A new report by UNESCO warns that the number of children out of school has increased for the seventh consecutive year, reaching 273 million worldwide and underscoring persistent gaps in access to both early and secondary education.

Despite nearly 90 percent of children completing primary school, the report finds that 194 million out-of-school children are of secondary-school age, while roughly one-third of young people fail to complete secondary education. At the current pace, UNESCO estimates that achieving a 95 percent secondary school completion rate may not occur until 2105.

Early childhood education remains a critical concern. Only about 60 percent of primary school students have received at least one year of pre-primary education. Enrollment rates are especially low in sub-Saharan Africa, where fewer than one in four children of pre-primary age attend school.

Cost continues to be a major barrier. While primary education is free in most countries, pre-primary and secondary education often require tuition fees. In countries such as Uganda, limited public funding for preschool forces many families to rely on private options that remain unaffordable for large segments of the population, according to Human Rights Watch and the Initiative for Social and Economic Rights.

UNESCO is calling for urgent global action, including the development of a new international treaty to guarantee free access to both pre-primary and secondary education. At present, international law only ensures free primary education. More than 60 countries have expressed support for the proposed treaty, which is being considered as an optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child.