Education is a major pillar of contemporary society. Educating children provides them with stability, purpose, and financial security at an individual level and bolsters economic growth at a societal level (Hanushek and Kimko 2000; Jamison et al. 2007). Nonetheless, in the developing world, more than 200 million children under 5 years of age live in poverty, with poor nutrition, limited access to healthcare, and either inadequate or no education (Engle et al. 2007). Universal education provides a key pathway towards societal equality. UNICEF Canada suggests that education is ‘a powerful tool for breaking the cycle of poverty; supporting child survival, growth, development and well-being; and closing the gap in social inequality’ (Unicef Canada 2016).