World Bank: Investing in Education for Half a Century

The world has made considerable progress on Goal 2. Between 2000 and 2012, the total number of out-of-school children worldwide declined from 100 million to 58 million, and the global primary completion rate increased from 81% to 92%. However, 58 million children are still out-of-school. Even when children complete school, they often do so without acquiring basic skills necessary for work and life. Yet, of all the goals, educating children—particularly girls—has the greatest impact on eliminating poverty. Studies show that an extra year of secondary schooling for girls can increase their future wages by 10 to 20%. Education is a powerful driver of development and one of the strongest instruments for improving health, gender equality, peace, and stability. The World Bank has placed education at the forefront of its poverty-fighting mission, and is one of the largest external financiers of education in the developing world.

http://www.worldbank.org/mdgs/education.html