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Early childhood is a phase of fundamental physical, mental, social and emotional development. The foundation stone for lifelong learning and individual development is laid in this phase. Omissions at this stage are difficult to rectify later. They can have severe consequences – not just for the children themselves, but also for societies and the economies as a whole.

Target 4.2. of the 2030 Agenda specifically calls for measures to ensure that “all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education.”

According to the 2021/2022 Global Education Monitoring Report only a small number of the countries that were assessed provide free and compulsory preschool programmes. Out of 193 countries 51 have legal provisions for compulsory pre-primary education, 63 have legislation on free pre-primary education.

The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) has made early learning part of its education strategy and is committed to promoting education in all stages. The BMZ’s comprehensive approach integrates measures for early childhood education into extended basic education programmes. Early childhood education is a distinct priority area of Germany’s support in Jordan and Turkey for example.

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Once the foundation stone has been laid in early childhood, primary education provides the basis for lifelong learning. Not only are reading and writing most easily learned at primary school age, social and behavioural skills, abstract reasoning and moral conduct are all developed during this phase of life.

Despite the significant progress made in recent years, almost 10 per cent of children of primary school age still do not go to school. The most common reason is poverty: parents cannot afford school fees, travel expenses or purchases such as school uniforms, pens and books. Furthermore, many families rely on their children’s labour and contribution to the family's income.

Sizable deficits can also be noted as regards education quality. Properly trained teaching staff with the required technical knowledge and good teaching and educational skills are in short supply, as are suitable curricula and teaching materials. Improving the quality of education is one of the priority areas of German development cooperation. Digital solutions are being used more and more to further strengthen these efforts.

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Al Quds double shift school in Amman, Jordan Jordanian and Syrian children are taught in separate shifts.

Secondary education comprises a lower and an upper secondary level as consecutive levels. As part of an extended basic education secondary education is intended to prepare pupils for tertiary education (for example university) and the labour market. Secondary education is the bridge between primary education and the acquisition of vocational and professional qualifications. Only those who have successfully completed secondary education have any chance of moving on to vocational education and training or higher education.

Enrolment rates for lower secondary education worldwide increased from 43 to 76 per cent in the period from 1970 to 2019. There are large regional disparities, however. While almost all young people in North America and western Europe move on to secondary school after completing primary school, the corresponding figure in Northern Africa and Western Asia is only 87 per cent. And in the countries of sub-Saharan Africa only 64 per cent of young people in the relevant age group go on to secondary education.

For a long time, secondary school education played a minor role in international education goals and targets. With the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda this changed completely. SDG 4 (target 4.1) is to ensure, by 2030, that all children and young people complete secondary education.

Basic education also includes non-school (non-formal) education programmes that teach basic life skills. This is a way to ensure that even people who did not have the opportunity to attend or to complete school as children have a chance to partake in economic and social life, and lead self-determined lives. The spectrum of non-formal education includes general, vocational, cultural and political education for children, young people and adults.

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Moroccan women’s cooperative providing literacy training and awareness raising

Non-school basic education plays a key bridging role in developing countries. For example, it can pave the way back into formal education for young people who have dropped out of school. Literacy programmes are an option for adults who cannot read and write.

Non-school education programmes can often be aligned to local needs more quickly and flexibly than the formal school system. Learning programmes that respond to the specific needs of the target group are developed in non-formal, non-school education programmes. Information on health and hygiene, nutrition and family planning, or about career opportunities and funding options, for instance, is included.

The BMZ's support in this area is primarily channelled through cooperation with the Institute for International Cooperation of the German Adult Education Association (DVV International). Adult education is also integrated into projects on vocational training, for example.

The BMZ is also funding a digital learning platform called “atingi (External link)”. Users can access quality digital learning content for free from anywhere and anytime. This can boost their employment opportunities. Atingi was developed by a team of digital experts and works closely with Smart Africa, the digital initiative of the African Union and many other partners from business, politics, academia and civil society. These learning programmes are aimed to help, in particular, young people living in the countries that are Germany’s partners in development cooperation. The user interface is available in eight languages and learning contents match the economic and cultural context of the partner countries.