Disadvantaged children face discrimination in their access to education. Children from minority groups, children with disabilities, girls and LGBT children face challenges in getting a quality education. Children living in rural areas and in areas affected by armed conflict also face difficulties in obtaining an education. Furthermore, children in refugee camps and displaced areas often face compound barriers.
Research suggests that children from low-income households start school with a disproportionately low level of learning skills. As a result, these children often enter school 18 months behind their richer peers. Poor children have fewer books in their homes than richer children, and they have lower levels of literacy. Providing access to books in an early age is essential for all children.
Parents should develop a good relationship with their child’s teacher and show that they are involved in their child’s education. This way, the teacher will know that parents are interested in what happens in the classroom and can help if problems arise. Teachers should be aware of their roles, and should be open to parent input.
Despite these challenges, governments must make progress toward their 2015 commitments to provide quality education for all children. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals call for universal access to quality education by 2030. To meet these goals, governments will need to implement intensive outreach to ensure that children are in school. In order to achieve this, they must ensure that their schools are safe and well-maintained. This is the first step toward improving the lives of children around the world.
In addition to identifying the skills that children need, education should also address their social and emotional skills. While the two are not the same, they are closely linked and impact academic performance, positive health indicators, civic participation, and more. These skills are developed throughout life, and should be explicitly emphasized in public education. If the goal is to ensure that all children develop the skills that they need to be successful in life, then the school should be a place where these skills can be nurtured.
However, in spite of these efforts, a lot of children still lack access to an education. This is due to widespread inequality in education. Governments must reverse policies that create educational inequalities and invest in public education. The right to education is a fundamental right that no child should be denied. Even those governments with limited resources should improve their education systems.