More children than ever in need of educational support

Bangladesh is affected by climate change, economic instability and a refugee crisis and less than half of children finish primary school with basic skills.

• According to a new study the number of crisis-affected children and adolescents who need education support is estimated at 222 million. This is much higher than a previous estimate of 75 million from 2016 and indicates an alarming trend.

• In crisis-affected countries, just one in ten children attending primary or secondary education achieve reading and maths proficiency. 

• Education Cannot Wait will prioritise efforts to improve access to education and learning outcomes for children affected by crisis as part of its new strategy.

According to a new Education Cannot Wait (ECW) study, the number of crisis-affected children and adolescents who need education support is estimated at 222 million. This is much higher than a previous estimate of 75 million from 2016 and indicates an alarming trend.

Innovative methodology 

Until now, there has been no consistent, harmonised methodology among education in emergencies and protracted crises (EiEPC) partners to count crisis-affected children in need of education support. This resulted in millions of crisis-affected children being ‘invisible’ in global education data. 

The groundbreak study led by ECW and the INEE reference group on EiE Data, marks the first attempt to agree on global figures. The new comprehensive methodology sets a consistent process for data collection – leveraging high-quality existing datasets and approaches that will show comparable trends over time to accurately capture the magnitude of the global education crisis and support evidence-based policymaking.

Shining a light on learning

Of the 222 million crisis-affected children and adolescents in need of urgent education support, the study indicates that as many as 78.2 million are out of school. An overriding priority in emergencies is of course ensuring that children whose education has been disrupted by a humanitarian crisis return to school. But access to education is only half of the challenge.

The study reveals that close to 120 million are in school in crisis-affected countries, but not achieving minimum proficiency in math or reading.

The final group of children are those with access to education, which is sufficient to support their learning, but who still require support because they are affected by crises.

This new way of understanding the needs of children impacted by humanitarian crises shines a much needed light on learning. 

Just 1 in 10 children in crisis contexts learn how to read

In the world’s poorest and most fragile countries, as many as 90 percent of school aged children aren’t learning the basics such as how to read. Some are out of school and others have access to school, but it doesn’t deliver learning outcomes.

Such extreme levels of illiteracy are an early warning sign that all global educational goals and other related sustainable development goals are in jeopardy. 

ECW to prioritise support for access and learning

“Having pioneered this new way of understanding the state of access to school and learning in school  for children impacted by emergencies, Education Cannot Wait is committed to ensuring that crisis affected children receive an education that supports them acquire holistic learning outcomes, including foundational literacy and numeracy skills,” said Graham Lang, the Chief of Education at Education Cannot Wait.

“Getting children into quality education so they can acquire foundational skills will offer a better chance to break cycles of conflict and contribute towards establishing peace and restoring communities.” 

Behind these numbers, millions of vulnerable girls and boys around the world await our collective action. From inside makeshift refugee settlements, damaged walls of classrooms and communities torn apart by war and disaster, these children are desperately holding on to the hope that education will allow them to realise their dreams of becoming a doctor, an engineer, a scientist, a teacher. 

Each of them has an inherent right to equitable, inclusive, quality education. We must act now to ensure that the dreams of these 222 million girls and boys are realised. The need has never been greater, nor more urgent. 

For more information: Global Estimates: Number of Crisis-Affected Children and Adolescents in Need of Education Support

Find out more about IPNEd’s work on the ECW replenishment here.