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The Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) recently launched the mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) Minimum Service Package (MSP). The MSP can address the MHPSS needs of populations affected by humanitarian crises by helping stakeholders coordinate MHPSS responses within and across sectors, addressing gaps, advocating for needs, and planning and implementing activities. It includes high priority MHPSS activities that can be implemented by education, health, child protection, Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and other sectors to ensure that the diverse MHPSS needs of populations affected by emergencies are addressed. A checklist of actions to inform planning and implementation, and a list of relevant guidelines, standards, and tools, are provided for each activity. This brief aims to serve as a guide for education professionals on how to integrate MHPSS into Education in Emergencies (EiE) programming. An overview of MHPSS activities that can be implemented in EiE contexts is detailed, in line with the MHPSS Minimum Service Package. Country examples and case studies are featured.

Botswana will need to invest in human capital and strengthen its skills base to transition into a knowledge-based economy. However, low foundational learning levels remain a key challenge for the education sector. While Botswana has invested heavily in teacher supply, teacher deployment has not always reflected school-level teacher needs. The uneven distribution of teachers -- both across and within schools -- contributes to disparities in class sizes and learning conditions. Moreover, female teachers are particularly underrepresented in the sciences despite comprising much of the teaching force. This report aims to provide policymakers with a granular overview of teacher distribution in the country and inform ongoing efforts to improve teacher allocation. [This research project was made possible by the Botswana Ministry of Education and Skills Development.]

Transforming education systems to be fit for the 21st century is the common thread for creating inclusive and equitable societies resilient to conflict, climate change and economic crises. Now is the time for increased investment in African education systems. This paper describes: (1) the state of Africa's educational landscape; (2) innovative approaches to increase education financing; and (3) what can be done to put education back at the forefront of Africa's policy agenda while sparking improved outcomes across the entire education spectrum. [Additional collaborators for this paper include the African Development Bank and the African Union.]

Transforming education starts with ensuring all children attain foundational learning--literacy, numeracy and socio-emotional skills which provide the building blocks for all other learning. To this end, a global coalition has been established, inviting governments and stakeholders to endorse the Commitment to Action on Foundational Learning as a first step to accelerate the agenda on foundational learning. Organized around the RAPID Framework, this report presents insights on the progress countries have made towards securing foundational learning, using data based on survey responses from 94 low- and middle-income countries and UNICEF's yearly monitoring exercise with its programme country offices. Complementing the Foundational Learning Action Tracker, an initiative by UNICEF and the Hempel Foundation, this report presents findings on the extent to which RAPID policy actions are being implemented and enabling systems are in place to support them, towards the goal of achieving foundational learning for all. [The Hempel Foundation provided support for this initiative.]

Technology presents incredible new potential in opening 'learning to earning' pathways for traditionally marginalised groups, such as displaced young people, adolescent girls and young women. Developing and scaling digitally powered learning for displaced populations can provide alternative opportunities to those who have lost access public schooling, with information and communication technology (ICT) holding great promise to leverage innovative online, offline and blended learning in settings providing formal, non-formal and informal education. However, a persistent gender digital divide results in unequal access to and use of ICT. This report aims to connect policymakers and practitioners with research and evidence on policy and programme solutions to support the inclusion, self-reliance and protection of displaced children and families. It synthesizes evidence on how digitally powered learning to earning for displaced young people, adolescent girls and young women can be further developed and scaled. It was produced to inform the learning agenda of PROSPECTS, a multi-year (2019-2023), multi-stakeholder partnership funded by the Government of the Netherlands, working together with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), International Labour Organization (ILO), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Bank.

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, resulting in disruptions to education at an unprecedented scale. In response to the urgent need to recover learning losses, countries worldwide have taken RAPID actions to: Reach every child and keep them in school; Assess learning levels regularly; Prioritize teaching the fundamentals; Increase the efficiency of instruction; and Develop psychosocial health and wellbeing. Marking three years since the onset of the pandemic, this report looks back at policy measures taken during school closures and reopening based on country survey data, initiatives implemented by countries and regions to recover and accelerate learning, and their emerging lessons within each RAPID action. With schools now reopened worldwide, this report also looks ahead to longer-term education transformation, offering policy recommendations to build more resilient, effective and equitable education systems.

