December 4, 2025 - However, 19% of Grade 5 students in the region still only have math skills of a Grade 3 student. “Foundational skills are the cornerstone of every child’s future. As evidence continues to highlight persistent disparities across our region, ...

September 21, 2017 - Across the region, nearly 9 out of 10 kids between the ages of about 6 and 14 will not meet minimum proficiency levels in reading and mathematics. Central and Southern Asia has the second-highest rate, with 81% or 241 million not learning.

April 20, 2023 - Across the region, nearly nine out of ten children between the ages of about 6 and 14 will not meet minimum proficiency levels in reading and math. Central and Southern Asia has the second highest rate, with 81%, or 241 million, not learning.

April 22, 2018 - Nearly 90 per cent of children between the ages of about 6 and 14 will not meet minimum proficiency levels in reading and math. Central and Southern Asia has the second highest rate, with 81 per cent, or 241 million, not learning.

Central and Southern Asia was not faring significantly better. There, 81 per cent of children (241 million) were not proficient in reading, and 76 per cent (228 million) lacked basic mathematical skills. Girls are more likely than boys to learn how to read. Globally, for every 100 boys who ...

September 21, 2017 - The proportion is even higher for ... are not gaining minimum proficiency levels in reading and mathematics. Central and Southern Asia has the second-highest rate, with 81% or 241 million not learning....

February 1, 2021 - Mathematics: In some countries—Malaysia (64%) and Vietnam (92%)—a large majority of Grade 5 children can perform complex mathematical operations and interpret different data sources, while in others—Cambodia (19%), Lao PDR (8%), Myanmar ...

Although SDG 4 has shifted emphasis on monitoring learning, many countries still do not report towards the learning outcome indicators on reading and mathematics. Even countries that want to start assessing and reporting on learning often face obstacles preventing them from adopting effective and cost efficient solutions. But the evidence we do have suggests that most students in the world’s poorest countries do not achieve minimum proficiency in the most basic skills.

July 3, 2026 - The State of Global Learning Poverty: ... next-largest increase is in South Asia, where predictions put at 78% the share of children that lack minimum literacy proficiency, up from 60% pre-pandemic....

June 24, 2022 - The State of Global Learning Poverty: ... next-largest increase is in South Asia, where predictions put at 78% the share of children that lack minimum literacy proficiency, up from 60% pre-pandemic....

Proportion of children and adolescents in school not achieving minimum proficiency levels in reading and out-of-school children and adolescents as a percentage of total children and adolescents not learning, 2015. Note: The grouping G20 countries covers data from 19 countries. Image: UNESCO Institute for Statistics · Breaking it down by region, the data shows that Central and Southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa are bearing the brunt of the learning crisis.

April 26, 2022 - SDG Target 4.6 envisions that, by 2030, all youth achieve literacy and numeracy. Literacy rates among youth are lowest in West and Central Africa and in South Asia ... What are the leading causes of death among adolescents? How many girls give birth during adolescence? How many adolescents struggle with issues of nutrition or substance abuse? Are adolescent boys and girls equally likely to finish school or go to school at all? How many are illiterate? Do all adolescents have basic reading and math skills?

The State of Global Learning Poverty: ... cent pre-pandemic. The next-largest increase is in South Asia, where predictions put at 78 per cent the share of children that lack minimum literacy proficiency, up from 60 per cent ...

March 16, 2024 - While school enrollment in South Asia has significantly increased in the last two decades, access to quality education for all remains elusive. A major obstacle to achieving the SDGs by 2030 in South Asia is that vast numbers of children who are in school are not acquiring even basic skills such as reading and numeracy.

September 12, 2018 - In May 2018, UNICEF noted that only about half of primary-aged children currently receive education with minimum learning standards. Looking into the micro picture further reveals the dismal state of education in the region. According to the World Development Report 2018, India topped the list of countries where a grade two student could not perform two-digit subtraction and was ranked second in the list of countries where a grade two student could not read a single word of a short text.

Definition: Percentage of children and young people in Grade 2 or 3 of primary education, at the end of primary education and the end of lower secondary education achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in (a) reading and (b) mathematics.

October 24, 2023 - In fact, in many countries, the data shows that children learn very little. In the chart, you can see the share of students who could read with comprehension at the end of primary education. This means they achieved minimum proficiency and could identify key ideas in texts and connect them to their own experiences. Here is the same visualization for skills in mathematics.

Regions with the lowest access to basic facilities include Central and Southern Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean. However, some progress has been made, with primary school electricity access increasing by over 10 percentage points since 2012. Access to computers and disability-adapted facilities, essential for marginalized students’ participation, has also improved by almost 5 percentage points. Adequate infrastructure is also important for mitigating COVID-19 transmission and ensuring safe education.

December 10, 2019 - Between 1990 and 2016, literacy in South Asia rose from 46% to 72%. Though this is remarkable progress, the region is home to half of the global illiterate population.

April 16, 2025 - Once the performance levels are mapped, the global education community will be able to identify for each country the proportion or percentage of children who achieved minimum standards. (a) Minimum proficiency level (MPL) is the benchmark of basic knowledge in a domain (mathematics, reading, etc.) measured through learning assessments.