Six Million Refugee Children Remain Out of School
Goodwill Ambassador Mary Maker and UN refugee agency Chief Barham Salih discussed barriers to education at the UN General Assembly.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Education — General
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Around six million refugee children worldwide are out of school, limiting their access to education and future opportunities. Speaking at the UN General Assembly's Sustainable Development Goals Media Zone, Mary Maker and Barham Salih described the challenges that keep refugee children from quality education.
Why it matters
Lack of education affects the children themselves as well as their families and communities. The figure of six million highlights the scale of the gap in schooling for displaced young people worldwide.
The figure of around six million refugee children out of school is cited in the discussion, but the extraction does not identify its underlying survey or methodology. Regional breakdowns and year-over-year trends were not provided.
The players
Mary Maker
Mary Maker is a Goodwill Ambassador who grew up in a refugee camp and speaks on access to education for displaced children.
Barham Salih
Barham Salih is Chief of the UN refugee agency, the United Nations body that works to protect and assist refugees worldwide.
The details
Goodwill Ambassador Mary Maker and Barham Salih, Chief of the UN refugee agency, discussed the obstacles preventing refugee children from accessing quality education. Both shared personal experiences of growing up in refugee camps, and the conversation was held with Arab News UN correspondent Ephrem Kossaify.
Timeline
The discussion took place at the UN General Assembly's Sustainable Development Goals Media Zone in New York.
The article reporting the discussion was published on November 6, 2026.
Big Picture
The discussion was held at the UN General Assembly's Sustainable Development Goals Media Zone, placing the refugee education gap within the UN's global development agenda. The forum frames refugee children's schooling as part of the broader SDG commitment to inclusive, quality education.
The gap in schooling for refugee children affects future job prospects, household stability, and community development in the places where they settle. Readers involved in education, aid, or humanitarian work can use the figure of six million as a reference point when assessing program reach.
The takeaway
Access to education is a central factor in whether displaced children can rebuild their futures. Closing the gap for the roughly six million refugee children out of school depends on removing the specific barriers leaders described at the UN.
Further reading
For more on the broader education landscape, see Education — General.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Channelafrica.
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Should governments prioritize schooling for refugee children even when it costs more?
