Last week brought new evidence of the scale of educational exclusion in Afghanistan alongside serious concerns about academic freedom in Bangladesh. Students in Canada and Denmark also mobilised against policies that could make education less affordable, while the United Nations returned attention to education in emergencies.
Last week in brief
- UNESCO and UNICEF reported that 53% of Afghanistan’s primary-school-age children remain outside formal general education.
- Human Rights Watch documented allegedly arbitrary punishment of academics and students at Bangladeshi public universities.
- Students at almost 20 Ontario campuses walked out over changes to financial assistance, tuition and higher-education governance.
- Thousands of Danish students protested proposed reductions to the country’s student-grant system.
- Education Cannot Wait secured US$405.8 million in new pledges, bringing its “Hope Starts Here” campaign to 90% of its US$600 million target.
- A UN General Assembly thematic debate called for education to be integrated into humanitarian responses and protected from attack.
- African education ministers met in Addis Ababa to review financing, skills, digital transformation and implementation of continental education strategies.
Key developments
Afghanistan: more than half of primary-age children outside formal education
A joint UNESCO–UNICEF report released on 4 November found that 53% of primary-school-age children in Afghanistan are outside formal general education. Although public primary-school enrolment rose to approximately 6.6 million in 2025, growth has not kept pace with the expanding school-age population.
More than 2.6 million girls have been denied secondary education since 2021, while women remain barred from universities. Learning outcomes are also weak: fewer than half of assessed Grade 4 pupils demonstrated Grade 3-level language proficiency, and only one quarter reached the equivalent standard in mathematics. Around 245,000 children returning to Afghanistan during 2026 also require education support. Read the UNESCO–UNICEF findings.
Our take: Afghanistan’s crisis extends beyond the continuing prohibition on girls’ secondary and higher education, grave as that remains. Restoring the rights of girls and women must be accompanied by sustained investment in teachers, classrooms, learning materials and support for displaced and returning students. Afghan learners must be heard in decisions about the education system’s future.
Bangladesh: academics and students allegedly punished for political affiliations
Human Rights Watch reported on 3 November that public universities in Bangladesh had dismissed, suspended or restricted academics and students because of alleged links to former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League.
The organisation documented disciplinary processes that reportedly lacked transparency or meaningful opportunities for those accused to defend themselves. Sanctions included restrictions on teaching and research, student expulsions, cancellation of examination certificates and campus bans. At least 404 academics across 22 universities were reportedly placed under investigation during 2026. Read the Human Rights Watch assessment.
Our take: Universities must investigate credible allegations of violence or misconduct, but political affiliation and peaceful expression cannot substitute for evidence. Students and academics are entitled to clear charges, independent procedures and meaningful appeals. Bangladesh’s democratic transition should end partisan control of universities, not reverse who is targeted by it.
Canada: Ontario students walk out over financial-aid changes
University and college students at almost 20 Ontario campuses walked out on 5 November under the banner “Hands Off Our Education”. The protests opposed changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program, the ending of the tuition freeze and what organisers described as continuing underfunding and government interference in student services.
For programmes beginning from August 2026, a greater share of provincial student assistance is being provided as repayable loans rather than grants. The Canadian Federation of Students–Ontario, representing more than 350,000 students, coordinated the province-wide action. Read the official information on the assistance changes and the student campaign’s account of the walkouts.
Our take: Replacing grants with loans transfers the cost of public underfunding onto students and can deter learners from lower-income backgrounds. Student assistance should reduce financial barriers, not postpone them through additional debt. Ontario must involve representative student organisations in reviewing the effects on access, retention and student welfare.
Denmark: students mobilise against proposed grant reductions
Thousands of secondary and university students marched to the Danish Parliament on 4 November against proposed changes to the state educational-grant system, known as SU. Twenty-one education and youth organisations supported the demonstration.
The proposal would remove grants from nearly all students living with their parents and reduce payments according to parental income. Students also protested stricter eligibility requirements for unemployment support after graduation. The measures remain proposals and require parliamentary approval. Read about the demonstration and its demands.
Our take: Universal student support has helped make educational participation less dependent on family wealth. Introducing stronger parental-income conditions risks treating adult students as financially dependent and could deepen inequality between those whose families can—and cannot—support them. Parliament should assess the equality effects and hear directly from students before deciding.
