UNESCO Warns That 132 Million Children Do Not Receive Education

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said Thursday that 132 million children of primary or secondary school age do not attend school.

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 According to the organization, among the factors that lead to this reality are poverty and the need to work, as well as traditional norms and gender expectations as a result of the patriarchal system.

A report by the organization revealed that, in several countries, boys are at greater risk than girls of repeating years of schooling, as well as the level of learning, although they insist that girls face more disadvantages in this area.

In addition, UNESCO considers that among the elements identified with school dropout are severe discipline, corporal punishment and other forms of violence in schools. This is in addition to school closures, loss of learning and economic hardship arising from the pandemic.

Latin America, East Asia and the Arab States are the three regions with the highest risk of male school dropouts, according to figures published by the Organization. 

UNESCO urged the establishment of "gender curricula and activities in schools from an early age that encourage a critical view of harmful social norms, gender inequalities and misconceptions of masculinity, as well as the strengthening of boys' social and emotional skills".

Another challenge pointed out is the need to increase the enrollment of children in schools, achieving gender parity; for this it is essential not only to allocate resources, but also to prohibit corporal punishment and address violence in schools.