Introduction

Strong ties between urban and rural groups are key to a state’s prosperity. Especially when children do not have the proper infrastructure or guidance in school, they start to struggle. Thus, UN-Habitat must ensure that students in both rural and urban regions globally have equal access to educational resources. Also, it is key to explore gaps in infrastructure and service delivery between urban and rural areas. Public service access in rural areas must increase so rural families can develop better.

Educational Disparities in Cambodia

Education access in rural areas has been rising, but not at the same pace as the rise in cities. This creates a large gap between the progress of rural and urban citizens. In Cambodia, there is a gap between urban and rural educational success. A 2025 study found that young students who work in waged labor have lower mathematics and reading scores. This is partly due to rural parents choosing to have their children work to support the family rather than going to school, especially when schools are difficult to access. However, the Rural Schools Program has helped construct and promote over 550 primary and secondary schools in rural Cambodian villages in partnership with the Cambodian Ministry of Education. This project strengthens linkages between rural areas and broader national education systems. It brings curriculum, trained teachers, and digital connectivity to places that were previously isolated. Instead of forcing rural students or families to migrate to towns or cities for schooling, the program builds capacity locally and links rural communities into national networks.

Policy responses must address not only school access but also the wider rural-urban economic conditions that shape education outcomes. Many rural families rely on children’s labor due to unstable incomes and limited local jobs, making schooling harder to prioritize and reducing its perceived short-term value. Poverty disproportionately affects rural households, where access to markets, services, and formal employment remains limited, placing rural students at a persistent disadvantage compared to urban peers.

Strengthening rural-urban linkages can help close this gap. Better connections to urban labor markets, social protection systems, and educational services can reduce reliance on child labor and increase the return to education. Connecting rural families to city supply chains, improving transportation to schools, and expanding job training and after-school programs that link rural students with urban institutions can help create fairer education opportunities and support long-term development.

Challenges facing students are not only about a lack of school supplies but also about differences in daily life between rural and urban areas. This includes access to food, water, and basic services. These conditions affect how well students can attend and succeed in school. Digital learning, mobile teachers, and school exchanges can help reduce these gaps by strengthening urban-rural links. Delegates should consider their own country’s urban and rural conditions when creating education policies.

Infrastructure and Service Delivery Gaps in Urban and Rural Areas

Many rural areas lack good roads, steady power, clean water, and internet access. This cuts them off from jobs, schools, and public programs. UN-Habitat notes that roads, power, and services are key not only for access but also for creating functional urban-rural linkages. Linkages allow the flow of goods, services, information, and people between urban and rural areas.

In India, a 2025 study found that rural communities without accessible roads face higher travel costs. This makes it harder to reach the markets. As a result, rural producers struggle to benefit from nearby city markets. Without reliable power, goods also cannot be stored or processed locally. Stronger urban-rural linkages could allow rural producers to access urban markets, information, and services more effectively. Linkages could improve communications and market information systems that allow producers to understand demand, prices, and where their produce is needed most. Both improved transport and communication can reduce costs, shorten travel times, and lower post-harvest losses, all of which strengthen rural producers’ connections to urban markets.

Nigeria shows a different problem when cities grow too fast. A 2025 study on Lagos reported that city expansion has grown faster than the infrastructure. Many low-income households now live in outer city areas without reliable roads, electricity, or public services. World Bank data show that power access remains much lower in rural Nigeria than in cities, limiting income, access to services, and local jobs, and restricting how households and small businesses use electricity for work. These peri-urban zones often grow faster than local governments can extend roads, power lines, or public services. In contrast, small and intermediate urban centers in Africa (as well as in the Caribbean and Southeast Asia) are especially important bridges between rural and urban economies, connecting rural producers to markets and services. Lagos demonstrates that rapid urban growth can strain infrastructure and weaken connections to surrounding rural areas. However, intermediate urban centers can serve as critical hubs that link rural producers to markets, services, and information. Investing in these centers can strengthen urban-rural linkages and reduce inequalities.

Conclusion

Spatial inequality affects many parts of daily life, especially education. In rural areas, poor roads, unreliable electricity, and limited public services make it harder for students to learn. Without transportation, stable power, or clean water, education suffers, and families continue to struggle to meet basic needs. This issue is not caused by one missing resource but by several systems failing at the same time. Education, transportation, and infrastructure are closely connected, and progress in one area can support the others. Delegates should focus on long-term solutions that strengthen these systems together rather than short-term fixes.

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