Nine out of every 10 refugees arriving in host countries from Ukraine are women and children. Only 1 in 3 of Ukrainian refugee children are enrolled in early childhood education and care services. This emphasizes the need for expanding and strengthening early childhood education systems to ensure sufficient access for all children, and the integration of Ukranian refugee children in the host-community. These briefs offer recommendations for policymakers on ways to expand services, and how to facilitate the integration of refugee children and their families. Strategies include limiting the barriers that may hinder refugee children's access to ECEC settings, capitalizing existing physical and human resources to address gaps in service delivery, in addition to the inclusion of refugees in national and sub-national plans, data systems and financing, adapting policies and programmes to ensure considerations are made for refugee children. This second brief focuses on expanding early childhood education and care for Ukrainian refugee children and caregivers. [For the first brief in the series, see ED627656.]

Nine out of every 10 refugees arriving in host countries from Ukraine are women and children. Only 1 in 3 of Ukrainian refugee children are enrolled in early childhood education and care services. This emphasizes the need for expanding and strengthening early childhood education systems to ensure sufficient access for all children, and the integration of Ukranian refugee children in the host-community. These briefs offer recommendations for policymakers on ways to expand services, and how to facilitate the integration of refugee children and their families. Strategies include limiting the barriers that may hinder refugee children's access to ECEC settings, capitalizing existing physical and human resources to address gaps in service delivery, in addition to the inclusion of refugees in national and sub-national plans, data systems and financing, adapting policies and programmes to ensure considerations are made for refugee children. This first brief focuses on the integration of young refugee children through early childhood education and care. [For the second brief in this series, see ED627655.]

The European Training Foundation (ETF) and the UNICEF Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECARO) conducted polls and focus groups to better understand the needs, views, sentiments, and experiences of young people, mainly between the ages of 14 and 34, in relation to career guidance. The geographical focus of the research was on select countries in the Europe and Central Asia region, specifically covering Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. The research was co-designed and conducted in close collaboration, and with the full participation, of young people. The initiative's main objective has been to generate new evidence on career guidance demand and expectations among the young generations in these 11 countries and beyond. Fit-for-purpose career guidance should ideally be: a systematic combination of structured career education programs (as part of curricula throughout formal education, to be able to reach whole generations), quality online self-learning and self-help opportunities; and person-centered career guidance service offered outside of school, both face-to-face and online.

This series of briefs draws on the findings of multi-country research based on first-hand migration experiences of 1,634 children and young people moving between Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt1 (available at www.unicef-irc.org/child-migration-hoa). The briefs highlight findings that can inform decision makers when designing child-sensitive solutions for children on the move (COM), in line with relevant objectives of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM). This second brief presents access to basic services. [For Brief 1, see ED620508. For Brief 3, see ED620509.]

This series of briefs draws on the findings of multi-country research based on first-hand migration experiences of 1,634 children and young people moving between Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt (available at www.unicef-irc.org/child-migration-hoa). The briefs highlight findings that can inform decision makers when designing child-sensitive solutions for children on the move (COM), in line with relevant objectives of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM). This third brief in the series presents vulnerability, discrimination and xenophobia. [For Brief 1, see ED620508. For Brief 2, see ED620510.]

This series of briefs draws on the findings of multi-country research based on first-hand migration experiences of 1,634 children and young people moving between Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt1 (available at www.unicef-irc.org/child-migration-hoa). The briefs highlight findings that can inform decision makers when designing child-sensitive solutions for children on the move (COM), in line with relevant objectives of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM). This first brief in the series presents strengthening child protection systems and ending child immigration detention. [For Brief 2, see ED620510. For Brief 3, see ED620509.]

In Afghanistan, 93% of children cannot read a simple text by the age of 10. Education is not available to everyone, especially for girls and children in remote areas. A form of community-based education, called Accelerated Learning Centers (ALCs), can help close the distance barrier and meet the needs of out-of-school children and girls. In May 2021, an assessment of foundational literacy and numeracy skills of ALC students and nearby government school students was conducted. Results show that children at ALCs are learning at similar levels or better compared with children who attend government schools. This report provides insight into practices to improve education in rural areas in Afghanistan.

