Arab youth: missing educational foundations for a productive life?

The purpose of this report is to shine a spotlight on education in the Arab world at a time when most public attention is focused elsewhere, and thereby to open a dialogue about this key issue. It is crucial now, more than ever, to provide support for the ongoing efforts of Arab educationalists—the many actors and innovators who are working day by day to provide education to the region’s young people. Progressive and smart investments in education made today, including those focused on children affected by conflict, will reap large benefits in the future. Increasingly, global actors are focusing both on who has access to education but also, of particular importance, on the types of skills, competencies and values that young people acquire through their educational experience (United Nations 2013). New data show, globally, that 250 million children are not able to read, write or count well, even though many of them spent four years in school, and that 200 million youth do not have the skills needed for their future lives (UNESCO 2012). But what about the young people in the Arab world? This analysis provides a regional overview of children’s and youth’s ability to access, stay in and learn in school.