Archive for category: Education

Information and stories on education.

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Libraries Without Borders Fights Poverty Surge in Ukraine

Libraries Without Borders Poverty in Ukraine has risen sharply since the start of Russia’s war, according to the World Bank Group, which estimates the country’s preliminary poverty rate reached 36.9% in 2025 — a significant increase from prewar levels.

Children have been among the most affected. UNICEF reported in July 2025 that 70% of Ukrainian children — about 3.5 million — lack access to basic goods and services, forcing many out of school.

The loss of educational access has broader consequences for Ukrainian society. Mariya Levonova and Balázs Jarábik of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace found that the contraction of Ukraine’s educational networks has undermined access to basic services and weakened social infrastructure, eroding public trust in self-governance.

Education is not the only sector reflecting deepening poverty in Ukraine. An estimated 4.6 million people have experienced severe disruptions to water access, including physical damage to infrastructure and contamination.

“Fighting and shelling have polluted water sources with explosives, heavy metals and other hazardous substances, making them unsafe for consumption,” according to Anna Cherevko of the United Nations University.

The Big Picture

The erosion of basic services in Ukraine has left many families without nutritious food, adequate clothing, heating or educational materials, according to UNICEF.

Anna Cherevko of the United Nations University described Russia’s invasion as Europe’s largest military conflict since World War II. The war has caused Ukraine’s gross domestic product to shrink by more than 30% and left roughly 40% of the working population unemployed.

Amid the crisis, Libraries Without Borders or Bibliothèques Sans Frontières has worked since 2007 to provide protection, information and psychological support, particularly along Ukraine’s borders.

The organization supports people affected by war trauma, including an estimated 14 million Ukrainians in need of psychological assistance and roughly 9 million now living in poverty.

What Libraries Without Borders Does

The organization strives to “protect, support and guide Ukrainian inhabitants, displaced persons and refugees” throughout the ongoing battles.

Economic losses tied to the war exceed $499 billion, driven by unemployment and disrupted economic activity, according to the Ukraine Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan 2025

With losses of this magnitude, services such as those of Libraries Without Borders are necessary more than ever before.

The organization eases poverty in Ukraine through several initiatives:

  • Mobile “Ideas Boxes”: The organization installs portable multimedia libraries in health centres, shelters and schools, offering access to education, culture and information. These have been deployed in cities including Lviv, Drohobych, Vinnytsia, Bucha and Dnipro. Run by local staff, the Ideas Boxes help address widespread job losses in agriculture, manufacturing and tourism, while easing rising poverty levels.
  • Safe spaces and community support: Libraries Without Borders offers language-learning tools through its KARIBU platform and creates spaces for rest, social interaction and cultural familiarity for displaced people.
  • Targeted programs: The organization has partnered with the United Nations Population Fund to support survivors of conflict-related sexual violence.

The boxes include creative and literary materials, tablets and televisions, forming a “digital library that provides access to thousands of educational and cultural resources without requiring internet connectivity.”

Looking Ahead

UNICEF warns that millions of Ukrainian children are being deprived of a minimum standard of living, jeopardizing their long-term development, health and education.

The United Nations University estimates the war erased 15 years of development gains, pushing an additional 7.1 million people into poverty and raising the national poverty rate to 24.1% in 2022.

Despite the challenges, Libraries Without Borders reported its centres have assisted more than 50,000 people. The organization estimates a single Ideas Box can serve more than 100 people per day — potentially reaching about 100,000 people over three months.

Humanitarian planners say aid efforts in Ukraine will increasingly prioritize cash and voucher assistance aligned with community preferences, using multisectoral approaches to meet basic needs.

Final Remarks

The war in Ukraine has deepened poverty, weakened access to essential services and placed millions of children and families at risk, reversing years of social and economic progress. Rising unemployment, disrupted education and widespread psychological trauma have intensified humanitarian needs across the country.

As international organizations warn of long-term consequences, Libraries Without Borders has emerged as a critical source of support by providing access to education, information and safe community spaces.

While the scale of the crisis remains vast, targeted initiatives such as these mobile libraries and community programs demonstrate how focused humanitarian action can help restore stability, resilience and opportunity for those most affected by the conflict.

– Gemma Nailer

Gemma is based in Manchester, UK and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Poverty in Hawaiʻi: Rewriting Futures Through Education

Poverty in HawaiʻiWhen you picture Hawaii, perhaps you envision a tourist paradise, a tropical treasure of eternal sun. But behind that sunny picture, thousands of families who call Hawaiʻi home are struggling to meet their basic needs. According to the UnitedForALICE Hawaiʻi report, a sizable percentage of households are categorized as Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed (ALICE).