The COVID-19 pandemic presented an opportunity for governments across Southeast Asia to reshape their approach to education so that children and adolescents are equipped with the necessary academic and socioemotional skills to live a rewarding life. By providing deeper insight into children's attitudes and values in well-being domains, this report reveals the relationship between children's well-being and academic learning in the region. What can policymakers and practitioners do to support children and adolescents to excel now and in the future? Through quantitative analysis of the Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics 2019 database, along with an investigation of policy implications and promising practices, this report advocates for increased coordination across cross-sectoral government institutions; increased school, parental and community support for children's development; and providing a platform for children's voices to understand their perspectives and needs.

Almost two years into the pandemic, its widespread impact continues to deepen, increasing poverty and entrenching inequality. While some countries are recovering and rebuilding in a 'new normal', for too many, COVID-19 remains a catastrophe. The unequal rollout of COVID-19 vaccines is putting entire communities at risk. And as new variants continue to emerge, children and their communities continue to face health risks. Increases in poverty have set back progress toward realizing children's rights and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Children's diets have deteriorated, and families struggle to find ways to find enough food and safe water for their children. By September 2021, schoolchildren around the world have lost an estimated 1.8 trillion hours of in-person learning due to COVID-related school closures, which will have profound long-term, unequal social and economic effects. Essential nutrition and health services such as routine immunization programmes and maternal and childcare continue to be disrupted. School closures, job losses among families and increased stress and anxiety have affected the mental health of children and young people. COVID-19 remains an urgent crisis for children that requires sustained, focused action. This report lays out the work in front of us by taking stock of the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on children and the road to respond and recover to reimagine the future for every child. [This report was produced by UNICEF's Division of Global Communication and Advocacy.]

Significant progress has been made to close gender gaps in education over the last 25 years. Nevertheless, gender inequalities persist and education remains elusive for many girls. The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) estimates that 11.2 million girls and young women may drop out or not have access to school due the pandemic. As the pandemic led to a surge in the use of digital technologies in education, it also revealed staggering gender gaps in access to and use of digital technology all around the world -- not just in contexts where there is no parity in education. Indeed, gender-based exclusion is present throughout the technological world. However, the pandemic showed that learning can occur anywhere and anytime. Innovative solutions are at our fingertips and we have an opportunity now to leverage global experience to deliver quality learning for girls, from high-tech to low-tech, to no-tech. This brief note highlights how United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) will advance inclusive and transformative digital technology to enhance girls' learning and skills development for work and life.

This research takes a mixed methods and design-led approach to understand how adolescents in Southeast Asia interact and engage with the variety of content and platforms available online. The research aimed to understand whether adolescents are developing relevant 21st century and digital skills through online platforms, and whether and how online spaces are contributing to young people's sense of self-empowerment. The methodology included in-depth primary research conducted in four countries -- Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand, and secondary research in Viet Nam. It applies ethnographic, qualitative, quantitative, and digital methods of research to investigate the barriers and enablers that impact young people's online experiences, and identify future pathways that could help adolescents become active and contributing participants in the digital world. The research presents actionable recommendations related to skill development, online safety, digital engagement and others to support all adolescents, in particular the most vulnerable, to maximise their digital potential.

The COVID-19 pandemic has raised huge concerns for the mental health of an entire generation of children. But the pandemic may represent only the tip of a mental health iceberg -- an iceberg we have ignored for far too long. For the first time, "The State of the World's Children" examines the mental health of children and adolescents. Against a backdrop of rising awareness of mental health issues, there is now a unique opportunity to promote good mental health for every child, protect vulnerable children and care for children facing the greatest challenges. Making that happen will require urgent investment in child and adolescent mental health across sectors -- not just in health -- to support proven interventions. It will also need societies to break the silence surrounding mental health, by addressing stigma, promoting understanding, and taking seriously the experiences of children and young people. [This report is produced by the Office of Global Insights and Policy. For "The State of the Worlds Children 2017: Children in a Digital World," see ED590013.]

This report, which has been developed through a partnership between the African Union Commission (AUC) and UNICEF, aims to: (1) track the progress that African nations have made in education, especially in relation to Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) and the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA) goals; (2) identify the challenges that African leaders and decision makers face in providing inclusive quality education, especially those related to the COVID-19 pandemic; and (3) make recommendations that could help accelerate progress in education, and prevent the COVID-19 pandemic from eroding the gains that have been made to date. The report relies primarily on data from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) and household surveys such as the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) and Demographic Health Surveys (DHS). It is based on robust statistical analysis to illustrate the progress and challenges of education in Africa. The goal is to offer African leaders and decision makers a valuable, evidence-based snapshot of the state of education across the continent of Africa, and practical ideas that they can implement in their particular countries. [This report was jointly prepared with the African Union Commission.]

