As of 2023, 272 million children worldwide lack proper education. These kids are stripped of their right to learn and forced to indulge in struggles rather than what they should be enjoying: the company of a school surrounding. Can you imagine yourself as one of those students who got a part of their rights taken away?
As students of DHS, it is easy for us to take education for granted; treat it as something that’s constantly in our schedules–simply because it always has been. However, countless are unable to earn this common factor of our lives, specifically those in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. My research states that many children lack education due to the most common causes being poverty, gender inequalities, and conflict and displacement. These issues are persistent and hard to manage, but that makes finding solutions even more important.
Poverty is the most difficult barrier. According to The Education Divide: Why Millions Of Children Lack Education by Bailie Cross, in many countries with economic problems, children are unable to attend school due to the necessary fees: “In many low-income countries, even when tuition is free, the costs of uniforms, books and transportation prevent children from attending school.” It is absolutely devastating that families who are earning little to no money a day suffer from being unable to purchase the undoubtedly high costs for the needed materials to pursue school. Unfortunately, however, this isn’t the only thing that can prevent kids from going to school in relation to poverty. Parents who aren’t able to gain financial support for their students in certain areas are left without any choice but to put their kids into child labor, causing them to spend their hours working to aid the family’s financial struggles rather than acquiring knowledge. For example, 27% of children in Chad aren’t able to afford an education due to financial issues alone; many are forced into child labor to fend for their families at young ages. No child should be burdened with work at such young ages.
Furthermore, another reason that children are still out of school is gender inequalities. Things like early marriage, cultural beliefs and safety concerns keep young girls out of school every day worldwide. Despite the fact that there have been a great amount of protests and acts against this kind of discrimination, the right to attend school is still being denied for many girls. For example, the crisis in Afghanistan still remains unrivaled in its lack of girls getting into schools due to the Taliban’s return to power. The Taliban not only caused the economy to decline and the rate of famine to increase, but they also enforced severe laws against girls from going to school. These rules have earned great disapproval for limiting girls’ opportunities to fulfill their dreams and goals. As stated from Afghanistan Representative, Dr. Mohamed Ayoya, on UNICEF, “The decision on March 23 not to allow girls back to secondary school was shocking and deeply disappointing. Not only does it violate girls’ fundamental right to education, it exposes them to heightened anxiety, and greater risk of exploitation and abuse including child trafficking, early and forced marriage.” These are not just statistics–these are real lives and dreams put on hold.
A third reason as to why kids are still out of school today would be conflict and displacement. War, violence and conflict causes kids to quit school. These events can cause the demolishment of infrastructure, unsafe environments, and separation from families, as well. With this, areas suffering from ongoing conflicts create dangerous habitats for students, causing them to flee and become refugees. Take the current situation in Sudan for example. The power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces beginning in 2023 has caused the world’s largest humanitarian crisis marked with famine, deteriorating healthcare, human rights abuses and displacement. According to UNHCR, “Two years since the crisis began, nearly 13 million people—one in three Sudanese—have been displaced.” This means millions of children have lost access to even the most basic education.
In circumstances like this, it is easy to be overwhelmed by these situations. However, I strongly believe that there are solutions. By increasing education funding and policy reforms, we can ensure resources are available at the simplest grasp. Expanding community-based learning programs can offer opportunities for more diversity and experiential learning activities outside of the typical classroom. Strengthening protections for refugee and conflict-affected children provides aid to areas struggling with ongoing war, allowing room for the uneducated. Additional solutions include supporting community-based programs, providing essential school resources, reducing financial barriers, and investing in qualified teachers and improved learning materials.
Education is a right–not a privilege. We should take the value of our fortune to mind and use our voices to help secure every child’s opportunity to learn.
