# Basic education
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{{short description|Primary and lower secondary education}}
{{for|the Gandhian 'basic education for all'|Nai Talim}}
According to the [International Standard Classification of Education](/source/International_Standard_Classification_of_Education) (ISCED), '''basic education''' comprises the two stages [primary education](/source/primary_education) and [lower secondary education](/source/secondary_education).[{{cite web|title=International Standard Classification of EducationI S C E D 1997|url=http://www.unesco.org/education/information/nfsunesco/doc/isced_1997.htm|website=www.unesco.org|date=11 April 2013}}]
==Universal basic education==
{{further|Universal education}}
Basic education featured heavily in the 1997 ISCED document, but the term was not included in the glossary.[{{Cite web|url=http://www.unesco.org/education/information/nfsunesco/doc/isced_1997.htm|title=Education transforms lives | UNESCO}}] Each country interpreted the term in different ways, and leading up to the 2011 revision, a discussion paper was issued to seek clarification.[{{cite web|last1=Truong|first1=Nhung|title=Review of the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED 97) Basic Education and the review of the ISCED|url=http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/Documents/ISCED_RM_Basic_Ed_proposal_EN.pdf|publisher=UNESCO|access-date=25 April 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170426055912/http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/Documents/ISCED_RM_Basic_Ed_proposal_EN.pdf|archive-date=26 April 2017}}]
In most countries, ISCED 1 corresponds to the nationally designated primary education, and '''basic education''' includes that and also ISCED 2 lower secondary education (the lower level of secondary school). In other countries, where there is no break between primary and lower secondary education, “basic education” covers the entire compulsory school period. For statistical reasons, ISCED 1 is then considered to be the first six years of schooling.[{{cite web|title=Educational Programmes Manual for ISCED-97 Implementation in OECD Countries|url=http://www.oecd.org/edu/1841854.pdf|publisher=OECD|access-date=25 April 2017|page=30|date=1999}}]
Universal basic education is regarded as a priority for [developing countries](/source/developing_countries) and is the focus of the [Education For All](/source/Education_For_All) movement led by [UNESCO](/source/UNESCO). It is also included in the [Millennium Development Goals](/source/Millennium_Development_Goals) as goal number 2: achieve universal primary education by 2015.[{{cite web|url=http://www.mdgmonitor.org/goal2.cfm |title=Goal :: Achieve Universal Primary Education |publisher=Mdg Monitor |date=2011-05-15 |access-date=2012-10-18}}]
An extensive number of studies have proven its benefits for public health (e.g. lower spread of HIV/AIDS; better vaccination; prevention and medication of disease; better nutrition; lower maternal, infant, and child mortality), demography (e.g. longer life expectancy, accelerated [demographic transition](/source/demographic_transition) through better birth control) and the economy (e.g. increased purchase power, increased productivity in traditional sectors, increased demand on service sectors). Other benefits, although more difficult to measure, include a beneficial impact on democracy, human rights, governance, and political stability through increased understanding of non-violent ways to solve problems and mutual understanding between groups in conflict.[{{Cite journal|last1=Cutler|first1=David M.|last2=Lleras-Muney|first2=Adriana|author2-link=Adriana Lleras-Muney|date=July 2006|title=Education and Health: Evaluating Theories and Evidence |journal=NBER Working Paper No. 12352 |doi=10.3386/w12352 |citeseerx=10.1.1.497.5604}}][{{Cite journal |last=Mazumder |first=Bhashkar |date=2008-05-19 |title=Does Education Improve Health? A Reexamination of the Evidence from Compulsory Schooling Laws |journal=Economic Perspectives |language=en |location=Rochester, NY |ssrn=1134064}}]
The [Convention on the Rights of the Child](/source/Convention_on_the_Rights_of_the_Child) (CRC), established by [UNICEF](/source/UNICEF) in 1989, protects children's inalienable rights by setting standards for multiple issues, one of which is education.
== Gender equality in basic education ==
{{Main|Sex differences in education}}
[Gender equality](/source/Gender_equality) in education has traditionally been narrowly equated with gender parity at different levels of formal education. Gender has been a traditional factor of inequality and disparity in education, most often to the disadvantage of [girl](/source/girl)s and [women](/source/Woman). Yet there has been significant progress in narrowing the gap around the world since 2000, with a larger proportion of girls and women accessing different levels of formal education. Indeed, gender parity in primary education has been achieved in [Central Europe](/source/Central_Europe), [Eastern Europe](/source/Eastern_Europe), [Central Asia](/source/Central_Asia), [East Asia and the Pacific](/source/East_Asia), [Latin America](/source/Latin_America) and the [Caribbean](/source/Caribbean), [North America](/source/North_America) and [Western Europe](/source/Western_Europe). In addition, significant progress has been made since 2000 in narrowing the gender gap, particularly in [South](/source/South_Asia) and [West Asia](/source/Western_Asia) and to a lesser degree in [sub-Saharan Africa](/source/sub-Saharan_Africa) and the [Arab States](/source/Arab_world). However, despite the significant progress made, the majority of out-of-school children are girls, while two-thirds of youth and adults with low levels of literacy in the world are women. To help ensure [women's empowerment](/source/women's_empowerment), boys and men must also be engaged in the fight against gender inequality. This must begin with basic education.[{{Cite book|url=http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0023/002325/232555e.pdf|title=Rethinking Education: Towards a global common good?|publisher=UNESCO|year=2015|isbn=978-92-3-100088-1|pages=44}}]
==See also==
* [International Standard Classification of Education](/source/International_Standard_Classification_of_Education)
* [K–12](/source/K%E2%80%9312)
* [Educational stage](/source/Educational_stage)
* [Primary education](/source/Primary_education)
* [Secondary education](/source/Secondary_education)
== Sources ==
{{Free-content attribution
| title = Rethinking Education: Towards a global common good?
| author =
| publisher = UNESCO
| page numbers = 44
| source = UNESCO
| documentURL = http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0023/002325/232555e.pdf
| license statement URL = http://www.unesco.org/ulis/cgi-bin/ulis.pl?catno=232555&set=00581C72C5_2_460&gp=1&lin=1&ll=1
| license = CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0
}}
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
* [http://www.unicef.org/girlseducation/index.php Unicef] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100718044309/http://www.unicef.org/girlseducation/index.php |date=2010-07-18 }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100422123513/http://www.teachersfirst.nl/ Teachers First]
* [http://www.unesco.org UNESCO]
Category:Secondary education
Category:Primary education
Category:Early childhood education
Category:Educational stages
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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Basic education](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_education) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_education?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.