This means they earn above the federal poverty line but are unable to pay for necessities like housing, food and education due to Hawaiʻi’s extraordinarily high cost of living. This financial strain disproportionately affects children; therefore, access to educational support is essential to breaking the poverty cycle. In 2023, a projected 45% of Hawaiʻi’s households fell below the ALICE threshold due to poverty.

Families below this threshold are compelled to face daunting decisions, such as choosing whether to purchase food or fill a prescription or whether to pay for electricity or auto repairs. According to the Hawaiʻi KIDS COUNT Data Book, disparities in educational outcomes can be attributed to household income, with children from lower-income households more likely to experience academic underachievement. The Data Book also reports that more than one in three Hawaiʻi children lived in households burdened by high housing costs in 2023.

However, across Hawaiʻi, several organizations are addressing poverty by funding education as a long-term solution rather than a temporary one.

Aloha United Way

By providing financing and assistance for educational programs for families categorized as ALICE, Aloha United Way, a charity, plays a crucial coordinating role. The charity allocates funds for early childhood education, literacy initiatives and after-school assistance through its ALICE Initiative, which helps stabilize learning conditions for children who are just above the poverty line. Aloha United Way recognizes that academic performance is closely linked to home stability and works with schools, charities and government agencies.

This is to ensure that educational support is combined with access to food aid, daycare and family services.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Hawai’i

Boys & Girls Clubs of Hawaiʻi is another noteworthy organization that offers thousands of children across the islands safe, organized after-school programs. The Clubs provide food, mentorship, tutoring, homework assistance, STEM activities and college preparation to many adolescents from low-income families. These programs reduce the burden of childcare while improving educational outcomes for low-income working families in Hawaiʻi’s high-cost economy.

Additionally, the organization emphasizes vocational skills and team building, helping youth develop self-confidence and skills for future employment.

Hoʻokua ʻĀina

Culturally grounded initiatives are also part of education-based poverty alleviation in Hawaiʻi. Hoʻokua ʻĀina integrates land-based education rooted in Native Hawaiian values with academic instruction. Its activities reinforce reading, numeracy and life skills while engaging at-risk adolescents in farming, environmental stewardship and cultural practices.

By re-establishing students’ connection to land, community and identity, the organization addresses scholastic disengagement and the social effects of poverty. This impact is particularly significant for Indigenous Hawaiian children, who are disproportionately affected by economic inequality.

Final Remarks

Collectively, these dedicated organizations show that addressing poverty in Hawaiʻi requires more than classroom education alone. Charities across the islands are building durable pathways out of poverty by combining education with mentorship, cultural connections and family support, offering a model for similar regions worldwide.

– Prubleen Bhogal

Prubleen is based in London, UK and focuses on Good News and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash

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ChildFund in Sri Lanka: A gift to one young girl keeps on giving

childfund in sri lankaIn the island country of Sri Lanka, a young girl, Rajitha, dreamed of an education. Like many other children in rural developing regions, poverty was a significant obstacle in her academic journey.

According to a ChildFund blog post, Rajitha’s family relied on their crops for food and income. Unpredictable and sometimes disastrous weather conditions posed serious threats to their ability to have enough food and afford materials like books and backpacks for school. But in 2003, Rajitha received sponsorships through the ChildFund in Sri Lanka that changed everything.

Poverty and the ChildFund in Sri Lanka

ChildFund is an international children’s charity that strives to help children grow up healthy and safe, with an education that will allow them to reach their full potential. According to the ChildFund website, the organization works with “nearly 200 independent local organizations” across the countries they serve in Africa, Asia, and the Americas. The goal of this community-based approach is to make an impact that is both effective and lasting. The ChildFund works to empower communities so that positive change is self-sustaining.

Rajitha’s family is not alone in the struggle to meet basic needs and access education in the face of poverty. According to a World Bank study on poverty in Sri Lanka, 2002 poverty rates (the percentage of the population living below the national poverty line) in Sri Lanka, around the time Rajitha received sponsorship, were approximately 23%. The same data indicates poor households in Sri Lanka tend to have higher dependent ratios, meaning more children or elderly family members to support. Educational attainment rates are also lower among poor households, which indicates it is more difficult for children living in poverty to receive an education

Rajitha’s Sponsorships

The sponsorships that Rajitha received were through the ChildFund’s Sponsor a Child program, an opportunity for anyone in the world to give a monthly donation that supports a specific child facing poverty. Rajitha’s sponsorships allowed her to afford materials like notebooks, books, and shoes, and to participate in academic programs. Highly motivated and eager to make the most of this opportunity, Rajitha graduated secondary school with honors, and went on to earn a bachelor degree from the University of Peradeniya.

