UNHCR Warns Millions of Refugee Children Still Out of School

UNHCR Warns Millions of Refugee Children Still Out of School
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The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has warned that nearly half of the world’s refugee children and youth remain excluded from education, raising concern that funding cuts are jeopardizing fragile progress. In its 10th annual education report released Tuesday (September 9, 2025), UNHCR estimated that 12.4 million refugees are of school age, with about 5.7 million denied the chance to attend school.

The agency said host countries’ education systems are increasingly overstretched as refugee numbers continue to rise, widening the gap in access to learning compared with children from low-income or conflict-affected communities.

Barriers include legal restrictions, unfamiliar curricula, language difficulties, lack of recognition of prior studies, and financial hardship. The report noted modest gains such as higher enrollment of refugee girls in primary schools and initial steps toward gender parity in secondary education, but warned that equitable access remains distant.

High Commissioner Filippo Grandi stressed that education is vital for sustainable refugee responses, calling it a foundation for protection and self-reliance. The report also highlighted a lack of reliable data on learning outcomes for displaced children, urging evidence-based approaches to improve results and ensure refugees can contribute to more resilient societies.