Boys' Plight Grim – UN

Dropouts: Driven by Poverty, Child Labour, Bullying and Violence

- Brian Sokutu

Poverty, child labour, bullying and violence are among key drivers behind boys disengaging from school, according to education experts. This, as the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation's (Unesco) latest global report has pointed to at least 132 million boys of primary and secondary school age having dropped out of primary and secondary learning institutions.

Key findings:

Globally, only 88 men were enrolled in tertiary education for every 100 women; and

In 73 countries, fewer boys than girls were enrolled in upper-secondary education, while the opposite was the case in 48 countries.

Unesco said the data highlighted "a global phenomenon: child labour and poverty – among other factors, preventing boys from engaging fully with learning and contributing to repetition and dropout".

"In all regions, except sub-Saharan Africa, young men are underrepresented in higher education. This is particularly acute in North America, Western Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, where 81 young men for every 100 young women are enrolled at tertiary education.