While Rajitha’s success story is unique and a testament to her own determination and resilience as well as the generosity of those who supported her financially, it is not altogether unparalleled. The ChildFund’s blog has an array of children’s stories that show the positive impact the organization can have, and therefore the power of generosity and collaboration. Stories like Rajitha’s demonstrate the expansive possibilities and reverberative effects of investing in education, specifically for those living in poverty.

A Ripple Effect

Now a young woman with a successful career, Rajitha wishes to help children who are held back by poverty in their path to education, as she once was. Emboldened by her education and the opportunities she had available to her, Rajitha got involved with the very organization that helped her as a child. As of 2019, Rajitha works as a program officer for a local partner of the ChildFund in Sri Lanka, the Abhimana Community Development Association. Her educational pursuits continue as she studies Human Resource Management and takes accounting classes.

The sponsorships that Rajitha received through ChildFund had an impact beyond her as an individual. With three children, Rajitha’s family had long struggled to afford things like food and school supplies. When Rajitha was able to receive her education for free, her family had more money for other necessities.

The Future

Rajitha’s story can lend evidence to the well-established correlation between education and socioeconomic stability. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), investing in education has significant economic and societal benefits, improving individuals’ employability and earnings, and promoting overall peace, security and economic growth.

Receiving an education through the ChildFund in Sri Lanka sponsorships meant that Rajitha was able to improve her life, her family’s lives, and work to help other children in her state receive the type of support she did. Rajitha’s story shows how investing in education can have enormous returns not only for one person, but an entire community.

– Emma Kelsey

Emma is based in St. Paul, MN, USA and focuses on Good News and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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EdTech and Poverty Eradication in Myanmar

Poverty Eradication in Myanmar

In the shadow of Myanmar’s military junta, where conflict and censorship have shattered formal education for millions, a resilient wave of EdTech innovations and counter-revolutionary learning systems is rising to bridge the digital divide and empower the next generation, proving that poverty eradication in Myanmar hinges on harnessing emerging technologies such as mobile apps, offline platforms and community-led digital initiatives to deliver access to knowledge and skills amid chaos.

Myanmar faces persistent poverty exacerbated by civil conflict, economic instability and natural disasters, with nearly half the population living near the subsistence level. Despite these challenges, opportunities exist to reduce poverty through investment in education and the adoption of educational technologies (EdTech). This article examines Myanmar’s poverty landscape, the obstacles confronting its education system and the prospects for poverty eradication through EdTech-driven reforms.

Myanmar’s Poverty Context

Between 2005 and 2017, Myanmar reduced poverty rates from 48% to 25%, largely due to manufacturing growth. However, the 2021 military coup reversed these gains, causing significant declines in household consumption and in job quality. Conscription, insecurity and recurring disasters have further weakened the labor demand. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) reports that the middle class has shrunk by more than 50%, with 76% of people living close to subsistence level. Consequently, poverty rates doubled to nearly 50% between 2017 and 2023.

Barriers to Educational Access

Myanmar’s education system is fragmented and strained following the 2021 coup. The Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan (2018-2030) underscores education as central to human capacity development, aiming for greater access and quality. However, ongoing conflict and instability have led to widespread school closures, teacher shortages and attacks on educational facilities. As of 2024, approximately 5 million school-aged children remain out of school, and parallel education systems have emerged in areas outside the junta’s control, run by the National Unity Government (NUG) and Ethnic Revolutionary Organizations (ERO). These federalized multilingual initiatives reach approximately 1 million children but face chronic funding and resource limitations.

The junta’s centralization efforts and amendments to the National Education Law have restricted the use of ethnic languages, deepening ethnic divisions. Violent incidents against schools have increased, with more than 174 documented attacks in 2024. Officially reported at more than 6 million for 2024–25, widespread dropouts linked to safety, inflation and corruption have occurred. International support is essential to promote teacher development and rebuild educational capacity, but ongoing conflict and centralized control continue to constrain progress.