The climate crisis is the defining human and child's rights challenge of this generation, and is already having a devastating impact on the well-being of children globally. Understanding where and how children are uniquely vulnerable to this crisis is crucial in responding to it. The Children's Climate Risk Index provides the first comprehensive view of children's exposure and vulnerability to the impacts of climate change to help prioritize action for those most at risk and ultimately ensure today's children inherit a liveable planet. Utilizing high-resolution geographical data, this report provides new global evidence on how many children are currently exposed to a variety of climate and environmental hazards, shocks and stresses. Children's lack of access to essential services, such as in health, nutrition, education and social protection, makes them particularly susceptible. This report combines this growing body of new evidence with data on children's vulnerability to introduce the first comprehensive view of climate risk from a child's perspective.

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Bank and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) have collaborated in the third round of the Survey on National Education Responses to COVID-19 School Closures, administered by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) and OECD to Ministry of Education officials. The questions covered four levels of education: preprimary, primary, lower secondary and upper secondary. While the first two rounds of the survey were implemented during the periods May-June and July-October 2020, respectively, the third round was implemented during the period February-June 2021. In total, 143 countries responded to the questionnaire. Thirty-one countries submitted responses to the OECD ("OECD survey") and 112 countries responded to the UIS ("UIS survey"). Seven countries responded to both surveys. In these instances, the more complete set responses were used in analysis.

The future of an entire generation is at stake. Disruptions to education systems since early 2020 have already driven substantial losses and inequalities in learning, and this is compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic that has caused abrupt and profound changes around the world. More than 1.6 billion children have lost instructional time for many months at a time, if not for much of the last year, and many children are still not back in school. However, simply reopening schools is not enough. Students will need tailored and sustained support to help them readjust and catch-up after the pandemic. UNICEF, UNESCO and World Bank have joined forces focusing on three priorities that will enable all children to return to school safely and to learn in a supportive environment, which also addresses their health and psychosocial well-being and other needs. The three priorities include: (1) All children and youth are back in school and receive the tailored services needed to meet their learning, health, psychosocial well-being, and other needs; (2) All children receive support to catch up on lost learning; and (3) All teachers are prepared and supported to address learning losses among their students and to incorporate digital technology into their teaching. UNICEF, UNESCO and World Bank, as partners, will help countries achieve this mission by the end of 2021.

In sub-Saharan Africa, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have far-reaching consequences for 550 million children under the age of 18. This UNICEF Child Alert examines how the disease and measures put in place to contain it are impacting the lives of children across the region, exacerbating existing threats like conflict, climate change and nutrition crises. The report urges governments and the international community to take concerted action to mitigate the effects of the pandemic and build a better world fit for children.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) emphasizes that all children have the right to be full members of society, and be included in all forms of participation inside the home and out in the community. Unfortunately, many children with disabilities are not afforded this opportunity. Instead, they face many barriers that exclude them from society. Compared with other children, children with disabilities are less likely to receive an education, less likely to be employed as adults, more likely to be victims of violence, less likely to start their own families and participate in community events, and more likely to live in poverty. The exclusion of children with disabilities affects not only them, but imposes costs on the whole community. If these children lack the opportunity to be productive, society loses out on what they could have produced. The barriers faced by people with disabilities can also create more responsibilities for their family members, which can limit their opportunities to work or get an education. Moreover, the impact of exclusion extends beyond the economic cost. If people with disabilities are absent from public discourse, the community cannot benefit from their ideas. If they are excluded from political participation, the government cannot truly represent the interests of all citizens. A growing body of research suggests that the costs of exclusion are high. Fortunately, evidence also demonstrates that there are effective ways to ameliorate these costs. A strong case can be made for the social and economic benefits of inclusion. This paper is an effort to begin making that case.

