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Mwanda, Elikya Formatted: Highlight

Mr. King

English I

October 19, 2018

As of 2016, 263 million children aren’t attending school worldwide . That’s more than ⅔

of the population of America. The issue doesn’t just involve kids not having access to schools.In Formatted: Pattern: Clear (Light Orange)

a lot of places, there are schools but the education isn’t on the level that it should be. A lack of Formatted: Highlight

adequate education causes the literacy rate to be a lot lower than it could be. The problem is even

taking place right here in America. A lot of kids are missing out on basic education that they’ll

need to get jobs in the future.

The UN chose this goal because of the 617 million people around the world that don’t

have basic mathematic and literacy skills. That statistic is just counting children. In America

alone, 32 million adults don’t know how to read. That equates to 14% of the

population.Unfortunately, a lot of kids get skipped over while they’re in school, and don’t get the

attention that they need to ensure that they understand all of the information that’s being given.

It’s a huge fault in the education system. It has to improve so that no child gets left behind.

The problem is happening globally as well, but in a different sense. Over half of the

children that aren’t enrolled in school live in sub-Saharan Africa. This area in the world also has

a larger population of school-aged children. They will have to cover the cost of 444 million

children going to school in 2030. This will be a challenge because many of the countries in sub-
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Saharan Africa are still developing. They might not have the money or the resources to be able to

support all of those children. To be able to get all of those kids to school, they’ll need financial

help from outside sources.

Sadly, there isn’t just one large solution that can just fix every single issue that revolves

around education. There are some things that can help address certain issues. Humanium is a

non-profit organization whose main goal is to address children’s rights issues in sub-Saharan

Africa. They focus on education and child labor laws. To help support their work, you can give a

flat donation, sponsor a child in going to school, or volunteer your time and help build school

buildings and facilities. On a local scale, you can find study centers that need people to help tutor

kids. For example, School on Wheels is another non profit organization that offers tutoring,

school supplies, and anything else that involves education to homeless children that may not

otherwise get these same resources. You can always give, be it time or money.

The United Nations hopes to achieve education goals by 2030. That’s only twelve years

away! If enough people are able to donate and volunteer, it’s very possible to reach these goals.

Sponsoring one child with Humanium can cost you as low as $10 a month. Although one kid

going to school seems insignificant, that one person could change the world.
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Humanium.org staff. “Right to Education : Situation around the World.” Humanium • We Make

Children's Rights Happen, www.humanium.org/en/right-to-education/.

Otchet, Amy, and Katja Frostell. “617 Million Children and Adolescents Not Getting the Minimum in

Reading and Math.” 617 Million Children and Adolescents Not Getting the Minimum in Reading and

Math | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 21 Sept. 2017,

www.unesco.org/new/en/media-services/single-

view/news/617_million_children_and_adolescents_not_getting_the_minimum/.

Diemart, Rui. “32 Million American Adults Can't Read: Why Literacy Is the Key to Growth.” Medium,

Medium, 16 Feb. 2018, medium.com/@OneYoungWorld_/32-million-american-adults-cant-read-why-

literacy-is-the-key-to-growth-818996739523.

Un.org staff. “Education - United Nations Sustainable Development.” United Nations, United Nations,

www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/education/.

Schoolonwheels.org staff. “About Us.” School on Wheels, www.schoolonwheels.org/about-us/#our-

mission.

Humanium.org staff. “Sponsor a Child While Respecting His Rights.” Humanium • We Make Children's

Rights Happen, www.humanium.org/en/child-sponsorship/.

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