Shocking report reveals 70% of kids in poor countries can’t read simple text by age 10

On Wednesday, April 16, a new report sent shockwaves through the global education community. The Global Coalition for Foundational Learning revealed that nearly 7 out of 10 children in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) suffer from something called Learning Poverty — meaning they can’t understand a simple story or sentence by the time they’re 10 years old.

The report, titled “Foundational learning: What it takes and what works,” explains just how serious this crisis is.

“Every child deserves the dignity and opportunity that foundational learning brings by providing the essential building blocks for all other learning, knowledge and higher-order skills,” the report said.

But instead, millions of kids are falling behind, repeating grades, or dropping out of school completely. And when kids fall behind, whole countries can feel the effects — from worse health outcomes to higher unemployment and deeper poverty.

Worse still, when students repeat grades, it costs governments even more money, leading to budget waste in education systems that are already under pressure.

At recent events like the USAID Global Education Conference and the Africa Ministerial Breakfast Dialogue at the Education World Forum, world leaders and policymakers agreed — the time to act is now. They called for countries to scale up proven solutions that can tackle the learning crisis.

So what does work?

Reports like the 2023 Smart Buys Report and USAID’s Ten-Year Retrospective on Early Grade Reading show that some strategies are making a difference:

• Structured pedagogy – a clear plan that includes lesson plans, teacher training, mentoring, and learning materials
• Teaching at the right level – helping students learn at their own pace and not be left behind

The report gave real examples where this is working:

• In Kenya, the Tusome programme helped over 8 million children in 22,000 schools, and it doubled the number of students who could meet reading goals in just one year.
• In Liberia and South Africa, similar strategies improved reading and math skills.
• In Senegal, the Lecture Pour Tous programme is helping the government improve early reading across the country.

But challenges remain — especially in places affected by climate disasters, conflict, and long-term crises. These areas need even more attention, the report stressed.

What’s needed to make change stick?

• Political will from governments
• Good teaching materials that fit local needs
• Teacher training and support
• Teamwork between governments, donors, and schools

In the end, the message is clear: If we want every child to succeed, we must focus on foundational learning — that means basic reading, math, and life skills — and we must act fast, together.