UNESCO has warned that the global legal framework for the right to education urgently needs modernization to keep pace with a rapidly transforming world. Borhene Chakroun, Director of Lifelong Learning at UNESCO, emphasized that without updating these frameworks, large populations risk being left behind. A new UNESCO report, Right to Education: Past, Present and Future, notes measurable progress since the 1960 Convention against Discrimination in Education and the Education 2030 Agenda, highlighting substantial gains in access and equity over the past two decades.
Free primary schooling has expanded significantly, with 82 percent of countries now offering free basic education, up from 56 percent in 2000. Completion rates have also increased, with 88 percent of children finishing primary school today compared with 77 percent twenty years ago. Gender parity in schooling is nearly achieved in most regions, while higher education enrollment has surged from 100 million students in 2000 to 264 million today, including significant growth in the least developed countries.
Despite these positive trends, deep inequalities persist. The report notes that 272 million children still leave school prematurely, while 762 million adults remain illiterate, two-thirds of whom are women. Learning quality is a major concern, with up to 70 percent of ten-year-olds in several low-income countries unable to read and understand a simple sentence. Factors such as poverty, teacher shortages, weak infrastructure, political instability, and climate shocks continue to fuel these disparities.
Global disruptions are placing unprecedented pressure on education systems. In 2024 alone, climate-related events disrupted schooling for over 240 million students. UNESCO is calling for stronger system resilience, enhanced teacher training, and expanded hybrid and distance learning models, building on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic. Conflicts are also depriving millions of children, especially displaced populations, of equitable learning opportunities. Additionally, the rapid rise of artificial intelligence requires a human-centered approach, with robust regulation and tools designed to genuinely improve learning outcomes.
UNESCO stresses that lifelong learning has become essential in a changing labor market, particularly for workers and older adults. Without access to ongoing education, many risk job loss, social disconnection, and exclusion from community life. Countries are implementing innovative reforms to address these needs: France’s individual training account allows workers to finance skill development, Singapore’s SkillsFuture provides lifelong learning opportunities for all citizens, Australia targets low-skilled adults with foundational certification programs, and Morocco has enshrined the right to vocational training in its constitution.
