Fifteen years ago, the international community made a commitment to provide universal primary school education for all children. While considerable progress has been made, today there are still 57 million primary school aged children out of school.

Does everyone have the right to education?

Mission Uganda is working to ensure that every child in Northern Uganda receives a good quality education, and learns the skills they will need to thrive in the 21st century. We are breaking down the barriers to education by helping marginalized and vulnerable children – including those who are living in conflict and disaster zones – access early childhood and primary school services. Our work is leading the way in improving literacy and numeracy skills, helping teachers to teach and children to learn. Through our work, we are supporting out-of-school young people access training in a skill or occupation, so that they can get a job which provides them with enough money to survive.

“Too poor” to learn

Education is the route out of poverty for many children. It gives them a chance to gain the knowledge and skills needed to improve their lives. But millions of children never see the inside of a classroom.

For many families the long-term benefits of sending their children to school are outweighed by the immediate need to send them to work or keep them at home to help with chores.

Children miss out on school because their families need them to earn money. But by sacrificing their education, they become trapped in a cycle of poverty.