UNESCO published a report on 27 April that looked at primary and secondary education in 120 countries. The study found that many poorer countries were missing from the data. Only a small number of low‑income and low‑middle‑income countries were included, and there was no assessment data for science in any low‑income country.
A UNESCO monitoring director said limited data collection and few national assessments make it hard to see how learning is changing in the global South. The report notes strong gains in attendance and enrolment over the last 20 years, but it warns that some areas still leave many children out. Experts call for longer monitoring programmes and more support to keep girls in school and in STEM.
Difficult words
- assessment — A test to measure what students have learnedassessments
- data — Information or facts collected for study
- enrolment — The act of signing up students at school
- attendance — The number of students who go to school
- monitoring — Regular checking of progress or behaviour
- programme — A planned series of activities for a purposeprogrammes
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Discussion questions
- Why is it a problem if many poorer countries are missing from the data?
- What actions could help keep girls in school in your area?
- Why do you think longer monitoring programmes might help education?
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