Produced by UNESCO Institute for Statistics and UNICEF, this report provides an assessment of why some children never make it into the classroom at all, why some start going to school far later than others, and why some children are more likely than their peers to drop out before finishing their schooling.

Among the policies and strategies highlighted by this report, among them is the call for improved quality of education so that children will be more likely to go and stay in school. It also advocates for universal secondary education, drawing on lessons learned on universal primary education.