A Global Education Crisis: 273 Million Children Left Behind.

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In an era when education is regarded as a fundamental right, millions of children remain deprived of it. Based on reports released by Human Rights Watch, about 273 million children are estimated to be currently out of school. These are not mere figures; rather, they include millions of individuals whose lives remain unfulfilled due to a lack of opportunities.

It may surprise most people to know that the problem has only been worsening since 2010, based on recent data from UNESCO. It is now the seventh consecutive year that the number of out-of-school children remains rising. At present, there is one child out of every six who lacks educational opportunities, with many children who enter school failing to complete their studies.

However, the causes of the current problem are quite complicated. Firstly, conflicts cause migration and the displacement of whole communities from their homes, resulting in children not attending schools. Secondly, poverty prevents kids from attending secondary school because it cannot be afforded. Thirdly, there is overpopulation that leads to more problems with education.

What makes the problem even more severe is that most of the children do not belong to the youngest age group; they are teenagers, who are supposed to be in secondary school now. The absence of education for them means fewer opportunities to get better jobs. Human Rights Watch reports a number around 194 million. 

Although there have been improvements during recent decades, there is still much to do. According to Human Rights Watch, governments should make more efforts to solve this issue, particularly by providing free education at all levels, not only at the elementary level.

In the end, this is not just an educational concern, but also a global one, which involves questions of equality and development on both national and international levels. In its present form, this trend can only lead to more exclusion for many children, widening the gap between those who have opportunities and those who lack them.

written by Megi Likmeta