STRASBOURG, Oct 13 (Reuter) - The European Parliament called

on Friday for better coordination between aid from the EU and

the member states to improve education and training in

developing countries.

The parliament adopted a resolution drafted by German

conservative Maren Guenter on behalf of the development

committee which urges aid donors to concentrate their efforts on

providing five years of primary education for all children.

Too large a percentage of education aid provided by the

member states is dedicated to offering higher education grants

to a small number of students from developing countries, Guenter

told Reuters.

Parliament now wants to see more funding channelled into

providing access to "adequate basic education" and basic skills

in areas such as reproductive health, nutrition, the

environment, crafts and farming for "all children, without

distinction as to sex or origin".

Additional efforts are needed, MEPs say, to compensate for

past neglect of education for women.

MEPs want to see laws making schooling compulsory to help

put a stop to child labour.

Recognising this could put an extra economic strain on

extremely poor families, the parliament suggested scholarships

or other compensatory benefits could help promote schooling.

Speaking in the debate before the vote, British Socialist

Clive Needle pointed out there was an illiteracy rate of 50

percent in the poorest countries. Under these circumstances, he

felt the recent announcements of cuts in aid were deplorable,

especially cuts in British aid.

Parliament's resolution was adopted in response to a

communication from the European Commission on better

coordination on education aid between the EU and the member

states.

Commissioner Emma Bonino welcomed the resolution, pointing

out that around 800 million children and adults in developing

countries had received no education whatsoever.

She agreed priority should be given to basic education and

skills and to teacher training.

Guenter told Reuters it was very difficult to get teachers

to stay in remote areas of developing countries, especially as

they were so poorly paid.

She said these teachers ought to be allowed time to carry

out other activities, such as farming, to supplement their

income, though she acknowledged this was really only a

minimally-acceptable compromise solution.

"Some teaching is better than no teaching at all," she

argued.