SDG target: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable, and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes.
The past generation has seen a huge increase in school enrollment. However, as more students enroll, it is proving challenging to provide a consistently good education. Today, more than half of sixth graders in 10 French-speaking African countries are not minimally proficient in math and reading. Worse, the trend is negative: Unless something changes, two thirds of students in school in 2030 won’t master the basics. To change this, education leaders need to prioritize literacy and numeracy in the early grades.
Below is the available data on student learning across countries. This year data is available for more countries than was available last year.
Percentage of students in grade 2 or 3 achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in reading and math, both sexes
Central & South Asia
Oceania
Latin America & the Caribbean
Europe & N. America
Sub-Saharan Africa
Eastern & South-Eastern Asia
N. Africa & W. Asia
