A target to give children across the world access to primary education by 2015 is likely to be missed, according to a study by Unesco. Its projections suggest that at least 29 million children will still be out of school, including 7.6 million in Nigeria and 3.7 million in Pakistan, two countries which it says suffer from “weak governance and high levels of inequity in finance and provision”.

The annual report said that a “vast gulf” in educational opportunity continued to exist between rich and poor countries. In developing countries, about one-third of pupils had seen their brain development and education prospects impaired by the time they reached primary school age as a result of malnutrition.

‘Overcoming inequality: why governance matters’, www.unesco.org.