The United Nations Children’s Fund or Unicef ​​​​has warned of the risks that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to the rights and well-being of children will not be met by 2030 in Latin America.

The most lagging indicators include children’s learning poverty. World Bank data cited by Unicef ​​show that up to four out of every five ten-year-old boys and girls cannot read a simple text in this region.

Dropping out of school is a contributing factor to learning problems. Figures from the Ecuadorian Ministry of Education, published in the open data section as of October 1, 2023, record that 2.11% of students dropped out of school in the 2021-2022 cycle. Experts predict that in the current school period, the number of students withdrawing from schools and colleges will increase due to the effects of internal and external migration as a result of insecurity and the economic crisis. The forecast is more serious if you consider that only in Sierra in the 2023-2024 school year. there were 38,200 less enrolled than in 2022-2023, and that this is the lowest number of enrolled students in the last six academic years.

A student is leading a campaign to reduce school dropouts caused by addiction

Ecuador is on the verge of a change of government and in this context it is appropriate that education is considered a priority issue within the commitment to fight crime, respect the universal right of children to education and offer obligations and equality for all Ecuadorians.

Lack of knowledge and opportunities exposes and makes children and young people more vulnerable. Criminal groups are increasingly betting on recruiting minor members in pre-adolescence.

Political commitment is inevitable, but so is the search for financing innovative education and the country’s exit from indicators of debt or delays in learning.

Education tests political will and unity. The new regime has the say and the decision. (OR)