Excluding children from school education could cost the global community about $10 trillion a year by 2030 if states do not take decisive action, the United Nations warned in a new report published Monday.
The report from the UN educational, scientific and cultural agency, UNESCO, estimates specific costs for individuals, states and societies, taking into account foregone tax revenues and lower incomes.
It compares the current situation with a scenario in which no or only a minimal number of children drop out of school.
According to the Paris-based agency, around 128 million boys and 122 million girls are currently excluded from school worldwide.
About 57% of the world’s children have not acquired basic skills. According to the report, the highest costs of lack of education relative to gross domestic product are likely to occur in sub-Saharan Africa.
The assessment also points to other social consequences of a lack of education, such as increased homicides and assaults. Each year girls spend in high school also reduces the risk of child marriage and underage pregnancies, the report notes.
