Despite enormous technological advances, humanity continues to grapple with three enormous burdens: poverty, disease and terrorism — be it individually or state sponsored.

Although the policies aimed at solving those problems are different, there is one approach that can help lower the negative effect of all three: education. There is a clear connection between poverty and a lack of education.

Although overall access to education has risen markedly over the past decade, poor children are still less likely to attend school or be enrolled in school and are more likely to repeat grades than those who come from more prosperous families. It is harder for children from poor families to have easy access to schools, because schools tend to be concentrated in urban areas where only better-off families live.