In Focus: Supporting Quality and Inclusive Education
Ensuring access to quality and inclusive education for every child in Europe and Central Asia
Highlights
A major transition is underway in education across the Europe and Central Asia Region. Countries are endeavoring to ensure that education systems prepare students to productively contribute to the 21st century’s market economies and democratic political systems, and deliver the promise made to children under Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4): a quality education for all, with no child left behind. While almost all countries in the Region have increased their school enrolment rates, there are two key challenges remaining:
- Lack of access to education for the most marginalized children and adolescents;
- Low quality of education.
The millions of children and adolescents missing out on school in the Region often come from the most disadvantaged backgrounds, and face pressures such as poverty and discrimination that may curtail their learning. Regarding quality, too many children and adolescents are leaving school without the basic skills they need for employment and productive adult lives. Both of these challenges become more acute as children reach secondary-school age.
UNICEF works with governments and other partners across the Region to ensure that every child is in school and is learning. Our ambition is to have every child in a safe, supportive and inclusive school environment, with no child left behind because of who or where that child is.
