Global school exclusions reach 273 million as progress stalls, UNESCO warns

The global education system is facing new pressures, with the number of children and young people out of school rising to 273 million, according to the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

These worrying figures were revealed in UNESCO’s 2026 Global Education Monitoring Report released on Wednesday, which revealed that school exclusion has now increased for seven consecutive years, reversing years of gradual improvement.

The report paints a disturbing picture of access to education worldwide, noting that one in every six school-aged children is currently unable to attend school, while only two-thirds have successfully completed secondary education.

UNESCO attributes this worsening trend to a combination of persistent conflict, rapid population growth and systemic challenges that continue to undermine access to learning, particularly in vulnerable regions.

“Progress in keeping children in school has slowed in almost every region,” the report notes, with Sub-Saharan Africa bearing the brunt of the crisis.

The situation is even more severe in conflict-affected regions, where the number of out-of-school children is believed to be much higher than official estimates, further complicating global efforts to bridge the education gap.

Despite the gloomy outlook, the organization is showing significant progress recorded over the past two decades. This report highlights the steady increase in global school enrollment since 2000, driven by ongoing international efforts to expand access to education.

According to the report, “more than 25 additional children accessing schools every minute” since 2000 reflects the scale of progress achieved, although recent setbacks threaten to erode that progress.

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UNESCO also acknowledged that some countries have made extraordinary progress in reducing exclusion and expanding access at all levels of education, indicating that targeted reforms can produce results.

However, the report cautions against universal solutions, and emphasizes that the complexity of the crisis requires flexible, country-specific strategies supported by consistent funding.

The report urges governments and stakeholders to adopt a tailored approach and increase investment to ensure that every child, regardless of location or circumstances, has access to quality education.