250 Million Children Worldwide Out of School: Urgent Action Needed

The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) highlights a critical education crisis, with 250 million children worldwide currently out of school, reliefweb reported yesterday.

CEO Laura Frigenti, speaking at the OPEC Fund Development Forum, emphasized that progress towards the Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education) is faltering, worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has kept schools closed for extended periods. Alarmingly, many children, especially girls, are not returning to classrooms.

Frigenti noted that in low-income countries, seven out of ten children who complete grade four cannot read or write a simple sentence. With school-age populations in some African countries expected to double by 2050, urgent action is needed.

GPE advocates for inclusive education, emphasizing community engagement to highlight the importance of schooling for all children. Partnerships are deemed essential for addressing these challenges, as collaborative efforts can leverage diverse skills and resources to create lasting change in education.