Nearly three quarters of young people between the ages of 15 and 24 in 92 countries around the world fail to acquire the necessary skills to work. These are the findings of the report Recovering learning: Are children and youth on track in skills development?, released on 13 July by the Education Commission and UNICEF. The paper analyses the development of skills in early childhood, among primary school-age children and among young people.
"The data – reads the UNICEF website - show low skill levels among children and young people of all age groups, with young people in low-income countries less likely to have the skills they need to fulfil their potential, particularly with regard to future job opportunities, decent work and entrepreneurship".
According to the report, deep inequalities between countries and among poorer communities are increasing. In at least one in three low-income countries with available data, more than 85% of young people are behind in attaining secondary, digital and job-specific skills.
The data from 77 countries show that less than three quarters of children between the ages of 3 and 5 years have adequate development in at least three of the four areas of literacy, numeracy, physical education, social-emotional sphere and learning. At around 10 years of age, most children in low- and middle-income countries are unable to read and understand a simple text.
The report is available on the UNICEF website, in the dedicated news item.
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