This is in reference to the report "Millions of Mideast kids out of school,' in Saudi Gazette (April 16). It shows the actual calamity that is happening in Mideast. Despite efforts to expand child education, more than 12 million children in the Middle East are out of school. The most concerning factor is that more than 5 million children are not receiving pre-primary school education. Although the ongoing conflict in the Mideast is the main factor, gender and discrimination too are other factors responsible for this. Probably girls' education are underestimated and undervalued, as they are not expected to work so their families see no need for them to learn. Early marriage is also an issue in most countries in the region. Children are the future of the country if early efforts has not made what will be the future of these countries. Governments in the region should adopt flexible approaches for child education, especially girls' education. Kalimullah N. Shaikh, online response