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Global Crisis in Education: An Urgent Call for Support

On this year’s International Day of Education, the alarming findings from the latest Global Estimates Report released by Education Cannot Wait (ECW) shed light on a dire situation faced by a significant number of children worldwide. The report reveals that the number of school-aged children who are impacted by crises—including conflict, climate events, and displacement—has surged, reaching a staggering 234 million by the end of 2024, marking an increase of 35 million in just three years.

Out of these affected children and adolescents, approximately 85 million, or 37%, are completely out of school, with significant disparities among different groups. Notably, over half of these out-of-school children are girls, highlighting the urgent need for gender-sensitive solutions. The report identifies that 17% of these children are refugees or internally displaced, while more than 20% have disabilities, indicating a complex intersection of vulnerabilities.

The Growing Challenges

Recent years have seen conflicts intensifying globally, with about 50 countries grappling with severe levels of conflict in 2024 alone. This escalation is exacerbated by extreme weather conditions linked to climate change, which further threatens educational continuity for vulnerable populations. As many as 52% of the out-of-school children are girls, whose right to quality education is gravely jeopardized.

In the face of these growing needs, humanitarian aid for education has stagnated, creating a funding gap of roughly $100 billion annually that is needed to meet the education targets outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Executive Director of Education Cannot Wait, Yasmine Sherif, underscores the critical situation, stating that this funding is vital for providing children with quality learning opportunities.

Special Focus on Crisis Zones

The report highlights five protracted crises—Sudan, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Pakistan—that account for nearly half of the out-of-school children. Each of these situations presents unique challenges that contribute to educational barriers, such as armed conflict or economic instability. Additionally, the effects of climate change are making education increasingly inaccessible, with areas like the Sahel and Eastern Africa facing severe flooding and droughts that disrupt schooling.

While urgent calls for action emphasize the importance of addressing these myriad challenges, the current statistics paint a grim picture: only 17% of crisis-affected primary school-aged children are achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of their primary education. Notably, girls, despite outperforming boys in school, remain disproportionately affected by the barriers to education.

Moving Forward: A Collective Responsibility

To tackle these issues, Education Cannot Wait and its strategic partners are advocating for an immediate increase in education funding—requesting $600 million to ensure that crisis-affected children gain access to safe and quality education by 2026. This call to action emphasizes the urgent need for public and private sector donors to invest in educational opportunities that will allow these children not only to learn but to thrive.

The report unmistakably highlights a silent global emergency, where children’s health, futures, and fundamental rights are at stake. It is a collective responsibility to heed this distress call and mobilize resources to create an environment where every child, regardless of their circumstances, has the right to quality education. This investment, as articulated in the report, is not just an obligation—it is a transformative opportunity to foster a generation of informed, capable individuals who can become agents of change in their communities and beyond.