"Growing Steady and Strong: Early Childhood Development Regional Guidance in East Asia and the Pacific" was developed against the backdrop of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis to support the country offices of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in implementing the early childhood development (ECD) agenda as a key pillar for UNICEF in 2022-2025. It aims to provide a vision for action to UNICEF country offices in East Asia and the Pacific and other interested ECD partners and stakeholders to enhance the ECD policies and programmes in the region and position its importance in policymakers' plans for a brighter future. Chapter 1 describes the purpose and rationale of the document. Chapter 2 highlights East Asia and the Pacific system-wide advances as well as challenges in ECD systems strengthening and integrated national policies. Chapter 3 summarizes the direct impacts on young children and their families in the region amidst the COVID-19 pandemic that has affected more than 150 million young children under 5 years of age. Finally, Chapter 4 details pathways to achieve the strategic vision of "Building back better for young children through ECD." The analysis suggests two key response pillars: systems strengthening and family and child-friendly policies. It also recommends five key policy actions. [Financial support for this document was provided by the Prudence Foundation.]

This publication seeks to identify a series of considerations and approaches that should inform government decision-making regarding policies and procedures for the formative assessment of students in the context of remote (or hybrid) provision of educational services. Therefore, it is intended to inform and provide inputs for their deliberation when preparing guidelines and procedures to support teachers and others responsible for conducting formative assessment to measure the outcomes of the teaching-learning process. Such assessments are also valuable for collecting evidence that can be used to adjust practices linked to remote provision of education, taking into account students' diverse circumstances and living conditions, with emphasis on the most vulnerable.

Over 11 million cases of coronavirus have been reported in Latin America and the Caribbean. More than seven months after the first case hit Brazil, COVID-19 has deprived 97 per cent of the region's students of their normal schooling. Across the region, the prolonged closure of schools means that 137 million boys and girls continue to miss out on their education. For each individual child, this loss has damaging implications for his or her future. With each passing day of schools being closed, a generational catastrophe is unfolding, one that will lead to profound consequences for society as a whole. In other parts of the world, schools have gradually reopened, but in Latin America and the Caribbean, the vast majority of classrooms remain closed with no immediate prospect of reopening. This report discusses the following topics: (1) School closures in Latin America and the Caribbean region; (2) Risks associated with prolonged school closures; (3) UNICEF education response; (4) Preparing for school reopening; and (5) Call to Action.

Through strong working relationships and a responsive approach for systems strengthening, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Turkey has been able to effectively integrate its humanitarian and refugee-related programmes into its wider strategic approach to increase the potential for every child to learn. In doing so, UNICEF has worked closely with the government and partners to adapt national and local systems to better meet the needs of Turkish and non-Turkish adolescents, including the 400,000 Syrian refugee children and adolescents identified as out of school. This report presents how working sectors in Turkey accelerates learning for all adolescents.

There are nearly 200 million lower and upper secondary age adolescent girls and boys out of school globally, and if current trends continue, another 825 million children will not acquire basic secondary-level skills by 2030. Global momentum to achieve universal primary education has placed increased demands on secondary education systems to serve more students, from a wider range of backgrounds, and to do so more effectively and inclusively. Many of the most marginalized adolescents in lower income countries who are enrolled in school have fallen years behind their peers. In alignment with the focus on the most marginalized adolescent girls and boys brought forward in the UNICEF Strategic Plan (2018-2021) (see ED608930), this guidance offers differentiated recommendations for countries at various stages of the progressive universalization of lower and upper secondary education. It presents principles of good programming, key concepts, and useful tools and resources to orient CO programming on secondary education, using data to identify where and which adolescents are in and out of the education system and why. Additionally, it presents programming recommendations and illustrative case studies aligned to the strategic plan, as well as costing and financing models, monitoring and evaluation tools, and insights on advocacy and partnerships.

