One million people tell global leaders education is key to better world

What do you think would make the world a better place? That’s the question almost 1.5million people across the globe have answered – and top of their list is a good education.

Quality schooling has racked up the magic one million votes in the MyWorld2015 survey, putting it ahead of better health care and job opportunities.

For girls under the age of 16, it is even more important – 77% of them voted for it as a key factor in a better world.

MyWorld2015 is a global survey led by the United Nations and partners, in which global citizens can share their views with the world’s leaders and help to set the development agenda.

The questionnaire asks people to choose their six most important issues from a list of 16, which cover the Millennium Development Goals plus questions of sustainability, security, governance and transparency.

 

As of February 6, 1,464,901 people in 194 countries and regions had taken part in the vote, which began in late 2012 and ends next year.

Of those, 1,020,150 voted for a good education, 834,512 for better health care and 774,390 for better job opportunities. An honest and responsive government and affordable and nutritious food currently rank fourth and fifth in the list.

Results from the survey are already being used in key meetings and will feature in the UN Secretary-General’s High Level Panel on post-2015 debate.

The survey can be accessed online, via mobile phone SMS and Interactive Voice Response or in paper form through ballots distributed by a network of grassroots organisations, faith groups and other bodies around the world.

Go to the MySpace 2015 website to take part in the survey.