World finance officials announced an education initiative early this week that would help ensure access to primary schooling for all children by 2015.

Finance and economic ministers attending the weekend's spring meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington said they had endorsed an action plan put forward by the Bank and advocacy groups.

"We strongly endorsed the action plan presented by the Bank as a basis for reaching international consensus to help make primary education a reality for all children by 2015," the Bank's ministerial Development Committee said in a communique.

"This is a very important first step in reducing the more than 120 million girls and boys who are not in school around the world," said Jozef Ritzen, the World Bank's vice president for human development.

Similar announcements were made two years ago at the World Education Forum in Dakar, Senegal. There, 180 governments, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) and the Bank committed to deliver education to all by 2015.

Since then, NGOs said, governments and international organisations have dragged their feet and failed to agree on how the international community should coordinate its efforts.

The new plan calls for a pilot project in which rich countries would channel funds to 10 developing countries to see what specific efforts prove most effective in raising school enrolment.

"This is the first really credible attempt to tackle the global education crisis," said Phil Twyford of Oxfam. The British advocacy group is part of the Global Campaign for Education, a coalition of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and teachers' unions from more than 150 countries.

"What is urgently needed now is the money to make it work, " said Twyford.

Green light

World Bank President James Wolfensohn told reporters the Development Committee  comprised of ministers from the 24 countries that make up the lender's executive board  backed the plan unanimously but made no specific financial pledges.

"We were not looking for any particular sum. We were looking for a green light and we got it very vigorously from everybody. It's up to us to work now with the 10 countries to work on the fast track. We didn't go around the table calling cards," said Wolfensohn.

Worldwide, one child in five is out of school, according to the Bank. Millions drop out of school before learning to read, write, or do simple sums. About one adult in six is illiterate.

The goal of providing universal primary schooling by 2015 will be beyond the grasp of 88 countries, the Bank said. Likewise, few will succeed in ensuring that equal proportions of boys and girls  who make up two-thirds of out-of-school youths  are enrolled by 2005.

The proposed price tag for achieving education for all in 47 poor countries analysed by the Bank suggests that average yearly education spending for these countries would need to increase from 7.4 billion dollars this year to 16.4 billion dollars by 2015.

Even in countries with slightly better education systems, many children are being taught in hugely overcrowded classes, or have been enrolled but sent home pending construction of new classrooms.

The Bank said the plan would be discussed further in September, during the lending institution's annual meeting.

Canadian Finance Minister Paul Martin said it also would be taken up in June when the Group of Seven (G7) industrial powers plus Russia meet in his country. (IPS)