The future of the right to education in an evolving world

Since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the global expansion of access to education has been remarkable. In 1950, only around 47 per cent of the world's 540 million children aged 5–14 were enrolled in school. Today, it is estimated that about 90 per cent of primary school-aged children and 86 per cent of lower secondary school-aged children are enrolled in education. Yet progress remains deeply uneven. Some 272 million children and youth are still out of school; worldwide net enrolment rate in pre-primary education is at 54%, learning outcomes remain alarmingly low, with 70% of children in low-and middle-income countries unable to read a simple text by age ten. Declining public budgets, the intensifying impacts of climate change, the rapid acceleration of digitalization and artificial intelligence (AI), escalating conflicts and geopolitical instability, as well as major demographic shifts are re-shaping educational demands in unforeseen ways. These pressures risk entrenching inequalities, undermining learning outcomes, and further marginalizing those already left behind, particularly women, girls, and learners in crisis-affected contexts. Compounding these challenges are chronic financing gaps: in many countries, debt repayments now exceed education spending, exposing structural fragilities and eroding the foundation of the right to education. At this critical juncture, a renewed global commitment is imperative: one that reaffirms education as a public common good and a human right, mobilizes sustainable financing, and harnesses accountability mechanisms and innovation to deliver on education's transformative promise for all and throughout life.