UN warns of global 'learning crisis'

There is a global "learning crisis" brewing as 250 million children worldwide are unable to perform basic literacy and numeracy skills, according to the UN. Unesco also warned billions of dollars was being wasted on poor quality education.

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'Investing in teachers is key' to combat learning crisis

Good quality teaching is key to solving the "global learning crisis" and getting more children confident in their reading and mathematical abilities, Unesco has said.

In their annual report, the UN agency also raised concerns about the number of children missing out on basic schooling and called on nations to "ensure" pupils had "motivated" teachers.

Investing in teachers is key. In around a third of countries, less than 75% of primary school teachers are trained according to national standards.

And in a third of countries, the challenge of training existing teachers is worse than that of recruiting and training new teachers.

To end the learning crisis, all countries, rich and poor, have to ensure that every child has access to a well-trained and motivated teacher.

– Unesco Global Education For All Monitoring Report

UN: 250 million children without basic education

At least 250 million youngsters across the globe are going without a basic education, according to report from the UN.

250 million children are deprived of learning key skills needed for employment, Unesco warned. Credit: PA

Unesco's annual monitoring report revealed a "learning crisis" in which a quarter of a billion children did not have basic literacy and numeracy.

The United Nations agency said that more good teachers are needed, and called on governments around the world to provide enough decent, trained teachers to ensure that all children get a good education.

Children in some schools were equally at risk of graduating without being able to read and write well, Unesco warned.

It warned billions of dollars was being spent on poor quality education which risked stifling pupil's learning.

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