new internationalist 122
April 1983
EDUCATION The facts
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Photo: UNICEF
Education
Mass public education is a recent phenomenon. Until the industrial revolution most schooling was run by the church and available only to sons of the wealthy. In the West, publicly-financed education expanded rapidly towards the end of the 19th century and continued to mushroom (with a break during the war years) until the early 1970s.
Colonial powers also left their educational mark on the Third World, introducing Western curricula and the formal classroom structure. Despite the introduction of locally-run school systems after decolonization many Third World nations continue to mimic Western models.
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Enrolment Boom... The 1960s end early 70s were the great boom yearn it education. By 1979 over 60% of Third World primary age children and nearly 40 per cent of secondary age were in school In the developed countries in the same peer nearly 95% of oil primary age children were in school and over 90% of all secondary age.
Total number of students as a percentage of age group (1960—79)
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Primary School
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Secondary School
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Post-Secondary School
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Country*
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1960
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1979
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1960
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1979
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1960
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1979
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POOR WORLD
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Tanzania
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20
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104
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2
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4
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—
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—
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Mozambique
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48
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107
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2
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9
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—
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—
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Senegal
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27
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42
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3
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10
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1
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2
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Zimbabwe
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06
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104
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0
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15
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—
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—
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Nigeria
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30
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70
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4
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10
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—
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Bangladesh
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47
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60
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0
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20
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1
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2
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India
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01
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78
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20
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27
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3
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0
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Sri Lanka
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95
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98
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27
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03
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1
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1
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Philippines
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00
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00
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20
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03
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13
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27
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Malaysia
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06
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93
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19
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02
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1
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3
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Bolivia
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64
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62
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12
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30
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4
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13
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Peru
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03
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112
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15
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50
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4
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17
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Guatemala
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40
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60
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7
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15
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2
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8
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Cuba
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109
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112
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14
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71
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3
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19
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Costa Rico
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06
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107
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21
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40
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5
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24
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Brazil
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90
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00
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11
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32
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2
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11
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Mexico
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00
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124
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11
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45
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3
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12
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Chile
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100
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110
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24
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05
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4
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12
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Argentina
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00
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110
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23
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06
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11
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23
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Jordan
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77
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102
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20
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74
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1
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—
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Iraq
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65
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120
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19
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00
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2
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9
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Saudi Arabia
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12
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04
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2
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31
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—
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7
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Kuwait
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117
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99
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37
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74
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—
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12
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RICH WORLD
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New Zealand
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100
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107
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73
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01
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13
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20
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Australia
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103
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111
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51
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00
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13
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20
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UK
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02
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105
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60
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83
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0
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20
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USA
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110
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98
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00
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07
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32
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50
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Canada
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107
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102
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40
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00
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16
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37
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Japan
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103
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101
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74
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00
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10
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20
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USSR
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100
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101
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49
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104
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11
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21
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* For countries with universal primary education gross enrolment ratios may exceed 100% because some pupils may be below or above the official primary school age.
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Scholars and dollars
• Public spending on education in poor countries increased front $7.8 billion in 1965 to $55 billion in 1978, a jump of nearly 700%.
• In the rich world spending rose from $68 billion to $419 billion an increase of nearly 500%.
• Still, with over 60% of the world’s students the Third World has only 11.6% of the world’s total education budget.
Public expenditure on education 1965—78
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Bullets or books? There in not necessarily a direct link between military speeding and education spending. But a general -conclusion can be drawn. The less spent on weapons the more scarce public foods will be available for education. Despite increased education budgets, poor countries have tended to devote even wore money to bullets than books in recent years.
Education spending as a percentage of GNP by reek vs military expenditure (1979)
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Country by rank
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Education as
% GNP
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Military as
% GNP
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Education per person (US$)
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RICH WORLD
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Sweden
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9.07
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3.4
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1164
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Netherlands
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7.07
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3.4
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850
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Norway
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7.60
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3.3
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657
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Canada
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7.66
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1.0
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715
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Ireland
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6.04
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1.4
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300
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USA
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6.41
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0.2
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676
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Denmark
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0.33
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2.4
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780
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Luxembourg
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6.02
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.8
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027
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Belgium
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9.00
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3.3
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600
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Australia
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0.01
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2.4
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505
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Japan
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0.77
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.9
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508
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Finland
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5.60
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1.5
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407
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Austria
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5.63
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2.4
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511
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France
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5.21
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3.9
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060
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USSR
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0.18
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10.7
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210
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POOR WORLD
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Qatar
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11.89
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21.2
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2,667
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Guyana
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0.0
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3.3
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06
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Cuba
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8.62
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0.6
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122
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Ivory Coast
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8.56
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1.1
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07
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Botswana
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8.47
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0.1
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58
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Congo
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7.08
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4.9
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56
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Morocco
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6.42
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0.8
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40
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Saudi Arabia
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6.30
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22.4
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521
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Mongolia
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0.31
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10.2
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50
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Mauritius
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6.26
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.2
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08
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Jordan
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0.22
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14.1
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03
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Kenya
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6.10
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5.0
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23
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Syria
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5.70
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20.1
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00
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Liberia
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5.6
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1.4
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29
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Malaysia
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5.6
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4.0
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82
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The War of the Words The most important battle in development is the fight against illiteracy. Over the lest three decodes poor countries have greatly reduced the percentage of illiterates. By 1980 the figure woo 29% end it could fall to 26% by 1900, according to UNESCO. Nevertheless, the 800 million illiterates in 1980 could increase to over 980 million by the year 2000. The burden of illiteracy falls hardest on the poorest and most disadvantaged groups, landless rural peasants, women and slow dwellers.
The estimated comber of illiterates over 15 years, in 1980
(China, North Korea and Vietnam are not included)
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![[image, unknown]](/archive/images/issue/122/images_newlit.jpg)
Photo: UNESCO
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The New Literacy Led by Brazilian educator Poole Finite, adult literacy training is now beginning to focus on concerns of critical importance to peoples’ daily lives. Literacy becomes by-product of learning about health, hygiene, nutrition, human rights and community co-operation In this way literacy helps the poor gain self-respect confidence and control over their lives.
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![[image, unknown]](/archive/images/issue/122/images_oldpaper.jpg)
Photo: Claude Sauvageot
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...and the old Paper Chase Education is seen as the key to prosperity and security. As employment possibilities shrink this key unlocks opportunities for fewer and fewer graduates. But because the dream holds true for the few, the many still pursue it.
In most Third World nations the whole system is geared to chasing paper certificates, even though 60—80 per cent of all primary students will go no further. Based an the Western model, the little education they do get is academic, alienating and irrelevant to rural development needs of the poor majority.
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Sources: World Military Social 1982. Literacy Targets in an International Strategy. UNESCO 1980. World Development Report, 1982 UNESCO Statistical Yearbook, 1981.
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