“If we do not update the legal framework, we will leave a large population behind,” warned Borhene Chakroun, Director of Lifelong Learning at UNESCO, in an interview with UN News.
Advances in access
A new UNESCO report, Right to education: past, present and future, concludes that progress since the 1960 Convention against Discrimination in Education and the Education 2030 Agenda has been “real and measurable”.
“We have made enormous progress since the adoption of the Convention against Discrimination in Education,” said Mr. Chakroun.
In two decades, the landscape of free primary education has been transformed: 82 percent of countries now offer free basic education, up from 56 percent in 2000. Completion rates have also increased: 88 percent of children finish primary school today, compared to 77 percent twenty years ago.
Gender parity in schooling is now close to being achieved in most regions. Higher education has experienced what UNESCO calls an explosive expansion, going from 100 million students in 2000 to 264 million today. Encouragingly, this increase includes significant growth in less developed countries.
A Pratham volunteer helps a student with reading in Orissa, India
Persistent inequalities and a learning crisis
However, behind these positive trends lie deep and persistent disparities. “These positive results should not overshadow the problems we face today,” Chakroun warned.
According to the report, 272 million children still leave school prematurely, while 762 million adults remain illiterate; two thirds are women. Learning outcomes are especially worrying: “In several low-income countries, up to 70 percent of ten-year-olds cannot read or understand a simple sentence, an alarming indicator of the quality of learning,” he said.
Poverty, a shortage of trained teachers, weak infrastructure, political instability and climate crises are fueling this crisis.
A basketball in a school gym that was damaged during heavy shelling in Ukraine’s Kherson region.
Climate, conflict and AI reshape learning
Global disruptions are putting unprecedented pressure on education systems. In 2024 alone, climate-related events disrupted schooling for more than 240 million students.
UNESCO calls for greater system resilience, better teacher training and the expansion of hybrid and distance learning models, drawing on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic. Conflict is also depriving millions of children of equitable learning opportunities, particularly those displaced across borders.
Added to this is the rapid rise of artificial intelligence. “Our approach to AI must be human-centered,” said Chakroun, as UNESCO calls for strong regulation, teacher training and tools genuinely designed to improve learning.
Lifelong learning helps an older woman in Georgia reequip skills that open up continued income opportunities.
Lifelong learning
Amid radical changes in labor markets, UNESCO highlights that lifelong learning is now essential, especially for workers and older people.
“Investing in the education of adults, workers and older people is a necessity: without it, many risk losing their jobs, becoming disconnected from society and ceasing to be part of their community,” Chakroun explained.
Countries are already moving forward with reforms. France’s individual training account allows workers to finance skills development. Singapore’s SkillsFuture offers similar opportunities for all citizens; Australia targets low-skilled adults through basic certification; and Morocco has enshrined the right to vocational training in its constitution.