Summary
A UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) report reveals that 617 million children and adolescents worldwide are not meeting minimum proficiency levels in reading and mathematics, threatening the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Global Learning Crisis: Millions Unproficient in Reading and Math
Highlights
Widespread Lack of Proficiency
Data from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) indicates a significant global learning crisis, with 617 million children and adolescents failing to achieve minimum proficiency in reading and mathematics. This encompasses over 387 million primary school-aged children (56%) and 230 million lower secondary school-aged adolescents (61%) who are not meeting crucial learning benchmarks.
Threat to Sustainable Development Goals
This widespread lack of proficiency in foundational skills poses a serious threat to the progress towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, emphasizing the urgent need for educational interventions.