The world is facing an unprecedented education crisis. Education Cannot Wait (ECW) estimates that 224 million school-aged children globally are affected by crises. Of these, 72 million are entirely out of school, and another 127 million lack essential skills in reading or mathematics.

It’s a crisis that goes beyond access to education. Making sure that children are learning well is critical to creating a more equitable future.

We must shift our focus to learning outcomes to address learning poverty

In emergency contexts — conflict, displacement, or natural disaster — children experience significant disruptions to their education. This contributes to existing 'learning poverty', where children can’t read or perform basic math by age 10. Recognizing this, the education in emergencies sector is shifting its focus towards prioritizing not just access to education, but the quality and effectiveness of learning for some of the most marginalized learners in the world. 

Digital personal learning platforms are a promising tool to enhance foundational skills

They’re already a proven intervention in stable settings but War Child Alliance’s ‘Can’t Wait to Learn’ focuses on children whose learning is disrupted by conflict. Over the last 10 years, ‘Can’t Wait to Learn’ has focused on improving foundational reading and numeracy of children in conflict. It’s been proven to improve learning outcomes in conflict-affected contexts such as Sudan, Lebanon, Uganda, and Jordan, with a large piece of research on its impact currently underway in Ukraine. Through ‘Can’t Wait to Learn’, children continue their education using interactive, game-based learning tailored to local curricula and languages, so it offers a new opportunity to support children’s learning at scale.

Better learning offers a strong return on investment — and cost-effective solutions already exist

Evidence shows that improving foundational skills, particularly in early grades, has a multiplier effect on children’s education and economic opportunities. Programs like ‘Can’t Wait to Learn’ deliver significant learning gains at a relatively low cost by leveraging technology, working in partnership with local organizations, and building on local resources.

Addressing the learning crisis needs urgent collective action

The challenge is clear: millions of children are being left behind, unable to gain the most foundational skills they need to succeed in life. Donors, governments, and education partners ought to prioritize programs and innovations that focus on measurable learning outcomes, with clear evidence of cost-effectiveness. The education in emergencies sector can direct resources toward proven interventions to make sure that every dollar invested leads to real progress.

Because making sure children learn well is not only a moral imperative — it’s a smart investment in the future of communities and societies.

In emergencies, where every resource counts, we cannot afford to focus on access alone. It’s time to prioritize learning.

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Luke Stannard
2024 Yidan Prize for Education Development Laureate; Program Director — Can’t Wait to Learn, War Child Alliance

Kate Radford
Founding Program Director — Can’t Wait to Learn, War Child Alliance

Photo credit: Irene Galera