Learning Out Loud – Atlas on Child-Centred and Transformative Education through the CARES Framework
Learning Out Loud is WeWorld’s latest Atlas on the right to education, produced in a context where education systems worldwide are under unprecedented pressure.
Although the United Nations established the International Day of Education to promote equitable access to quality learning for all, global education funding is now facing significant cuts — with an expected shortfall of USD 3.2 billion that could leave millions more children out of school. This stark reality underscores that the right to education remains deeply unequal. In many parts of the world, children are either completely excluded from schooling or attend institutions that fail to provide safety, inclusion, or meaningful learning opportunities.
The challenges education systems face are longstanding, but they have been exacerbated by overlapping crises: conflict, forced displacement, climate change and economic instability. These factors strain fragile systems, making it harder for schools to respond to the real needs of today’s young generations. At the very moment when education’s transformative power is most needed — as a tool for protection, social inclusion and future opportunity — it is at risk of being weakened further.
Learning Out Loud goes beyond describing problems. Drawing on data, maps, analysis and real experiences from 13 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Europe, the Atlas challenges conventional narratives and points toward long-term solutions. It highlights that children learn everywhere — not only in classrooms — and that their daily experiences, relationships and community environments are integral to their learning journeys. Central to this perspective is the recognition that children’s voices must be listened to and included as a vital component of their right to education.
WeWorld’s approach to education is guided by the CARES Framework — Community, Access, Rights, Expression and Safety — which helps tailor interventions to specific contexts and ensures that activities are inclusive, protective and responsive to local needs. The Atlas shows how barriers to education — including distance, poverty, gender norms and under-resourced schools — continue to limit access and quality, while also demonstrating how targeted support, community engagement and creative practices can make a real difference in children’s lives.
The Atlas presents not only the challenges but also the positive impact of well-designed interventions: from community-led committees in Mozambique, Kenya and Mali that shift social norms in favour of inclusion, to school rehabilitation and psychosocial support activities in countries affected by conflict, such as Ukraine and Palestine. It illustrates how, when communities are actively involved, education becomes a shared responsibility that strengthens sustainability and inclusion.
Ultimately, Learning Out Loud emphasises that education is not a discrete sector but a thread that intersects with protection, health, social cohesion and emergency response. Investing in education today means investing in children’s ability to know and exercise their rights, build resilient communities, and prepare for the challenges of the future. The Atlas calls on policymakers, donors and practitioners to reaffirm education as a global priority and to act now to ensure that no child is left behind.
