UNESCO Report: Over 272 Million Children and Youth Out of School Worldwide

UNESCO Report: Over 272 Million Children and Youth Out of School Worldwide

 New Delhi, June 15
A new report by UNESCO's Global Education Monitoring (GEM) team reveals that more than 272 million children and youth across the world are currently out of school — a rise of over 21 million compared to previous estimates.

According to the report, this global increase is due to updated enrolment data and revised population estimates. The GEM team also warns that by 2025, many countries will miss their education targets by 75 million students.

Key Out-of-School Figures:

• Primary school-age children (approx. ages 6–11): 78 million (11%)
• Lower secondary school-age adolescents (ages 12–14): 64 million (15%)
• Upper secondary school-age youth (ages 15–17): 130 million (31%)

Why the Numbers Are Rising:

The report outlines two main factors behind the updated figures:

1. New data on school enrolment and attendance added 8 million to the out-of-school count.
   • The ban on girls' secondary education in Afghanistan in 2021 significantly contributed.
2. Revised UN population estimates increased the projected school-age population for 2025 by 49 million (a 3.1% rise), accounting for 13 million more out-of-school children.

Data Challenges:

The report stresses that conflicts and crises distort education data, often leading to undercounting. For instance:

• When enrolment data is based on administrative records and not updated, all population growth is counted as out-of-school.
• When survey data is used, growth is shared between in-school and out-of-school groups.

The GEM model, which integrates administrative, survey, and census data, aims to produce consistent global trends. However, these figures may differ from countries’ official data, which are often based on a single source for a single year.

2025 and 2030 Targets at Risk:

• If countries achieve their SDG 4 education targets, the out-of-school number could fall by 165 million by 2030.
• But the report warns that by 2025, nations will likely fall short:
  • 4 percentage points behind for primary and lower secondary levels.
  • 6 percentage points behind for upper secondary level.
  • Resulting in 75 million more children out of school than planned.

Impact of Conflict and Crises:

The report underscores how conflicts hinder schooling and data collection:

“The out-of-school model assumes stable educational progression, which breaks down during emergencies. With little data during crises, the real number of out-of-school children is likely underestimated.”