The Emergence and Challenges of EdTech

EdTech startups in Myanmar offer innovative approaches to counter such educational disruptions. Companies such as 360ed leverage AR/VR platforms for interactive learning, targeting more than 4 million primary students, which is 38.5% of the school-age population. Offline EdTech products help bridge digital divides, and platforms such as MyanLearn, MMTutors, Laelar and MYEO provide tutoring, online courses and workforce preparation. For instance, the MYEO has trained 21,000 students in digital and soft skills, addressing an 8% youth unemployment rate.

Despite these advances, the adoption of EdTech faces significant barriers. Internet and computer access remain limited, particularly in rural and conflict-affected areas, with 46% of university students resistant to online learning. Access to continuous electricity is another challenge. Affordability and weak funding further limit EdTech’s reach; only one startup, eSchool, secured a major investment of $700,000 in 2019. Systemic issues, including rote learning traditions, teacher-centric pedagogy and insufficient government support, also impede broad EdTech integration.

EdTech and Poverty Eradication: Pathways and Prospects

The World Bank positions EdTech as essential for expanding educational access and combating intergenerational poverty in the country. Its 2020 report highlights the importance of networking teachers, fostering data-driven ecosystems and leveraging technology to promote human connection in education. The World Bank’s Digital Pathways framework identifies five pillars of digital readiness – leadership, technology infrastructure, education delivery, workforce capacity and EdTech market models – as crucial for effective interventions in low-and-middle-income countries (LMIC) such as Myanmar.

Digital learning tools, including radio, TV, SMS and virtual tutoring, can mitigate teacher shortages and reach marginalized communities. Such interventions are foundational for bridging educational disparities and promoting upward social mobility among Myanmar’s rural and ethnic minority populations. Personalized digital learning, especially in foundational literacy and numeracy, is linked to improved lifetime earnings and, therefore, can help with poverty eradication in Myanmar.

The World Bank’s Inclusive Access and Quality Education Project (IAQE) exemplifies targeted investment with a $100 million grant to improve education among marginalized groups and conflict-affected communities. Serving 3 million students and 60,000 teachers across 15,000 schools, the IAQE demonstrates how technology and inclusive interventions can break poverty cycles and address food security challenges.

Investments in EdTech

Burmese food insecurity presents dual challenges: an unstable economic infrastructure and a fractured populace facing inadequate education, fragile agriculture, unstable energy provision and limited economic opportunities. Improving education is vital for poverty eradication in Myanmar as quality education drives human-capital development and economic growth. Myanmar’s poverty rate of 50% post-coup is worsened by the education crisis, perpetuating intergenerational poverty through dropouts and skill shortages. The military junta’s “Burmanization” policies have devastated education, with 245 school attacks in 2022-23 and 31.5% of facilities damaged. EdTech has emerged as a solution, fostering decentralized learning that supports poverty eradication. Through offline mobile apps and AR/VR platforms, startups like 360ed (targeting 4.2 million primary students) and MYEO (training 21,000 youth) bypass censorship and Internet blackouts, bridging the digital divide in rural areas.

This EdTech approach contrasts with the junta’s monolingual model, aligning with the National Unity Government (NUG) and Ethnic Revolutionary Organizations’ (EROs) parallel systems, which educate up to 1 million children through multilingual approaches. The World Bank’s Digital Pathways report (2024) shows that EdTech improves literacy and numeracy for low-income students, enhancing employability amid a 50% poverty rate surge post-2021 coup.

The Inclusive Access and Quality Education Project allocated $100 million to integrate ICT for marginalized groups, serving 3 million students and 60,000 teachers. Reimagining Human Connections shows that sustained EdTech investment through partnerships can rebuild human capital and drive equitable growth for poverty eradication in Myanmar.

– Christopher Michael Pellant

Christopher Michael Pellant is based in Evansville, Indiana and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash

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Education in Gabon

Education in GabonLocated on the western shores of Central Africa — bounded by the Atlantic Ocean, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and the Republic of Congo — is the Gabonese Republic. France colonized the country late in the 19th century, and it was decolonized after World War II, with independence taking place in 1960. Its population of just under 2.5 million is 91% urban, distributed in “pockets” throughout the country.

With vast petroleum reserves, Gabon is a natural-resource-rich, upper-middle-income country and is considered one of sub-Saharan Africa’s most prosperous and stable countries. At the same time, while the forecasted 2025 extreme poverty rate is just 3.1%, the upper-middle-income poverty rate is forecast to be over 37.8%. Unemployment is 20%. 

