…over 60 developing countries to benefit

BY EBELE ORAKPO with Agency Reports

Help seems to be on the way for the basic  education sector of over 60 developing countries as the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) Replenishment Conference, on June 26, in Brussels, Belgium, received new pledges of more than US$28.5 billion from donor and recipient countries.

The Global Partnership for Education whose mission is “to galvanize and coordinate a global effort to provide  good quality education for children, prioritizing the poorest and most vulnerable,” has allocated US$3.7 billion over the past decade to support education reforms in developing countries.

The additional funding, described by stakeholders as unprecedented, is for the education of tens of millions of children in over 60 developing countries, including Nigeria which has over 10.5 million out-of-school children.

According to a release made available to Vanguard Learning, the US$28.5bn “was driven by extraordinary commitments by 27 developing countries to increase their own education budgets by US$26 billion, which represents an increase of 25 per cent between 2015 and 2018, in addition to donations from donor countries including Sweden, Norway, Denmark and the United Kingdom which pledged over US$2.1 billion for the GPE Fund, an increase of US$600 million or 40 per cent on the last replenishment pledging conference in Copenhagen in 2011.

Pledges were also received from the European Union, multilateral organisations, Non-governmental organisations,  private sector, and – for the first time – two foundations contributed to the GPE Fund. In addition, the Islamic Development Bank will contribute US$400 million in loan buy-down arrangements.

“The conference marks the start of the Partnership’s four-year replenishment period (2015-2018), which aims to raise a total of US$3.5 billion in donor commitments,” the release noted, adding that the over US$2.1bn from donor countries has taken the Partnership more than half way towards the ultimate goal of US$3.5bn.

The conference which was hosted by the European Commission brought together  800 delegates and more than 40 ministers, education experts, and representatives from multilateral organisations, civil society, business and youth leaders from 91 countries.

Speaking at the event, Board Chair of GPE and Australia’s former Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, said: “We have secured a record commitment of new funding for education in developing countries around the world. This exceptional result is a vote of confidence in the power of education to lift the lives of millions of children, and is a tribute to far-sighted leadership in our partner countries, donors and developing country partners alike. No other organisation has a partnership structure that has leveraged such substantial funds from developing countries. The Global Partnership for Education provides the long-term, systemic support that governments need to build stable, effective education systems.”

While expressing his delight at the outcome of the conference, European Commissioner for Development, Andris Piebalgs, said: “I am delighted to see all of the pledges being made here, in particular those by our developing country partners, which will help make a difference in the lives and the futures of millions of children across the world. It is vital that we continue to work together and step up our efforts to reach the Millennium Development Goals, and their replacements after 2015. The EU will continue to stand by the Global Partnership for Education on this ongoing journey, to give all children a chance to go to school and receive quality education, no matter where they live. We encourage all donor partners to match the commitments made by partner countries here.”

The GPE aims to improve access and equity, address quality and learning outcomes, and improve data and education management systems in the coming replenishment period.

Some of the topics addressed at the conference include:
Because We Promised: Inclusive Quality Education for All Children with Disabilities; Empowering Teachers; Domestic Resource Mobilization; Education Cannot Wait: Protecting Children and Youth’s Right to a Quality Education in Humanitarian Emergencies and Conflict Situations; Moving Beyond Access: Accelerating Progress for Girls’ Education; Strengthening Accountability in Education and Investing Urgently in Early Childhood Care and Education.

Meanwhile, a new Chief Technical Officer has been appointed for the GPE. She is Dr. Karen Mundy, a globally recognised leader and specialist in basic education.

Mundy comes to GPE from the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), where she has served as the Associate Dean of Research, International and Innovation, and a professor in the Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education. She also held a Canada research chair from 2002 to 2013.

“I am delighted that Karen Mundy has accepted to play such a key leadership role for GPE,” said Alice Albright, Chief Executive Officer of the organisation. “I am impressed by the depth and breadth of her experience and expertise in the sector and her ambition for real progress on global education’s major challenges. With Karen on board, GPE will be well positioned to face the education challenges for the post-2015 development agenda,” added Albright.

Dr. Mundy began her professional career as a teacher in rural Zimbabwe, and became an assistant professor, international and comparative education at Stanford University prior to joining OISE. Her published research has focused on the global politics of “education for all” programs and policies; educational policy and reform in Sub-Saharan Africa.