HIBAPRESS-RABAT-UNESCO
In 1948, education was declared a universal human right. This right was reaffirmed in 2015, when the United Nations set access to quality education for all as a sustainable development goal.
Yet, despite decades of progress in access to education, 250 million children and young people around the world are still out of school and 70% of 10-year-olds in low- and middle-income countries are not able to understand a simple written text.
The price of inaction: the private, fiscal and social costs on a global scale of children and young people who do not learn, UNESCO estimates the cost of dropping out of school at $10,000 billion per year by 2030 and educational gaps for the global economy – more than the annual GDPs of France and Japan combined.
Conversely, the report estimates that reducing by just 10% the proportion of young people leaving school prematurely or not having acquired basic skills would increase annual GDP growth by 1 to 2 points. Education therefore appears to be one of the best investments that can be made by a country.
