The present policy brief sets out three main barriers to achieving universal education in the Arab region, namely closing the education gap between children from wealthy and poor households, between rural and urban areas, and between girls and boys in school attendance, completion, and enrolment rates. It presents best policy practices from Arab countries and globally, which have made significant strides in closing education gaps across these three dimensions. It also offers policy options for Arab Governments using specific country examples from the region to address existing barriers to attaining universal education. Moreover, it illustrates how these policy options can support countries in improving their performance on international developmental and gender equality indices.