Education in Gabon

Based on the French model, education in Gabon is compulsory and free from ages 6 to 16, beginning with six years of primary education, followed by seven years of secondary school (state program). Options include the predominant general and technical schools, supplemented by private and international schools. Tertiary education includes two state universities: the University of Sciences and Technologies of Masuku, and the Omar Bongo University programs in administration, engineering, forestry, hydraulics, law, literature, management, science and teacher training. 

Primary education expenditure per child of primary education age was 94.9% above the sub-Saharan regional average, but 48.9% below the upper-middle-income country average. 

Learning Poverty

The Learning Poverty rate, a metric initiated in 2019 by the World Bank and the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, measures the proportion of children who are unable to read a simple text with comprehension by age 10, and considers both schooling and learning. Schooling Deprivation, Learning Deprivation and Learning Poverty are all related and are an early indication of risks to the overall quality of education.

In 2021, the World Bank reported that 30% of Gabonese children at late primary age were not proficient in reading, 24% of students did not achieve the minimum proficiency level in reading at the end of primary school and 9% of primary school-aged children were not enrolled in school. This puts Gabon in a better position than the average for the sub-Saharan Africa region (55.7 percentage points lower) and slightly lower than the average for upper-middle-income countries. Learning poverty was higher for girls than for boys, but the indicators and component proportions for boys and girls were within a few points of each other. 

Demographic Disparities

As might be expected, there are various demographic differences in education regarding access and completion, including discrepancies related to wealth and location (urban/rural) in Gabon. The largest differences between the poorest and the richest students are in completion rates: primary (44% and 95%, respectively), lower secondary (17% and 75%), upper secondary (4% and 49%) and tertiary (more than 40%). This disparity pattern in completion rates is similar between rural and urban locations.

There are also some gender differences, but these are not as dramatic. Boys and girls are relatively close on the individual metrics, and both are low for lower secondary completion (below 50%) and upper secondary completion (below 25%). Literacy is high for both 15-14-year-old boys and girls at 95% and 97%, respectively. Learning achievements are within 5-10% of each other, but low for math at the end of primary school. 

SDG 4

In the 2025 United Nations Sustainable Development Report, Gabon is ranked 103:167 overall on the 17 SDGs. SDG 4, Quality Education, is to “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.” The assessment of Gabon on SDG 4 is that “major challenges remain.” Noted are major challenges remaining in the net primary enrollment rate and the lower secondary completion rate, and the literacy rate. (The World Bank reported adult literacy in 2021 to be 86%.)

Addressing High School Dropout: ADAP

Primary school enrollment in Gabon is high—90%–but there is a serious drop in transitioning to secondary school. Only 48% of boys and 57% of girls enroll in secondary school, reportedly because of “social factors.” UNICEF, through its Adolescent Development and Participation program (ADAP), is working with Gabonese education professionals to encourage young people to stay in school and understand how they can contribute to their communities. In addition to working with those in daily contact with adolescents, UNICEF Gabon contributes to various community and school awareness-building activities and extracurricular talks.

U-Report

An innovative approach for communication and advocacy is UNICEF’s use of U-Report, UNICEF’s free and anonymous mobile digital platform where young people can post opinions and information, engaging in advocacy within their communities and beyond. Launched in Uganda in 2011, as of mid-202, there were over 37 million registered U-Reporters in 102 countries, including 4,231 U-Reporters in Gabon. In July 2025, Gabon’s fifth U-Report regional branch opened in Franceville, with the network hailed as a means of allowing “young people to express themselves, learn and influence public policy on issues that concern them.” 

Advocacy Enhancing Education

As a correlate to UNICEF’s ADAP effort, U-Report can serve not only to support students’ healthy communication and advocacy activities, but also to strengthen and support their involvement in local communities, including activities that improve their schools. In Libreville, for example, group field action was conducted to remove unhealthy conditions on school grounds in Sibang by collecting waste, recycling plastic, and weeding around a classroom building to provide a cleaner environment to support students’ well-being and academic success. The Oyem group conducted a two-day campaign in schools to raise awareness of crucial issues—violence in schools, cyberbullying, sexual violence in schools and children’s rights. This involved middle and high school students in interactive workshops and discussion sessions. 

Final Thoughts

Together, UNICEF’s ADAP initiative and the U-Report platform are helping transform young Gabonese into active advocates for their education and communities. By amplifying their voices and encouraging civic engagement, these programs not only motivate students to stay in school but also foster a generation prepared to address the persistent challenges of inequality and access to education in Gabon.

