The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) reported on Monday that excluding children from school could cost the world around $10 trillion annually by 2030 unless decisive actions are taken by countries to address this issue.
The UNESCO report highlights the economic costs and social consequences of a lack of education, underlining the importance of education as a strategic investment for individuals, economies, and societies.
The report calls on UNESCO member states to work towards making the right to education a reality for everyone as soon as possible.
According to UNESCO, there are currently about 128 million boys and 122 million girls out of school globally, and about 57% of children worldwide have not acquired basic skills.
The report also noted that the highest costs associated with the lack of education relative to GDP are likely to be found in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The report points out that 250 million children are currently out of school, with projections indicating that this number could rise to 280 million by 2030 without any interventions.
The report stresses that education is the key to individual, societal, and economic development, and excluding children from education poses a serious threat to the future.
