Despite much progress since 2000, millions of children, youth and adults still lack access to good quality education and the benefits it brings. This inequality of opportunity is undermining progress towards achieving Education for All by 2015.

The report documents what it describes as a 'vast gulf' in educational opportunity separating rich and poor countries. It notes that:

- One in three children in developing countries (193 million in total) reaches primary school age having had their brain development and education prospects impaired by malnutrition - a figure that rises to over 40% in parts of South Asia. High economic growth in some countries has done little to reduce child malnutrition, calling into question current public policies.

- 75 million children of primary school age are not in school, including just under one-third of the relevant age group in sub-Saharan Africa.

- Whereas over a third of children in rich countries complete university, in much of sub-Saharan Africa, a smaller share completes primary education - and just 5% attend university level.

National disparities mirror global inequalities. Children in the poorest 20% in countries such as Ethiopia, Mali and Niger, are three times less likely to be in primary school as children from the wealthiest 20%. In Peru and the Philippines, children in the poorest 20% receive 5 years less education than children from the wealthiest families.