Despite the Summit of the Future’s focus on the theme of Youth and Future Generations, there was no mention in the Pact for the Future of the need to address rising numbers of children and youth who are out of school.
These children are among the world’s most vulnerable, often facing intersecting challenges and inequalities from displacement to disability. It is vital that their right to an education is fulfilled to end cycles of poverty, and—all too often—conflict.
To address this gap, Education.org, along with GPE, the International Education Funders Group (IEFG) and the Geneva Global Hub for Education in Emergencies, hosted a ministerial roundtable at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Summit of the Future, in New York, bringing together Ministers from Ethiopia, Liberia, South Sudan and Sierra Leone.
The discussion focused on knowledge exchange to address the shared goal of urgently supporting children and young people who are out of school. The event was held under Chatham House Rules to enable frank conversation so no quotes have been attributed to individuals.
A global crisis, local solutions
Despite significant progress in many countries, 251 million children remain out of school globally and progress is stalling, with numbers increasing in Africa due to the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, rising conflict and climate disaster.
For these children, education is not only a path out of poverty but a chance at a future and as such, it’s important for governments to focus on how to bring children back into school to learn.
During the roundtable, ministers shared the challenges and innovative strategies they are pursuing, from implementing accelerated education programs (AEPs) to developing inclusive learning spaces. Examples include creative polices such as offering flexible pathways to engage the hardest-to-reach young people through nonformal education and, potentially, the use of technology.
These efforts reflect a deeply held commitment across nations to address both access to education and the quality of instruction, with several Ministers highlighting the necessity of scaling these efforts while grappling with resource limitations.
Community engagement: Empowering local change
Ensuring the success of initiatives like AEPs requires strong community involvement. When parents, guardians, and local leaders understand the long-term benefits of education, they become advocates for change.
Ministers in their dialogue emphasized the role of community outreach in breaking down education barriers related to enrolment and attendance, particularly for girls and children in conflict zones. This can include community sensitization around the benefits of AEPs.
Involving families and communities is a crucial step in ensuring that children are not only enrolled but encouraged to stay in school, as supported by evidence in Education.org’s Evidence Synthesis on Accelerated Education Programmes.
This initial evidence synthesis, launched in 2023, highlighted the common features of effective AEP’s that can be enhanced by government actions.
A holistic approach for lasting impact
As countries work toward inclusive education, a holistic approach that elevates social and emotional skills and learning (SEL) as well as targeted supported is necessary to address the diverse needs of children who have faced multiple disruptions in their learning.
This approach goes beyond academic content: it prioritizes safety, emotional support and skills development. Evidence increasingly points to how SEL approaches within AEPs can improve children’s self-esteem and self-efficacy, particularly in girls.