Transformative political leadership to promote 12 years of quality education for all girls

Education has the ability to empower, inspire and ensure a society that benefits everyone. But too often, girls are being left out of classrooms, and left behind. Today, over 130 million girls around the world are out of school. Even with access to education, many more lack the basics of literacy and numeracy. This problem has a real cost, not only in loss of talent and potential, but also on communities, societies and the global economy.
How can political leadership promote 12 years of quality education for all girls? This report from the REAL Centre, University of Cambridge, seeks to answer this question. The study is based on a review of global evidence, with a focus on low-and lower-middle income countries where most action is needed to achieve the world's development goals.
Across the world, over 130 million girls are out of school, and over half of all school-aged girls do not achieve minimum proficiency in reading and mathematics, even if they are attending school.