The Handbook of Global Education Policy

Abstract

This chapter provides a short overview on the history of global Education For All (EFA) efforts, progress in achieving the six EFA goals, and international aid for EFA policies. It shows that, despite modest movement in achieving the EFA goals, some of it due to explicit policies and actions undertaken by governments, international agencies, donors and non‐governmental organizations (NGOs) since Dakar, the progress has been uneven. Much of the broad EFA agenda remains unfinished, as none of the goals was reached. The global EFA mechanisms that did work often did so despite, rather than because of, international attempts to coordinate EFA. Much hope had been placed on external financing to accelerate EFA progress. While aid did increase, the overall volume of external assistance fell well short of the assessed need, was insufficiently targeted to countries most in need, declined as a share of recipient governments’ budgets over the period, and was not always delivered effectively.