Author:

Less than two per cent of the world’s 34 million deaf children have access to learning in sign language, and 95% of these children encounter sign language for the first time only when they begin school.

Addressing this critical inequity, a 33-month project multi-country initiative was launched in Kenya this April. The initiative operates on dual tracks: researching the impact of sign language-rich learning environments while simultaneously investigating the complex factors that enable or impede scaling this impact across Kenya, Malawi, and Rwanda.

Read the blog.

This blog was published by UNESCO in April. It looks at the recent cuts in spending from seven donor nations and the impact this has on education in various countries. The impact will depend on how much the countries funded their education by overseas development aid:

“In low-income countries, aid accounts for 12% of total education spending, including household contributions. In relative terms, it is expected that aid to education will fall by half in Chad and Liberia, and by one third in Madagascar and Mali. In absolute terms, aid to education levels will fall by USD 33 million in Ethiopia, 35 million in Rwanda and 51 million in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Expressed as a share of total aid spending, the cuts represent 18% in Rwanda, 48% in Liberia and 19% in Somalia.”

Read the analysis.

Across 6 countries in Africa, education union programmes against child labour are delivering life-changing results. In 2024 alone, over 1,880 former child labourers have been returned to classrooms in project areas in Burundi, Malawi, Mali, Togo, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.

Activities focus on assessing the number of children not in school, training hundreds of teachers and school leaders on children’s rights, and raising awareness of the negative impact of child labour and the benefits of education. This engagement also involves working with local people and mobilising the community to act against child labour.

Read the blog. 

In this podcast episode from the Resource and Support Hub, Andrea Watkins, technical director of the Safeguarding Resource and Support Hub talks with Nicolo Di Marzo, Ethiopia country director, and Bethelhem Sileshi, safeguarding, gender and social inclusion officer at Link Education International.

Listen to the podcast. 

Through a US$10 million GPE grant for 2023–2025, targeted schools have become safer, more inclusive and better equipped to withstand crisis in South Sudan. The grant supported interventions such as building flood-resilient classrooms and gender-sensitive sanitation facilities; along with providing remedial classes and school supplies for learners whose education was disrupted by flooding.

The blog introduces the reader to Kau, a 19-year-old student in primary school. Kau attends Malakia Boys Primary School and is not only learning the curriculum, but also taking part in a school club focused on environmental education.

Read the blog.

“See what young people have to say about equal access to education in the Asia-Pacific region.”

The five takeaways on gender and education are from five inspiring young women.

“Education was my way out. It’s the reason I can speak to you here eloquently in English. It’s why I am standing with you here today.” (Ain Husniza, Malaysian activist and found er of Pocket of Pink, a feminist initiative combining art, advocacy, and education to empower youth)

Read the blog.

This blog provides information about the situation of education in Pakistan. The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) research team at Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA) launched a five-year longitudinal study to assess the delivery of foundational learning and political accountability across eight diverse constituencies in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan.

“Infrastructure assessments revealed that while most schools had access to electricity, many lacked digital learning facilities such as computer labs and internet connectivity. Inclusive infrastructure—such as ramps and accessible toilets—was limited, highlighting an area for focused attention on understanding of inclusion/disability and support in schools. Teacher attendance and qualifications also varied, underscoring the importance of continuous professional development and administrative support. School governance bodies, where functional, were active in select areas, suggesting the potential for strengthening community engagement in school management.”

Read the blog and find out more about the results from the study. 

27 June 2025 was the first international day of Deafblindness. Children with deafblindness are among the most marginalized within the disability community, facing profound barriers to education, participation, and social inclusion.

Across all countries, the data for the children affected shows, among other things, poorer health, contextual problems from birth, and severe exclusion from education. Across all age groups surveyed, only 14% are even part of their respective education systems – an enormous 86% are not.

This blog introduces the Deafblindness Global Education Campaign “LET ME IN”.

Read about the campaign.

World Bank’s Bob Hawkins speaks with three EdTech leaders working to deliver quality education in some of the world’s most challenging environments. Luke Stannard (Can’t Wait to Learn – War Child Alliance), Claire Mongeau (M-Shule), and Kate Radford (EdTech Hub) share how their organisations are using innovation and collaboration to support refugee learners and out-of-school children.

The conversation highlights practical lessons on cost-effective scaling, hybrid learning in emergencies, human-centred design, and the power of co-creation with local communities, with insights from Ukraine, East Africa, and beyond.

Listen to the podcast.