(i) Describe the relationship shown on the graph.

(ii) Suggest two possible reasons for this relationship.

Suggest two reasons why developing regions have made good progress towards meeting the MDG to provide universal primary education.

Explain how progress in education can help regions advance towards meeting one other MDG (other than universal primary education).

Two reasons should be identified and explained for 2+2 marks.

For example:

"Increased government investment in education [1 mark] increases the number of schools so the percentage enrolled in education has risen [1 mark]."

Other reasons could be: more schools being built using international aid money; the work of civil society and governments in increasing the number of girls attending school which will impact on overall numbers; rapid urbanization is making schools more accessible to the children of former rural populations; debt relief allowing governments to spend more money on education.

Award 1 mark for identifying a valid MDG (eradicate poverty and hunger; promote gender equality; reduce child mortality; improve maternal health; combat disease; environmental sustainability; develop a global partnership).

The rest of the response should look at how progress towards increased primary education will help a country/region progress towards meeting that MDG. Award 1 mark for each basic explanation, with additional 1 mark for extension and/or exemplification. Possible 4×1 marks or 2×2 marks.

Possible explanations will be determined by the MDG chosen.

For example:

• MDG reduced child mortality [1 mark].

• As female literacy rates increase through primary education, infant and child mortality rates tend to fall [2 marks].

• Literate women are more knowledgeable about primary health care, for example, Kerala, India [2 marks].

(i) The relationship is negative / the lower the GNI per capita, the higher the share of informal employment [1 mark]; exemplification using countries from the graph [1 mark]. The final [1 mark] should be reserved for reference to data/quantification or an anomaly.

(ii) Award [1 mark] for each possible reason, and [1 mark] for development and/or exemplification.

eg limited formal employment opportunities [1 mark] results in many attempting to make a living through informal employment [1 mark].

Possibilities include:

• limited formal opportunities linked to country’s level of development/GNI
• large agricultural sector, most of which is informal/subsistence
• lack of education and/or capital – lacking skills that would enable formal businesses to be started or attract large formal employers eg TNCs
• most informal economic activities require little capital to set up / so are more prevalent in low income countries
• GNI not recording informal sector US$, so appears lower if higher percentage of economy is informal
• informal sector not being able to generate enough money
• informal sector being labour intensive versus capital intensive.

Accept other valid suggestions.

Some very clear developed reasons here. Sometimes responses tended to be a bit vague though as candidates forgot that they were writing about why enrollment in primary schools has increased and not just a generic reason for progress in the MDGs as a whole.

These answers tended to be excellent if they were linked to a valid, identified, other MDG. Gender empowerment was very popular and answers were often detailed in explaining how education helps in the achievement of this goal. There were the odd responses where it was obvious that the candidates were not familiar with the MDGs. In several situations the answers contained a valid MDG but lacked extension.