Goal Four aims to ensure access to and completion of quality education for all children and youth. Highlights of the baseline status of the region are based on analysis of indicators on access to education, for which data quality and availability are generally good and on limited data on quality of education. The available data shows that the Asia and Pacific region has a long way to go to improve access and quality of education for all. The region has made tremendous progress in expanding educational opportunities at various levels of schooling, but many countries are yet to provide free and compulsory pre-primary education of good quality. Relatively large numbers of youths in some countries are excluded from schooling, and the majority of those in school do not possess minimum proficiency in reading, mathematical and scientific literacy. Number of out-of-school children, 2014 primary school age lower secondary upper secondary school age school age East Asia and East Asia and East Asia and the Pacific, 14.1% the Pacific, 10.6% the Pacific, 13.7% Other Other Other regions regions regions South and West Asia, 18.7% South and South and West Asia, West Asia, 34.3% 48.5% Central Asia, 0.5% Central Asia, 0.5% Central Asia, 0.5% Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) database, The region has over half of the world’s http://data.uis.unesco.org, accessed 21 November 2016 out-of-school children and youth the same period, the global rate increased Asia and the Pacific has had significant from 83% to 89%. success in expanding participation in school Nevertheless, 136 million children were still especially for primary education. By 2014, out of school in 2014 – 18 million were of primary net enrolment was over 90%. The primary school age, 29 million of lower fastest progress was in South and West secondary school age, and 89 million of Asia: between 1999 and 2000 primary net upper secondary school age. The majority of enrolment increased from 75% to 90%. Over these children were in South and West Asia. For many countries in the region, the challenge is not only making education 16 are in Asia and the Pacific. accessible to all children and youth but In a typical school system about six out of ten also ensuring quality education for all students in 2015 had the minimum level of The most extensive global assessment of proficiency in mathematics and reading. Of educational outcomes is the OECD the 16 Asia-Pacific countries, 10 showed Programme for International Student better-than-average results, with around 80% Assessment, which tests 15-year-olds in 73 of students possessing the minimum levels of school systems around the world, of which proficiency in mathematics and reading. 16 Percentage of students reaching minimum Global median of coverage of proficiency level in mathematics, 2015 national 15-year+old population Japan 100 Hong Kong, China Macao, China Singapore 90 In the other six countries, between 31% and Viet Nam Rep. of Korea 80 China* Russian Fed. 49% of students met the minimum standard New Zealand Australia in mathematics and 45% to 63% in reading. 70 Global mathematics Kazakhstan The low level of achieving proficiency in 60 Malaysia median Turkey percentage mathematics and reading, and the high 50 Thailand number of out-of-school children in a Georgia 40 Indonesia considerable number of school systems in 30 the region suggest that these systems are not 20 preparing the majority of students well for the 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 basic knowledge skills that are required for Coverage index 3: Coverage of national 15-year+ old population *Beijing, Shanghai, Jiansu and Guangdong continuous learning. Source: OECD, PISA Asia-Pacific region needs to expand Gross enrolment ratio of pre-primary education, opportunities for organized learning for 2014 or latest children in their early years Global The gross enrolment ratio for pre-primary ENEA education in Asia and the Pacific was 43.1 per SEA cent in 2013, slightly lower than the global average of 43.3 per cent. SSWA Pre-primary school aged children in the East and North East Asia region and in the Pacific, NCA have relatively higher opportunities for organized learning to prepare them for Pacific primary school compared with their 02040 60 80 100 120 counterparts in other regions. Gross enrolment in tertiary education and gender parity 2000 2014 GPI index (GPI), 2000 and 2014 World 0.99 Asia and the Pacific made great leaps in 1.11 expanding participation in tertiary Asia & 0.88* education Pacific 1.07 Between 2000 and 2014, gross enrolment SSWA 0.66 ratios in tertiary education in the region 0.95 increased from 14% to 34%. The region now SEA 0.96 accounts for 57 per cent of all global tertiary 1.18 students. The most significant growth 0.81* occurred in East and North-East Asia, though ENEA 1.14 participation is still highest in North and 1.24* Central Asia and the Pacific. NCA 1.17 Women in particular have benefited and, in Pacific 1.26 the region as a whole, now outnumber men in 1.41 tertiary institutions, with a gender parity index 02040 60 80 (GPI) of 1.07. The GPI is less than one only in *Earliest year South and South-West Asia. 17.