This report summarizes the challenges, opportunities and proposed actions during and in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic as they relate to social protection, emergencies, the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programme, immunization, education, child protection, nutrition, climate change, migrants, adolescents, mental health, gender equality and business and family friendly policies in East Asia and the Pacific -- all through the prism of UNICEF's Recover, Rebound and Reimagine strategy. This is a call to work together towards a more protected, healthier and immunized population, with an education system that leaves no one behind. A more equal, safe and fair world for all children. Keeping children physically and mentally healthy, well-nourished and safe, is the most urgent priority. The 'Recover' phase is about restoring the provision of essential services -- and scaling up successful interventions -- to support children, particularly those whose underlying conditions make them even more vulnerable to infection from the virus. Nurturing children's resilience amid the suspension or disruption of basic services is what the 'Rebound' phase is about, with the focus on protecting the most vulnerable. Reimagining nutrition, the WASH programme, mental health, and responses to climate change is the final phase. Reimagining is about tapping into an experimental mind-set to tackle obstacles on the road to creating a more equitable, inclusive and resilient society, one able to better cope with tomorrow's disasters.

The Sustainable Development Goals highlight the critical importance of pre-primary education and set the broad ambition that by 2030 all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education. Today, the world is facing a learning crisis: While millions of children have entered education systems for the first time, many of them cannot read, write or do basic mathematics, even after several years of primary school. This conceptual framework outlines the key building blocks of an effective pre-primary system to ensure children's optimal learning and development in early childhood education programmes.

At the height of nationwide lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic, up to 1.6 billion children were affected by school closures, causing the largest mass disruption of education in modern history. This joint report by UNICEF and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) presents new insights into children and young people's access to digital connectivity worldwide, as well as the factors that drive inequities among and within countries. As a result of this learning crisis, UNICEF has joined forces with ITU to launch Giga, an ambitious global initiative to connect every school to the internet and every young person to information, opportunity and choice. With the support of Generation Unlimited, UNICEF now works under the Reimagine Education initiative to transform education by giving children and young people equal access to quality digital learning.

Low- and lower-middle-income countries (LMICs) are currently facing a myriad of challenges in education; from large increases in school enrolments putting pressure on already strained school resources, to having millions of children out of school, with a sizable proportion of those in school learning poor. Education stakeholders in high- and low-income countries alike have tried innovative ways to counter these challenges. Digital learning offers a solution to many of the above challenges. A growing number of studies have documented digital learning solutions' effectiveness to improve learning outcomes with varying results. The question of whether digital learning solutions have any impact on learning outcomes has become much more important to inform policymakers. This evidence brief summarizes the existing literature's key findings on the application of digital learning solutions in low- and high-income countries. It examines literature specifically on the role of technology in improving learning outcomes from early childhood education to secondary education. The brief reviews 53 publications by government agencies, academic researchers, NGOs and independent research organizations.

On 20 November 1989, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child, a landmark achievement that has since become the world's most widely ratified human rights treaty. The Convention sets strict standards for signatory governments to protect the rights of every child. Published in connection with the 30th anniversary of the Convention, this report is intended as an advocacy tool to both celebrate the achievements of the past three decades and generate dialogue on the critical work that remains -- especially for children who have been left behind. Based on the latest available data, the report outlines a selected set of issues that need urgent attention. It also advocates for all stakeholders to recommit to the Convention, stepping up their efforts to fulfil its promise in the next 30 years. Where there is political will and determination, the report concludes, children's lives and well-being will improve.

This edition of "The State of the World's Children" report examines children, food and nutrition. It seeks to deepen understanding around the causes and consequences of children's malnutrition in all its forms and to highlight how governments, business, families and other stakeholders can best respond. Chapter 1 examines the changing face of children's malnutrition. Chapter 2 investigates malnutrition across the life of the child, from development in the womb to the point where a young person is entering adulthood. Chapter 3 explores malnutrition in a changing world. Chapter 4 examines the current state of responses to children's malnutrition, including the increased attention -- at the global and national level -- to the importance of addressing malnutrition across multiple systems, with particular emphasis on the food system in synergy with the health, water and sanitation, education and social protection systems, and on how different stakeholders are responding. Finally, Chapter 5 sets out an agenda to put children's nutrition rights first. A Perspectives section includes: (1) Upholding a child's right to food and nutrition (Hilal Elver); (2) Why is addressing children's nutrition important for a country's broader economic development? (Sania Nishtar); (3) Women lead the way in community-based child nutrition in rural Tanzania (Scholastica Nguli); (4) Sesame Workshop's Raya teaches children healthy habits (Sherrie Westin and Raya); (5) The food industry must accelerate action to tackle the global nutrition crisis (Inge Kauer); (6) Grassroots activism in Mexico battles childhood obesity (Alejandro Calvillo Unna); and (7) Working together to deliver healthy people and a healthy planet (Peter Bakker).

