New York, SANA-Human Rights Watch has revealed that an estimated 272 million children worldwide did not attend primary or secondary school in 2024.

A Sharp Increase from the Previous Year

According to the report published on the organization’s website, this figure marks a troubling rise of approximately 21 million children compared to 2023. The report notes that the data does not fully capture the scale of the crisis, as UNESCO’s Institute for Statistics and Global Education Monitoring Reports estimate that 13 million children are out of school in conflict-affected regions.

Including Children in Gaza and Sudan raises the Total to 285 million

The organization emphasized that if all children unable to attend school due to armed conflicts—ranging from Gaza to Sudan—were accounted for, the global number of out-of-school children would climb to around 285 million.

Chronic Underfunding denies access to Free Public Education

Human Rights Watch pointed to persistent funding shortages as a key factor exacerbating the barriers faced by millions of children. Without adequate resources, governments are unable to provide fully free public education, build and equip schools, deliver quality learning materials, recruit and train qualified teachers, or adapt educational systems to respond effectively to emergencies.

Calling on Governments to Honor Global Education Commitments

 The organization urged all governments to fulfill their pledges to address the global education crisis by safeguarding public education budgets from austerity measures and allocating sufficient resources to uphold the right to education, including the commitment to provide quality and accessible public education for all.

Increasing Education Spending to Internationally Agreed Standards

Human Rights Watch called on countries to meet internationally recognized funding benchmarks by raising education spending to no less than 4–6% of GDP, or 15–20% of total public expenditure.

Donor Countries Must Uphold Their Obligations

Finally, the organization stressed that donor governments should finance education in accordance with their international aid commitments and human rights responsibilities to provide global support and cooperation.

Noura / Manar Salamah