The UN’s agency for children reports funding for education will see a 24% decrease from 2023, which will raise the number of out-of-school children to 278 million or the equivalent of emptying every primary school in Germany and Italy combined.
By Kielce Gussie
With drastic global cuts to funding for education, about 6 million more children could be out of school—one-third of them in humanitarian settings—by the end of 2026, according to a new UNICEF analysis.
The Official Development Assistance (ODA) for education is expected to drop by $3.2 billion USD, which is a 24% decrease compared to 2023. With these cuts, the number of children out of school around the world will rise from 272 million to 278 million or the equivalent of emptying every primary school in Germany and Italy combined.
UNICEF Executive Director, Catherine Russell stressed that “every dollar cut from education isn’t just a budget decision – it puts a child’s future at risk.” She argued education, especially in emergencies, can be a lifeline for children. Schools connect them to services like healthcare, protection, and food. “It also gives children the best chance to escape poverty and build a better life.”
Countries most at risk
The UNICEF analysis revealed West and Central Africa will be hit hardest by funding cuts as almost 2 million children are at risk of losing access to education. The Middle East and North Africa might also see an increase of 1.4 million out-of-school children.
Twenty-eight countries are projected to lose “at least a quarter of the educational support they depend on for preschool, primary, and secondary education.” Côte d’Ivoire and Mali are among the most at-risk country as they could see school enrolment drop 4%.
Primary education will be the most impacted around the world—exacerbating the current learning crisis and potentially costing affected children an estimated $164 billion in lifetime earnings.
It’s more than just schooling
In countries around the globe facing humanitarian crises, education means more than just learning. It offers children “life-saving support, stability, and a sense of normalcy for traumatized children”. These areas may see cuts around 10%.
In UNICEF’s support of the Rohingya refugee crisis, for example, 350,000 children are at-risk for permanently losing access to basic education. The UN children’s agency reported that “without urgent funding, education centers may close, leaving children vulnerable to exploitation, child labor, and trafficking.”
School services like meal programs could see funding cuts of more than 50% and budgets for girls’ education are also projected to drop significantly.
These cuts have consequences as well: undermining governments’ ability to create educational plans based on data, providing support for teacher development, and monitoring learning outcomes. This means even the children who are able to stay enrolled may face “comprised learning, with at least 290 million students globally projected to face a decline in education quality.”
Help our children, protect the future
UNICEF has urged donor countries and partners to act immediately to safeguard education through a series of actions, including rebalancing the education aid and protecting humanitarian education funding.
As Executive Director Russel said, “investing in children’s education is one of the best investments we can make for the future — for everyone.”
