UNESCO: 251 Million Children and Adolescents Worldwide Are Deprived of Schooling

The report highlights that in countries like Afghanistan and Nigeria, six out of every ten children and adolescents are unable to attend school.

According to UNESCO’s data, of the total number of children and adolescents globally deprived of schooling, 129 million are boys and 122 million are girls. This report, which focuses on the importance of leadership in the education sector, notes the slow progress in educational access over the past decade.

UNESCO indicated that since 2015, the number of children and adolescents lacking access to education has decreased by only one percent.

The report also points to a worrying gap between wealthy and poor countries regarding access to education, revealing that in low-income countries, 33% of children and adolescents are deprived of schooling, whereas this figure is only 3% in high-income countries.

UNESCO identified sub-Saharan Africa as facing the greatest challenge in this regard, where half of the world’s children without education live.

The organization pointed out the decline in educational investments as one of the primary barriers to improving global education, describing the disparity in educational funding between rich and poor countries as concerning.

According to the report, in high-income countries, an average of $8,543 is invested per student, while in low-income countries, this figure is just a $55. This gap, especially in countries burdened by debt, has created additional challenges.

Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, emphasized that “education is one of the fundamental pillars for sustainable, equal, and peaceful societies.” She warned that if decisive and effective actions are not taken to create equal educational opportunities for all children worldwide, quality education may become a privilege for a limited few.

UNESCO has urged countries to use innovative financial mechanisms to help improve access to education worldwide.