Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
The "Breaking Barriers: Understanding Educational Exclusion in Crises" report by Education Cannot Wait (ECW), the UN global fund for education in crises, reveals a growing education emergency affecting vulnerable communities worldwide. According to the report, 93 million children are out of school, with many others enrolled but unable to progress in their learning due to adverse conditions that increase dropout risk. Presence in a classroom no longer assures effective education for many children.
The report finds that educational needs are increasingly concentrated in the most severe crisis contexts. Of 182 million crisis-affected children in the 20 highest-severity crisis zones, 74 million are out of school, accounting for nearly 80% of all out-of-school children identified in the study. Exclusion extends beyond access, with many children falling behind in foundational skills and rarely recovering. In several contexts, fewer than 10% of children demonstrate basic reading proficiency in early grades, with widening learning gaps creating barriers to continued schooling.
Children displaced from their homes face significant educational challenges, including lower promotion rates, slower progress, and a higher likelihood of being over-age for their grade. Girls, refugees, and children living with disabilities face disproportionately high obstacles to continuing education. Conflict exacerbates and prolongs learning setbacks, with reading proficiency by Grade 6 estimated at 30% in conflict-affected countries, compared to 47% in countries with primarily socioeconomic crises, and 63% in areas mainly affected by natural disasters.
Despite these challenges, families show resilience by prioritizing education. Financial constraints and conflict-related school closures account for nearly 80% of school withdrawal cases, indicating that children leave school due to circumstances beyond their control rather than a lack of value placed on education. ECW states that supporting education in crises is crucial for safeguarding long-term investments in education and economic opportunity.