“Even before the pandemic, millions of children were already behind in their learning, whether they attended school or not. We now have a deepening learning crisis on our hands. We need to make up for more than 2 trillion hours of lost learning and need local expertise and global commitments to prioritize education to fix the problem.

UNICEF’s latest report suggests that across 32 low and middle-income countries, most children leave primary school lacking essential literacy and numeracy skills. Learning inequities hit the poorest and most vulnerable communities the hardest. Only around a third of all students in third grade (eight and nine-year-olds) can grasp simple texts, while fewer than one in five has mastered basic numeracy,” says Edward Ma, our Secretary-General.

As the world emerges from the pandemic, it’s more important than ever to prioritize education and transform today’s systems. In this article for World Economic Forum, Edward Ma shares how the impactful work of our laureates is not only ensuring children are in school, but that they are learning well. From creating a supportive classroom culture to meeting learners where they are, our laureates are working with local communities, government bodies, and civil societies to get every child’s learning back on track.

Read the full article here.

Photo credit: Pratham Education Foundation