The education of the population significantly determines the social and economic development of each country. We are in a time when education is becoming more accessible, but there are still certain parts of the world where it is not available enough. Many organizations, especially at the global level, warn of the importance of educating children and women and take various measures to improve educational opportunities. The aim of this thesis is to show the feasibility of the UN Millennium Development Goals, especially those related to poverty reduction, realization of the right to primary education and gender equality, and to explore education and its role as a driver of state development, on the example of Benin. The research is focused on the area of Benin, in the period after the establishment of independence, with special emphasis on the transition to the 21st century, when the UN Millennium Development Goals were adopted. Own quantitative research focuses on the village of Hondji, located in the department of Ouémé. Data on the number of enrolled children, the gender structure of students in the mentioned school and the dynamics of the number of students in the period from 2009/2010 until 2019/2020 school year were analysed. Two qualitative open-ended interviews were conducted with two people employed in the Benin education system. Available literature and sources were analysed to present the characteristics of the Benin education system.