue from the Millennium Development Goals, together with the targets set by the Education for All initiative adopted at the World Conference on Education for All, held at Jomtien, Thailand, in 1990. This involves taking a closer look at the progress achieved and the problems encountered in extending the provision of and access to basic education, which in the context of developing countries ref...