Oxfam is at the centre of a major international row after pulling out of a top conference on tackling the world's education crisis, writes Zahra Borno.

The Oxford relief charity says it will not attend the event, organised by Unesco, the economic branch of the UN, because they believe it will not tackle the problem head on.

The conference, due to take place in two months' time in Senegal, will look at the problem of poor education in the Third World.

But Oxfam, says the conference agenda offers nothing to the world's poorest children, 125 million of whom do not go to school. They say it will fail to have even a limited impact on the problem and are calling for governments to invest more money in world education.

The charity wants western governments to stump up nearly £3bn to go towards better schooling in developing countries.

They are also calling on Third World governments to invest more money in education and less in arms.

Oxfam spokesman Matt Grainger said: "We believe the impact of the conference will be completely inadequate in addressing the problem if it goes ahead as planned.

"How much potential must be wasted before people recognise that there is a crisis going on?" But Unesco representatives say the problem will not be solved by developed countries throwing money at it.

Conference organiser Dieter Berstecher, said: "The remedies are not cash payments from the north but more commitment from governments in the south."

The conference marks the tenth anniversary of a UN pledge to provide basic education for all.

But analysts say that in many countries education enrolment rates have got worse, rather than improved since 1990.

Story date: Saturday 12 February

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