POVERTY remains one of the barriers, with children from the poorest households almost five times more likely to be out of primary school than those from the richest, says the UN Children’s Emergency Fund.
Children with disabilities and from ethnic minorities are also more likely to be left behind.
For girls in some parts of the world, education opportunities can be especially limited.
Children from rural areas are more than twice as likely to be out of primary school than their urban peers.
Without skills for lifelong learning, children face greater barriers to earning potential and employment later in life. They are more likely to suffer adverse health outcomes and less likely to participate in the decisions that affect them, threatening their ability to build a better future for themselves and their communities.
What’s more, 11% of primary-school-aged children and 20% of lower-secondary-aged children are not in school. The latest World Bank research shows that the productivity of 56% of the world’s children will be less than half of what it could be if they enjoyed complete education and full health.
The WorldBank lists the following steps to be taken to try to alleviate the learning crisis
- Technology:
- We need good teachers:
- Education reform:
Our schools need to be safe and affordable for everyone and places where children and young people learn with joy, rigour and purpose. To realise this promise of education for all, governments, teachers, parents, and the international community must work together.