Education Cannot Wait secures US$405.8 million for crisis-affected students
Governments announced US$405.8 million in new pledges to Education Cannot Wait at its replenishment conference in Geneva on 5 November. Combined with earlier multi-year commitments, the funding brings the “Hope Starts Here” campaign to US$541.6 million—90% of its US$600 million target.
ECW’s 2027–2030 strategy aims to reach 10 million crisis-affected children, half of them girls and one million children with disabilities. It also commits ECW to directing at least half of programme financing through national and local partners by 2030. An estimated 258 million school-aged children and adolescents are currently affected by crises worldwide.
Our take: The pledges are a major vote of confidence in education as part of humanitarian action. Donors must now convert them into timely, predictable funding, while ECW should deliver on its commitment to move resources and decision-making closer to crisis-affected communities. Student representatives already have a clear role in deciding how programmes are designed and implemented through the student representatives in ECW governance, Valentine Mugun Chepkoech and Divine Edem Kwadzodeh from the All-African Student Union. Read the ECW announcement.
United Nations: renewed call to protect education in emergencies
The UN General Assembly held a thematic debate on education in emergencies on 7 November. Participants emphasised that education should be treated as a life-saving and life-sustaining part of humanitarian responses rather than postponed until a crisis has ended.
The debate highlighted the need for sustained financing, monitoring of attacks on education, accountability for perpetrators and the inclusion of education in peace agreements. It also stressed the importance of local communities in protecting and governing education during crises. Read the debate overview and supporting documents.
Our take: Recognition at the General Assembly is welcome, but it must produce funding and action. Crisis-affected students, including refugees and internally displaced learners, should participate in the design, monitoring and evaluation of education responses. Their experience is essential to determining what safe and meaningful learning requires.
African Union: ministers review continental education and skills priorities
Ministers and senior officials from African Union member states met in Addis Ababa from 2–6 November for the sixth session of the AU’s Specialized Technical Committee on Education, Science and Technology.
The meeting reviewed implementation of the Continental Education Strategy for Africa 2026–2035, the Continental TVET Strategy 2025–2034 and the AU’s science, technology and innovation strategy. Discussions addressed sustainable education financing, teacher development, foundational learning, technical and vocational education, digital transformation, responsible artificial intelligence, research and youth employment. The meeting was also expected to prepare ministerial guidance and recommendations for subsequent African Union policy processes.
Our take: Continental strategies matter only when they produce funded national action, measurable targets and public accountability. Students must be recognised as more than future workers or beneficiaries of skills policies. The African Union should guarantee representative student organisations a formal role in implementation, monitoring and periodic review. Read the African Union’s meeting overview.
This week: 9–15 November
- 9 November — COP31 opens in Antalya: The UN climate conference runs until 20 November. Education should be addressed as both a right threatened by climate disruption and an essential part of climate action. Global Student Forum will be present at the conference and has released Student Priorities for COP31 ahead of the conference. Follow UNESCO’s education programme at COP31.
- 9–13 November — Africa Universities’ Day activities: The Association of African Universities will convene a week of discussions on building future-ready universities, culminating in Africa Universities’ Day on 12 November. Student involvement should extend beyond attendance to influence over institutional priorities. See the programme announcement. AAU
- 12–13 November — UNESCO consultation on anti-racist education: UNESCO and the European Commission will convene governments, educators and civil society in Paris as UNESCO develops its first policy guide on addressing racism through education. The experiences of affected students must inform the guide. Read about the consultation.
- 14 November — COP31 Children, Youth, Education and Skills Day: Ministers and education partners will discuss climate-friendly schools, teacher preparation, climate literacy and stronger mechanisms for youth participation. See the Greening Education Partnership programme.
- 15 November — Brazil holds the second ENEM examination day: Participants will complete mathematics and natural-science papers in the national examination used for access to higher education, scholarships and student financing. Read the official examination information.
What we are watching
- International financing and education access in Afghanistan.
- Due process and academic freedom at Bangladeshi universities.
- Government responses to student-finance protests in Ontario and Denmark.
- Whether ECW’s new pledges become timely disbursements and increase resources controlled by national and local partners.
- Meaningful student participation in COP31’s education processes.
Are important developments affecting students taking place in your country? Students, student organisations and education communities are invited to send them to the Global Student Forum for possible inclusion in a future edition of World Student News.
