29% of African children are denied the opportunity to get an education
In a disturbing revelation, the latest report by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, has revealed that 29 percent of school-age children in Africa are still denied the opportunity to get an education.
This "horrifying" figure points to a serious problem in this continent, as the number of children who were out of school in sub-Saharan Africa increased by 12 million between 2015 and 2021 . The report, released jointly by UNESCO and UNICEF on the International Day of Education, further reveals a worrying fact: 90 percent of children in the sub-Saharan region cannot read and understand basic text by the age of 10 . The institutions of UNICEF and UNESCO have promised to cooperate with African governments, to defend access to quality education for every child. The joint statement of the two United Nations organizations commends African governments for their leadership in discussing solutions for inclusive and equitable education during the Conference on Educational Transformation. An African child struggling to study despite the challenges Despite the great strides made in recent decades, ongoing challenges threaten the achievement of the 4th Sustainable Development Goal regarding education outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The statement calls on governments and partners to prioritize education in the political agenda, emphasizing the need for fair national public funding . The new information has led to emphasis on the importance of continuous efforts to address the education crisis in Africa, to ensure that the young people of this continent have the tools for a better life in the future .
