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As the new school year begins in many parts of the world, new UNESCO data shows that 244 million children and youth between the ages of 6 and 18 worldwide are still out of school. Audrey Azoulay, Director-General, UNESCO, calls for collective mobilization to ensure that the right of every child to access quality education is respected.
 
The new estimates show that sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) remains the region with the most children and youth out of school, with a total of 98 million children. Nigeria accounts for more than 20 percent of the total figure, having 20.2 million children and youth out of school; Ethiopia has 10.5 million, the Democratic Republic of Congo (5.9 million), and Kenya (1.8 million).

SSA is also the only region where this number is increasing: out-of-school rates are falling more slowly than the rate at which the school-age population is growing. The region with the second highest out-of-school population is Central and Southern Asia, with 85 million.
 
“In view of these results, the objective of quality education for all by 2030, set by the United Nations, risks not being achieved,” said Azoulay.
 
UNESCO said its new estimates confirm that the difference in the rate of girls and boys out of school has closed worldwide. However, regional disparities persist.