The gap between the levels of learning that education systems are providing and what children, communities and economies need, is growing. The breadth and depth of this learning crisis constitute the greatest global challenge to preparing children and adolescents for life, work and active citizenship. The lesson of the learning crisis is clear: the conventional assembly of education inputs is not improving learning outcomes. This presents a fundamental challenge to the way that governments, development partners and communities are managing and supporting education systems. A new, more radical approach that focusses on enhancing learning outcomes is long overdue and forms the basis for this strategy. The report also outlines the shift towards a greater focus on improving learning outcomes, including supporting the breadth of skills that allow young people to become agile, adaptive learners and citizens, equipped to navigate personal, social, academic, economic and environmental challenges.

"Child Alert" is a briefing series that presents the core challenges for children in a given crisis location at a given time. This issue examines attacks on children's right to education in West and Central Africa, and provides examples of efforts to protect children and their learning opportunities in conflict-affected parts of the region. As of June 2019, 1.91 million children were being robbed of an education due to violence and insecurity in and around their schools in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali, Niger and Nigeria. UNICEF and partners call on governments, armed forces and groups, and other parties to conflict -- and the international community -- to take concerted action to stop attacks and threats against schools, and to support quality learning for every child in the region. [This "Child Alert" was published by UNICEF's Division of Communication.]

Globally, half of students aged 13-15 experience peer-to-peer violence in and around school. This number includes students who report having been bullied in the last month or having had a physical fight within the past year. But bullying and physical fights are only two types of violence. Students routinely deal with corporal and other degrading forms of punishment, physical and sexual attacks and gender-based violence. For example, about 720 million school-age children live in countries where they are not fully protected by law from corporal punishment at school. This violence has short-term effects on their educational achievement and leaves a long-term impression on their futures. This report outlines the prevalence of violence in and around schools and highlights students', partners' and UNICEF efforts to #ENDviolence in schools.

This is the executive summary of the first in a planned series of United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) reports tracking progress on the child-related indicators in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The report highlights, through a data lens, the enormous task ahead for countries in meeting the 2030 Agenda for children. Through the development of projections to 2030, the report identifies areas where greater efforts are needed and reveals the alarming inadequacies of data to track progress. It also examines trends among subsets of children, including girls and boys, and children in urban and rural areas, to identify groups of children most at risk of being left behind. [For the full report, see ED589987.]

The global effort to achieve sanitation and water for all by 2030 is extending beyond the household to include institutional settings, such as schools, healthcare facilities and workplaces. This has been reinforced by global education for all strategies highlighting how water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in schools improves access to education and learning outcomes, particularly for girls, by providing a safe, inclusive and equitable learning environment for all. This report is the first comprehensive global assessment of WASH in schools and establishes a baseline for the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) period.

"The State of the World's Children 2017" examines the ways in which digital technology has already changed children's lives and life chances -- and explores what the future may hold. If leveraged in the right way and made universally accessible, digital technology can be a game changer for children being left behind -- whether because of poverty, race, ethnicity, gender, disability, displacement or geographic isolation -- connecting them to a world of opportunity and providing them with the skills they need to succeed in a digital world. But unless we expand access, digital technology may create new divides that prevent children from fulfilling their potential. And if we don't act now to keep pace with rapid change, online risks may make vulnerable children more susceptible to exploitation, abuse and even trafficking -- as well as more subtle threats to their well-being. This report argues for faster action, focused investment and greater cooperation to protect children from the harms of a more connected world -- while harnessing the opportunities of the digital age to benefit every child. The Perspectives section includes: (1) Realizing Limitless Possibilities: Technology Empowers People with Disabilities (Kartik Sawhney); (2) How Digital Technologies Herald a Bright Future (Karim Sy and Laura Maclet); (3) A Vision for the Future: Reflections on Children's Rights in the Digital Age (Pony Ma); (4) Are You Tattooed … Yet? (Juan Enriquez); (5) Look, Mum, No Data! (Anab Jain); (6) Hey, Alexa, Should I Wear the Pink or the Sparkly Dress Today? (Rachel Botsman); and (7) Empowering Children to Engage in the Digital World (Niels B. Christiansen).