– Staff Reports

Photo: Flickr

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5 Facts on the Current State of Education in Cyprus

Education in CyprusCyprus, the third‑largest island in the eastern Mediterranean, has long viewed education as a critical driver of socioeconomic growth. The Republic of Cyprus (recognized by the EU) and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (recognized only by Turkey) operate separate systems, making accurate, island‑wide educational figures hard to obtain. Yet, within the Republic of Cyprus, adult literacy now exceeds 98% and tertiary attainment among those aged 25-34 is almost at 47%, the highest rate in the EU. Public schools deliver primary through secondary education, while three public and five private universities provide higher learning. 

In the Republic of Cyprus, education is structured as a 6‑6 system: six years of compulsory primary education starting near age 6, followed by six years of secondary (divided into junior and senior cycles), and then tertiary or vocational pathways. Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) usually lasts two years post-secondary and is overseen by the Human Resource Development Authority (HRDA).

Public spending on education is robust, historically around 6-7% of GDP, significantly above the EU average. In 2022, education expenses made up about 4.9% of total GDP and 13% of the government budget (approximately €1.446 billion). These numbers position Cyprus among Europe’s top spenders in education quality and support.

Performance and Learning Outcomes 

Cypriot students take part in the OECD’s PISA assessments. In 2022, their average scores fell to about 418 in mathematics, 411 in science, and 381 in reading—all well below the OECD averages of 472, 485, and 476, respectively. This marks a sharp decline from 2018 and shows Cyprus falling behind many of its EU peers in core academic skills.

Adult learning engagement is another concern: in 2022, only 28.3% of adults participated in education or training, well below the EU average of around 39.5% – with participation among women at just 20.4% versus 36.7% for men. There is a marked gap between higher‑educated individuals (35.5% participation) and those with lower qualifications (10.9%).

Challenges, Reforms and the Road Ahead 

Despite high levels of investment, Cyprus’ reliance on inconsistent teacher-assigned school grades, which account for 70% of final marks, can undermine fairness. To make matters worse, university admissions rely almost entirely on centralized exams, disadvantaging students from less privileged schools or socio-economic backgrounds. Additionally, adult learning participation has sharply decreased since 2016, particularly among older populations and non-workers. 

In 2015, the government launched an Agency of Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education to standardize and improve university quality across all institutions. It has evaluated nearly 300 study programs and multiple universities since then, helping hundreds of thousands of students. The HRDA continues to finance vocational training through payroll-based fees and generous subsidies, helping bridge skills gaps in Cyprus’s economy. Technical cooperation with EU partners and UNESCO supports further reforms aimed at expanding adult training and improving early‑grade performance.

Overall, education in Cyprus remains a high‑priority sector, with solid funding, strong tertiary completion, and a national commitment to quality. However, recent declines in PISA performance and adult learning participation signal the need for greater policy involvement, particularly on lifelong learning and transparency in grading. As reforms increase, Cyprus has a chance to bolster its reputation as one of Europe’s education success stories while ensuring that all learners benefit.  

– Jeff Zhou
Photo: Flickr

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Education in Cape Verde

Education in Cape VerdeCape Verde, an island nation in the North Atlantic, has made incredible progress in education since gaining independence in 1975. Back then, less than 40% of adults could read and write; by 2022–23, that figure had risen to almost 91%. Among young people aged 15–24, literacy rates now reach approximately 98%, placing Cape Verde among the highest in West Africa. This gradual rise has become a focal point of national development and contributes to its medium‑income status.

Cape Verde’s formal education follows a 6‑year primary system (ages 6–12), followed by a 5‑year secondary program, which includes a 3‑year general lower-secondary cycle and a 2‑year upper-secondary track focused on either university preparation or vocational training. 

Preschool teaches children under 6. Primary net enrollment is reported at about 86%, while gross enrollment, including over‑age or under‑age students, is close to 96%. The country boasts an impressive 99% transition rate to lower secondary schools. However, completion rates remain lower: about 67% for boys and 65% for girls finish primary education. They’re even worse and more gender-disparate for lower secondary education. 

Public Spending and Quality Assurance 

Cape Verde has maintained high public investment in education for many years, though it declined from 7.5% in 2004 to approximately 5% by 2013. Investment in higher education also increased modestly, from 0.79 % of GDP in 2013 to 0.9% in 2017. Efforts to train teachers and provide textbooks appear effective, as 90% of students have access to textbooks and over 90% of teachers have undergone in-service training.

