(c) Brookings

Countries around the world have increased access to schooling in the past few decades; however, that progress has not led to universal access to high-quality and future-ready education. The world today faces a global learning crisis, with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals for education far from reach. Though many of the world’s children are in school today, 263 million children remain without access. For the children and young people that are in school, they are often not learning. Poor-quality schooling is an issue in all countries but is most pronounced in developing countries and for the most marginalized children. For example, a shocking 86 percent of primary school students in low-income countries are not proficient in mathematics. Education, even in high-income countries, is not succeeding in embedding the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that societies and economies demand. What is more, the current pace of change is far too slow. In many countries, it will take approximately 100 years for those furthest behind to catch up to the learning levels of today’s highest achievers.

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