United Nations, June 19.— More than a third of the world’s children will not reach minimum levels of reading proficiency in 2030 unless immediate measures are taken, a joint Unicef report warns today.
According to research led by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), 37 percent of the planet’s children – the equivalent of more than 300 million – could suffer these consequences.
The research carried out jointly with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) calls for urgent measures to promote preschool education.
This, the report acknowledges, prepares children for the necessary formal education, including the development of programs that improve literacy, mathematics and social-emotional skills, essential for strong educational outcomes.
In the authors’ opinion, in the current context it is necessary to enroll 1.4 million children each year until 2030, for which an additional 21 billion dollars per year will be necessary.
At the same time, six million educators and preschool teachers will be needed in that period to reach the goal.
However, in low-income countries, just over half – 57 percent – of preschool teachers have the necessary training.
Education constitutes a fundamental pillar among the 17 goals set by the United Nations for 2030.
The body included inclusive, equitable and quality education as well as promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all as the fourth of the Sustainable Development Goals.
However, the impact of Covid-19 left devastating consequences on the sector, causing learning losses in four out of five countries out of a total of 104 analyzed.
The UN estimates that without additional measures, 84 million children and young people will be out of school ahead of schedule and approximately 300 million students will lack the basic numeracy and literacy skills needed to succeed in life.
