This 2023 report presents an update of the 2022 ECW global figures of out-of-school children in emergencies and their educational outcomes using an updated three-stage methodology. This revised methodology provides a more precise, consistent way to measure education outcomes for children and youth affected by crises. It also allows for more detailed estimates of such outcomes compared to the 2022 version and offers a more articulated analysis of trends of education outcomes in emergencies and protracted crises.
The study finds that the number of crisis-affected children in need of quality education is increasing. It also shows that the problem is not just one of access, but of quality. More than half of crisis-affected children are not achieving minimum proficiencies outlined in SDG4, which calls for inclusive, quality education for all. The study highlights that quality education is key in ensuring improved learning outcomes in crises – and fills data gaps on crisis-affected children in urgent need of quality education as a global good for collective action.