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• MDG 1: Poverty
• MDG 2: Universal Primary Education
• MDG 3: Gender Equality
• MDG 4: Child Mortality
• MDG 5: Maternal Health
• MDG 6: Combat HIV. Malaria and Disease
• MDG 7: Environmental Sustainability
• MDG 8: Develop Global Partnerships

Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education

This is the only ‘absolute’ goal—however 90% of children with disability in developing
countries are not in school. It will be impossible to achieve MDG 2 unless development
efforts explicitly reach children with disability. Of the 115 million children not attending
primary school in the developing world, some 40 million are children with disability. Many
children with disability do not have access to basic assistive devices, and even those
with mild to moderate impairments, without appropriate support face grade repetition or
dropout.

Opportunity to Learn

“If I were to think of children who do not have the opportunity to go to school, I think of my daughter who has just become a Prep. Primary School teacher and her ability to encourage the little ones with disabilities in her class room here in Australia.

She has come to this point after spending some time in an orphanage in Nepal, and working with children of all ages and abilities there. Her heart went out and still does, to those children who were ‘different’, and their need to feel the same as all the others. If this is what MDG’s should be aimed at, it is that all children should be able to feel the same, and have the same opportunities.

Sue Reid
Volunteer Coordinator

The Circle of Poverty

“The key to get out of the circle of poverty is education.

However 90% of children with disability in developing countries are not in school, so I want to help that ALL those children have an education. I’m a student from Germany, and I’m very thankful that I have the possibility to go to university. I used my practical training time for volunteer work at CBM Australia, because I want to help to achieve the aim: universal primary education. My support and your support are the first steps on that way.”

Nadine Schmidt
Tertiary Student & CBM Volunteer (Germany)

Post your own response!

Answer these two questions about MDG2 Primary Education:

1. How do you believe the MDG’s are relevant to/impact on people with disabilities? AND
2. How does what you do contribute to making the MDG’s a reality?

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