ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses an issue of lack of school participation and achievement of students from low-income countries. Evidence from small-scale research projects as well as international comparison studies is consistent in showing that young people from low-income countries do not participate in schooling to nearly the same level as their counterparts from higher-income countries; and when they do, they do not achieve the same quality learning. Arguably, the Millennium Development Goals adopted by several countries in 2000 have raised the awareness of the global community to work together towards achievement of eight identified goals including universal primary education. The writing of the chapter coincides with the end of the period that the project has set towards achieving its goals. Several monitoring reports demonstrated that some headway has been achieved to assist low-income country on some of these goals. However, it is clear that their achievement remains a distant, yet compelling vision.