Despite this commitment, challenges remain. Repetition rates in early primary grades are high, grade 2 sees a repeat rate of about 16.3%, nearly double the average of other grades. Additionally, girls face higher dropout risks, due in part to early childbearing and child marriage, with dropout rates around 24% for girls versus 15% for boys. Such challenges are more prevalent in rural and lower‑income communities, where access to secondary education facilities may be limited and traditional gender roles yield greater influence. 

Reforms and International Cooperation 

Cape Verde’s inclusive education system is bolstered by national policy and international partnerships. The government collaborates with UNESCO, the U.N., and development partners to improve learning outcomes and equity across islands and vulnerable populations. A key example is a UNICEF‑led initiative under the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), which is funding early childhood and basic education improvements from 2024 to 2029. The program has expanded preschool access to over 5,000 children, many in rural or disadvantaged communities, by providing digital learning rooms and supplying new learning materials. This has helped raise the national preschool enrollment rate to about 86%. The focus on STEM education and vocational training aligns with broader economic ambitions, supported by technical cooperation and external funding.

By combining high literacy targets with strong policy and international support, Cape Verde aims to position education as a transformative national asset. Continued investment in early‑grade learning, improved transition and completion at the secondary level, and expanded opportunities in higher education and vocational training are critical to its vision for sustainable development. With over 90 % adult literacy and near‑universal secondary transition, Cape Verde stands out in its region for educational progress. However, targeted reforms remain crucial to ensure that every child benefits equally from learning.

– Jeff Zhou
Photo: Flickr

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10 Facts About Education in Argentina

Education in ArgentinaArgentina is the second-largest South American country, with a population of almost 47 million. The country is 92.5% urbanized, with a third of the population living in the capital of Buenos Aires. In regard to education in Argentina, the literacy rate is 99%. 

10 Facts About Education in Argentina

  1. Tuition-free education in Argentina is offered at the primary, secondary and university levels, in addition to private schools. Over the last decade, there have been several significant projects designed to address and improve different aspects of the education system. These have tackled rural education, school dropouts, early literacy, education infrastructure and digital learning.
  2. Rural schoolchildren experience disadvantages in education, such as multigrade teaching, access to secondary education (83% urban, 55% rural) and transition to secondary education (rural students are 43% less likely to attend lower secondary education and 70% more likely to drop out). 
  3. PROMER-II, the Second Rural Education Improvement Project for Argentina, active from 2015-2021 was funded by a $250.5 million loan from the World Bank’s International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The Government of Argentina provided counterpart funding of $11.45 million, as well as follow-up support that included a nationwide program of school grants to support vulnerable students who might not otherwise complete secondary school. PROMER-II objectives were to (1) reduce repetition rates at preprimary, primary and secondary levels, (2) increase enrollment and completion of secondary school, and (3) strengthen project management, monitoring and evaluation. The national Ministry of Education implemented the project. The World Bank was able to accrue additional donor support, for example, from UNICEF. 
  4. Teaching improvements, good school management practices, strong school-family linkages and expanded service coverage all contributed to the project’s success. A total of 183 rural education schools were built or refurbished, and 2,218 had improved infrastructure to cope with COVID-19 needs. Between 2014-2021, rural repetition rates decreased by almost 50%; transition from primary to secondary increased from 75% to 80%; transition from lower to upper secondary increased from 91.6% to 96.5%;  and completion of upper secondary (12th grade) increased from 63.3% to 74.1%.
  5. It was estimated that between 350,000 and 700,000 students dropped out of school in 2021, with only 10% of students completing their secondary education on time. The COVID-19 pandemic only exacerbated issues of poverty, such as a lack of technology, including internet access. Approximately 880,000 children were seen as vulnerable; the National Education Ministry reported that 13% of students at all levels had little or no contact with the educational system. 
  6. In spring 2023, the Organisation of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture developed a “Return to Studying” campaign to provide incentives to both adults and children to return to their studies. Two Argentinian football organizations became involved because of the popularity of football in the country and its ability to reach all social classes.
  7. The World Bank approved two projects for Argentina in November 2024, for a total of $1 billion. Half of the money is for the Integrated Early Childhood Development Project that will support the improvement of programs for mothers and children up to the age of 4. The project is expected to reach more than 800,000 pregnant women and 1.8 million children, including access to childcare centers for 120,000 vulnerable children and support for 39,000 families residing in vulnerable areas. The second $500 million is for the Program to Support the Federal Policy for Enhancing Foundational Literacy. The goal is to increase the percentage of students who meet the minimum level of literacy proficiency in the first cycle of primary education, the APRENDER 3rd grade tests.
  8. Also in November 2024, the Inter-American Development Bank approved a $300 million loan to Argentina over four years for training 390,000 teachers to improve reading instruction, among other initiatives. The loan is described as the first individual operation of a conditional credit line directed toward improving “comprehensive literacy,” i.e., foundational skills of basic math, science and the use of digital technologies. The credit line is approved for up to $1 billion, with the initial credit line to include financing for primary school books, including books for those with hearing or visual disabilities, mobile libraries and literacy kits. This initial loan includes $500 million in parallel financing from the World Bank Group. Technical teams will work to improve coordination between the education system’s subnational and national levels.  
  9. In February 2025, the head of government for the City of Buenos Aires announced a $146.6 billion investment in 627 school infrastructure projects as part of the city’s “Agenda 2025, Buenos Aires First.” This is a continuation of work that included 300 projects already underway. Projects include new school buildings, refurbishment and maintenance of buildings and conversion of some schools and kindergartens from single-day to full-day classes. Supplies include “I Love Learning” kits of materials, school supplies, language and math teaching materials and textbooks for students and teachers. There are also teacher training programs.
  10. Working with Argentina’s Ministry of Economy and Public Management and the Ministry of Education of the Province of Cordoba, the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) undertook an initiative in April 2025 to improve digital learning in the province’s primary and secondary schools. The project contributed 48,000 netbooks across hundreds of public schools in order to make educational technologies more accessible both to teachers and students. The expectation is that integrating technology in the classroom will increase equal opportunities and motivation, and that enhanced inclusion will improve academic outcomes. Digital tools will also be used to support students with learning difficulties. 

