Out of school, but not out of reach: Why foundational learning must be at the heart of the response

https://www.globalpartnership.org/blog/out-school-not-out-reach-why-foun...

The out-of-school crisis is worse than we thought.

New data from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) and the Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report estimates that 272 million children and youth were out of school in 2023 - 21 million more than previously reported in October 2024.

The increase isn’t because the problem suddenly got worse. It’s because better modelling now includes children in settings affected by crisis who had previously gone uncounted.

While this represents important progress, data gaps remain in many of these contexts. This improved visibility is a critical step forward. After all, we can’t solve what we can’t see.

Yet visibility alone won’t drive change. To respond meaningfully, we must not only look at who is out of school, but why, and ensure our solutions reflect that complexity.

Why children leave school—and why learning matters

Children drop out for many reasons: poverty, conflict, gender inequality, disability, language barriers… But there’s another driver often overlooked: they aren’t learning.

In many contexts, children fall behind in the early years, repeat grades or drop out altogether when schools fail to support learning.

That’s why foundational learning—basic literacy, numeracy and other transferable skills such as socio-emotional competencies—must be part of the response. When children are learning in school, they are more likely to stay in school. When they don’t, they often leave.

Children who don’t master foundational skills in the early grades of primary school often fall further behind in later years and are more likely to drop out of school.

Strong foundational skills are also linked to better life outcomes—such as higher earnings, better health and greater chances of employment.

In short, without foundational learning, children are denied the chance to reach their full potential. While not the only solution to the out-of-school crisis, foundational learning is a critical one.

This isn’t just about pedagogy. It’s about equity, retention and reengagement in learning. And it’s particularly urgent in fragile settings where student learning faces significant challenges.

As global actors prepare for major moments from the upcoming United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York to the Group of Twenty (G20) Summit in South Africa, we urge a shared message:

1. We have better data. Let’s use it to act smarter.

   These new figures don’t just demand outrage, they demand precision. With sharper data, we can better target resources, have stronger implementation approaches and spending as well as better policy and program design that's grounded in evidence.

   Broader inclusion of previously invisible populations, including children displaced by conflict or living in emergency settings is an important step forward, though data coverage in many of the most fragile contexts remains limited.

   Recent analysis suggests the true global figure for how many children are out of school may be staggeringly higher— by nearly 13 million children—due to continued data limitations in crisis contexts.

   Tools like the Foundational Learning Action Tracker (FLAT) can support governments in pinpointing where policy action is most urgently needed. Without decisive follow-through, even the best data risks becoming background noise.

2. We need a multidimensional response that puts learning at the center.

   Fixing the out-of-school crisis means more than building schools. It means delivering learning. That starts with prioritizing foundational learning so that every child acquires basic yet essential skills.

   This requires improving instruction, ensuring the availability of quality teaching and learning materials, strengthening teacher training and providing ongoing support through coaching.

   Strong foundational learning unlocks lifelong pathways to better health, autonomy, survival and economic opportunity—benefiting both individuals and nations. Because the drivers of exclusion are multidimensional, the solutions must be too.

   Addressing the crisis requires integrated strategies including: Reaching every child, Assessing learning, Prioritizing basics, Increasing the efficiency of instruction and Developing conducive learning environments—the RAPID Framework.

   These strategies also need to be supported by the better use of domestic and external financing and stronger education systems overall.

3. Learning must be part of the solution. Access alone won’t deliver results.

   Getting children into school is only half the job. If they aren’t learning, especially in the early years, they are more likely to drop out.

   Foundational learning helps prevent dropout, boosts equity and lays the groundwork for future success.

   Investing in foundational skills is one of the most effective ways to improve both access and outcomes. We must also ensure that investments address context-specific challenges.

The latest figures are more than a wake-up call; they are a call to act smarter. We must pair investments in foundational learning with action on poverty, gender inequality, conflict and displacement—and tailor them to context.

But we must also interpret these figures with humility, particularly in crisis-affected contexts where the true scale of exclusion is likely even higher. Our response must match both the urgency of the numbers and the uncertainty behind them.

Investing in foundational skills is one of the most effective ways to improve both access and outcomes.

Reaching the 272 million children out of school—and the millions more in school but not learning—demands integrated, proven solutions grounded in what works.