The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) praised Cuba’s efforts toward inclusion in education.

In its latest report, issued June 23rd, UNESCO said Cuba, Malawi and Ukraine are using positive, innovative approaches to transition towards inclusion, by setting up resource centers for multiple schools and enabling mainstream establishments to accommodate children from special schools.

The 2020 Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report is UNESCO’s fourth annual report to monitor progress across 209 countries in achieving the education targets adopted by UN Member States in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

It notes that 258 million children and youth were entirely excluded from education, with poverty as the main obstacle to access.

The report identifies an exacerbation of exclusion in education during the COVID-19 pandemic and estimates that about 40% of low and lower-middle income countries have not been able to support disadvantaged learners during temporary school shutdown.

The 2020 Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report urges countries to focus on those left behind as schools reopen so as to foster more resilient and equal societies. The report includes material for a digital campaign, entitled ‘All means All,’ which promotes a set of key recommendations for the next ten years.