Investment in Argentina’s education system is thus significant, comprising international, national, and subnational support. This support is wide in scope in terms of target populations, issues addressed and the solutions undertaken.

– Staff Reports
Photo: Flickr

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Addressing Poverty in Uruguay

Poverty in UruguaySituated between Argentina and Brazil, Uruguay holds a modest population of around 3.4 million – 0.041% of the total world population. Successfully, the nation ranks low in national poverty on a regional level. Boasting a relatively high Gross Domestic Project (GDP), Uruguayan poverty is at one of its lowest points. Recently, the nation scored a Gini index value of 40%, holding the largest middle class in Latin America. With an extreme drop in poverty in Uruguay in the mid-2000s, government assistance programs continue to keep rates stable.

Poverty in Uruguay

About 18.9% of its population are in poverty, per the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI). The MPI classifies multidimensional poverty as a deficit in four or more areas of housing, employment, education and government services. About 17.5% of households have at least one member without adequate education. 29.2% of households have at least one informally employed member,  and 17.4% of residents have unreliable housing. The government supplies direct payments through a Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program, membership is reliant on school attendance and routine health checks. Payments increase with the number of children per household. 

The government also provides additional benefits to retirees with childcare exceptions, along with disability and survivor benefits. Simultaneously, the government also provides benefits to widowed individuals or children with lost or disabled parents. The previous year’s median wage index determines annual cost of living. However, despite social programs’ impact, poverty is still largely disproportionate.

Groups Experiencing Higher Numbers of Poverty in Uruguay

The Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) uncovered higher rates of poverty among Afro-descendants and children aged 0-14. One of South America’s more homogeneous countries, less than 5% of Afro-descendants comprise its population, with 2% identifying as Indigenous, and a smaller percentage identifying as “other.” Afro-descendants make up a fourth of Latin America and are regionally 2.5% more likely to face poverty. In Uruguay alone, extreme poverty most likely affects Afro-descendants. Afro-descendants’ disposable income is 41% lower than white’s, and indigenous people’s is lower by 27%. Consequently, Afro-descendants and indigenous people receive more financial assistance, largely through programs including CCT. In 2018, the government allocated 6.1% towards Afro-descendants through CCT programs and 7.9% towards food transfer programs.

As for child poverty, the lack of child assistance programs likely leads to these disparities. In contrast, Uruguay holds a Human Capital Index (HCI) value of 0.06, relatively high in Latin America. The HCI measures the probability of a child’s success based on rates of employment, education and health. 

Looking Ahead

Progressively, Uruguay’s social assistance programs have been successful in lessening national poverty. The MPI and other programs introduce factorial approaches to understanding poverty. As poverty remains disproportionate among certain populations, implementation of new programs, through demographic-specific programs and education may address income disparities between racial minority groups and create not just regional, but global records as well.

– Sarah Licon

Sarah is based in Whittier, CA, USA and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr