UNESCO Reports 273 Million Out-of-School Children Globally

According to the UNESCO Global Education Monitor Report released on Wednesday, the number of out-of-school children and young people worldwide has reached 273 million, marking the seventh consecutive year of increase. The report indicates that two-thirds of school-aged children are excluded from education, with significant challenges in completing secondary school.

Factors such as ongoing conflicts and population growth have been identified as major drivers hindering progress in keeping children in school, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, which is notably affected by conflict zones. Despite these setbacks, UNESCO emphasizes that there have been significant gains over the past two decades, with global enrollment sharply rising and an additional child gaining access to school every minute since 2000.

However, the report cautions that no single policy can effectively tackle educational exclusion and urges tailored approaches and sustained investment to ensure children can learn.