The problem is that the international community’s credibility in promising universal education has been compromised; it has pledged to achieve this goal in at least 12 UN-sponsored declarations since 1950. For example, UNESCO promised in 1961 that, by 1980, primary education in Africa would be “universal, compulsory, and free.”
教育的重要性是毋庸置疑的。问题在于国际社会的普及教育承诺的信誉的让步；自1950年以来，国际社会至少在12项联合国宣言中做出过实现这一目标的承诺。比如，1961年联合国教科文组织承诺，到1980年非洲小学教育将“全民、义务、免费”。但是，到1980年时，大约非洲小学适龄儿童仍然无学可上。