EGIC: The fight against learning poverty

 ROME –- Experts gathered at the Euro-Gulf Information Centre in Rome to discuss the global crisis of learning poverty and the need for education in emergencies, with the goal of raising awareness so everyone receives education – enshrined as a basic human right in Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Amongst the crowd were people of all ages, all of whom were encouraged to help break down barriers to education to help lift children and adults out of poverty and level inequalities.

Learning poverty

 Learning poverty is defined as the inability to read a simple text by the age of 10. It is estimated that 70 percent of people suffer from learning poverty, whether that be due to displacement, conflict and disability, or because the quality of learning was so bad it cannot be accounted for. Learning poverty aligns with low-income areas and typically affects low- or middle-income countries more than high-income countries.

 This phenomenon overwhelmingly affects girls, with 118.5 million girls globally out of school, the majority of whom are in sub-Saharan Africa, where only one out of three girls complete primary education. The speakers highlighted that “education is one of the most efficient ways to improve girls’ and women’s self-agency,” whether that be in Africa or elsewhere.

 As well as education being a basic human right, UNESCO labels quality education as one of their sustainable development goals as it is essential for breaking cycles of poverty, driving economic growth and is key for ensuring other sustainable development goals are met, such as promoting gender equality and improving healthcare. As one speaker said, "What sustainable development can be achieved without education?"

Education during emergencies

 Education is a crucial tool to ensure that people receive physical, psychosocial and cognitive protection which in turn can sustain and save lives. Experts highlighted the ways in which education is lifesaving, a recurrent theme throughout the evening.

 Firstly, education provides protection, as it creates safe learning environments, reduces exposure to risks and provides a sense of routine. Education also provides lifesaving information, for example how to stay safe during disease outbreaks, natural disasters or conflicts. Not only are schools’ crucial hubs for education, but they also act as centres for health services, provide people with water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, and are places in which people can have access to food. Thus, as the speakers argued, education is a key tool to social mobility and improving quality of life.

 As already seen with learning poverty, humanitarian crises often exacerbate gaps and inequalities regarding access to education services. Girls are more likely to be excluded from education, the very thing that provides social mobility for girls and women across the globe and provides them with a way to challenge the gender imbalance and violence committed against them.

 However, as highlighted by one of the speakers, the aid money directed towards education is at risk of disappearing. Due to foreign aid cuts made by the Trump administration amounting to the loss of $5 billion USD in funding, the UN OCHA has announced a “hyper-prioritised” humanitarian aid plan, which will see the funding requirement for education reduced by 33 percent. UNICEF stated that international aid to education is projected to fall by $3.2 billion USD by 2026, which in turn risks 6 million more children being out of school and thus suffering from learning poverty.

Impact of disabilities

 As the discussion continued, one expert highlighted that learning poverty disproportionately affects learners with disabilities, and emergencies only widen this gap. Those with disabilities are already face exclusion in everyday life and exclusion from education is not an exception.  

 Over 52 million children in conflict affected countries are out of school and conflict exasperates this by causing new or secondary impairments. UNICEF notes that children with disabilities “face exceptional forms of neglect and disregard when violence breaks out.” The speakers stressed that children with disabilities are more likely to be out of school or excluded from learning, and crises amplify every barrier: access, safety, assistive devices, inclusive materials, teacher capacity, and family support. This means that without deliberate investment in quality, inclusive education in emergencies, crises can turn short-term disruptions into long-term exclusion.

 Disabilities are just one factor of many that can cause exclusion from education, others include poverty, living in a rural area and gender. Disability is thus intersectional with other factors, for example in refugee camps girls with disabilities are less likely to attend school than boys with disabilities.

What can be done?

 “A teacher has the power to impact the future of between 1,000 and 3,000 learners over the course of their career,” one speaker stated. The importance of teachers cannot be understated. Teachers are key to fostering a safe, engaging and inclusive learning space, they are crucial in providing quality learning opportunities to those at risk of learning poverty and teachers can adapt to diverse needs and abilities. One teacher can teach thousands of learners, thus strengthening teacher capacity represents the most effective and sustainable strategy for addressing learning poverty.

 Moreover, addressing learning poverty in emergencies requires more than restoring schooling. It demands intentional inclusion aligned with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD), it means that children are offered emotional, physical and cognitive protection. The speakers stressed that every child should be able to access education, via inclusive and crisis-responsive systems, even in the most difficult of circumstances.

 Lastly, education must be focused on the learners, they must be allowed to thrive at their own pace to develop academic, social and critical thinking skills. Education is a critical tool for social mobility, for improved quality of life and for a person’s self-confidence. The experts convincingly concluded that learning poverty is a barrier which we all must try to eradicate.

 khg