Make secondary education universal

Abstract

In one study, for clusters of 25 women of reproductive age in 22 countries of sub-Saharan Africa, higher average levels of education for the women around a given individual reduced her birth rate, independent of urbanization and her individual education level4. Again, education of the surrounding community reduces the total fertility rate only when the average length of education reaches four or more years, so minimum thresholds of education are required to reap the benefits of an educated social milieu. [...] the goals of primary and secondary education, whether to foster nationalism and religious fundamentalism or to embrace diversity, need to be discussed nationally and internationally10.