Improving Teaching and Learning

Progress made in improving access to education has not translated into improvements in learning for many children, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds and in conflict areas. The UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) estimates the number of children and adolescents not achieving minimum proficiency levels in reading and mathematics is 6 out of 10, or 617 million worldwide. The learning crisis is greatest in Sub-Saharan Africa, where 85 percent of children do not reach minimum levels of learning despite being in school.1