The United Nations said that the number of illiterate adults in the world has now reached about 800 million, and that nearly 260 million children do not attend school.

According to UNESCO, 496 million – two thirds of the global illiterate population – are women, and 10 countries, highest being India, account for 67% of all illiterate adults.

The United Nations indicated that there is a worrying crisis in education, although among the goals of the United Nations for the year 2030 is to ensure inclusive and quality education for all and to promote lifelong learning.

The United Nations Special Envoy for Education and former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said that there are 75 million children in crisis-affected countries who are unable to go to school, hence, their education is disrupted and they have not reached any educational standards.