Zambia

Children attend primary school in Zambia.

credit: Oxfam Zambia

There are many barriers that affect children’s right to education. Some of the most common barriers are school fees, child labor, discrimination, conflict, distance to schools, poor school quality, lack of teachers and health crisis such as HIV/AIDS.

You can learn about many of these barriers in detail by clicking on the themes and issues on the left.

Did you know…

• Children who live in the poorest 20% of households are three times more likely to not go to school than those living in the richest 20% of households.

• School fees were abolished in many countries but are still a major obstacle for poor children’s enrollment in school.

• Twenty-nine percent of children in the least-developed countries of the world work to help support their family.

• In Zambia, it’s estimated that teachers are dying faster from the HIV/AIDS pandemic than can be trained. This is causing a teacher shortage making it difficult for children to receive an education.