Geneva, 5 October 2025 — On World Teachers’ Day, UNICEF has warned that 85 million children worldwide are currently not attending school, with the majority living in countries affected by armed conflict, displacement, and chronic instability.
Global Education Crisis
According to UNICEF’s latest figures, 234 million children require urgent support to access quality education. Of these, 85 million are entirely out of school:
- 52% are girls
- 17% are refugees or internally displaced
- Over 20% are children with disabilities
The agency highlighted that the situation has worsened in recent years, with millions more children pushed out of classrooms due to war, poverty, and climate-related disasters.
Regional Flashpoints
- In Sudan, more than 17 million of 19 million school-age children are currently out of school amid ongoing conflict.
- In Gaza and the West Bank, over 1.4 million children face severe barriers to education, with hundreds of schools damaged or destroyed.
- In Haiti, escalating gang violence has left 1.4 million children in urgent need of education support.
Teachers at the Heart of the Solution
UNICEF stressed that teachers remain the cornerstone of education systems, yet only 31% of countries have effective professional development programs in place. Cuts in international education funding — projected to fall by $3.2 billion — risk further undermining progress.
“No child should be deprived of the right to learn and build a future,” UNICEF said, calling for greater investment in teachers, inclusive classrooms, and safe learning environments.
Outlook
As the world marks World Teachers’ Day, UNICEF urged governments and the international community to prioritize education as a lifeline for children in crisis zones, warning that failure to act will deepen inequality and jeopardize future generations.
