9 in 10 Children in the World’s Poorest Countries Cannot Read This Sentence

Peter Singer · 16 Sept 2026

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Every claim below was made in this piece, quoted word for word and numbered in the order the piece makes them, so you can read it there rather than take our word for it. The sentence above each quote is our reading of the claim, not their wording. Each quote was checked against a stored copy of the page at build time; where the two differ, the quote is the fact.

Our reading
Directing more education aid to higher education than to primary education is difficult to justify if the aim is to do the most good with limited resources.

Their wordsHigher education is valuable, but this allocation is difficult to justify if our aim is to direct limited resources where they can do the most good.
Our reading
Technology alone will not solve the learning crisis in poor countries.

Their wordsBut the evidence does not support the idea that technology alone will solve the learning crisis.
Our reading
Nine in ten children in the world's poorest countries being unable to read a simple sentence at age ten is not an inevitable consequence of poverty.

Their wordsNine in ten children in the world's poorest countries reaching age ten unable to read a simple sentence is not an inevitable consequence of poverty.

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