The majority of societies recognize the need for education their children, but cultural imperatives and economics often define who receives formal schooling. In some countries, only boys are taught to read and write. Home schooling for wealthy children is part of some cultures, and others provide public education systems so all children have the opportunity to attend school. As the information age progresses, more and more countries have recognized the need to educate as many of their children as possible.

It is easy for people to make the assumption that education is not important in smaller or poorer countries, but this is untrue. Larger countries tend to be watched more closely because they have the ability to sway the international community, and their education policies are part of the news. While not all small countries have excellent educational opportunities, some of them have begun to concentrate on the education of their future citizens.