Global education ‘faces crisis’ as aid is cut by 10%

The struggle to give every child in the world a good education is being hit by a dramatic fall in international aid funding.

Aid to basic education was cut by almost 10% between 2010 and 2012, according to figures released by UNESCO today.

That is substantially higher than the 1% decrease in overall aid levels 国产视频� meaning international donors and governments are backing away from education as a development priority.

Basic education 国产视频� giving children foundational skills and core knowledge 国产视频� is getting the same level of aid as it did in 2008. And that国产视频檚 against a backdrop of 57million children out of school and 250million still not learning basic skills.

The figures are released by UNESCO国产视频檚 Education For All Global Monitoring Report ahead of the Global Partnership for Education国产视频檚 Replenishment Pledging Conference. Donors will be asked in Brussels on June 25 and 26 to help raise a much-needed $3.5billion for education in the poorest countries.

Gordon Brown, United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education,聽said the GMR policy paper shows global education 国产视频渋s facing a crisis国产视频� and pleaded with the international community to dig deeper.

He added: 国产视频淲ith 57million children out of school and just over one year to reach our global goal of universal primary education, we cannot stop our efforts and I urge the donor community to do more to support education.

国产视频淭he new UNESCO GMR figures reflect the aid scenario leading up to 2012 when we launched the Secretary-General国产视频檚 Global Education First Initiative. It is now time for the global community to demonstrate that because of the new global push for universal education, we are seriously responding to the crisis with concrete financing pledges and commitments to enroll more children into school.

国产视频淭he replenishment of the Global Partnership for Education in two weeks time is a first opportunity to do this. We must support the GPE to reach its $3.5billion financing target and help 29million children go to school during the next financing cycle.

An outdoor classroom at South Omo mobile school in Ethiopia Picture: UNESCO/Katy Anis

国产视频淭he plight of Syrian refugee children, the desperate need for safe schools in northern Nigeria, as made clear by the kidnapping of the girls of Chibok, and the important work necessary from Pakistan to South Sudan to get all children in school make it clear that now is not the time to scale back and give up on the world国产视频檚 children 国产视频� it is the time to recommit and scale up.国产视频�

The policy paper shows aid to education fell by just over 6% in 2010 and 2011 and by a further 3% in 2012.

Global Partnership for Education chair Julia Gillard reacted to the figures by saying: 国产视频淓ducation is a long-term investment 国产视频� not an expense. We owe it to the children of the world 国产视频� particularly the poorest and most marginalised 国产视频� that both international donors and developing country governments step up and commit more funding to education.国产视频�

Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO 国产视频� which compiled the paper 国产视频� said: 国产视频淲hen so many girls and boys are still out of school and not learning, the continuing drop in funds for education is cause for serious concern.

国产视频淚ncreasing external support for education is an ethical and development imperative. We know the difference that well-targeted aid can make in helping countries to put quality education first.国产视频�

The cuts are biting hardest in the countries which are furthest from reaching the Millennium Development Goal of education for all by the end of 2015.

In sub-Saharan Africa 国产视频� home to more than half of the world国产视频檚 57million out-of-school children 国产视频� aid to basic education fell between 2010 and 2011 and stagnated between 2011 and 2012. Since 2010, 12 African countries have seen cuts in their aid to basic education of $10million or more.

Kennedy Odede, Kenyan chief executive of the social services organisation Shining Hope for Communities, said: 国产视频淚国产视频檓 devastated to hear that international aid supporting education has dropped by 10%. 聽

国产视频淕rowing up in Africa国产视频檚 largest slum, I saw the impact of education. Education was a life-or-death matter, the difference between opportunity or the perpetuation of the cycle of poverty. We cannot afford to leave generations uneducated and uninvested in 国产视频� as this will impact not only these children but the stability of our world.国产视频�

The two countries with the largest cuts in aid to basic education from 2010 to 2012 were India and Pakistan, even though both sit among the top five countries with most children out of school.

The report shows that education receives the smallest proportion of requests made for funding education 国产视频� only 40% of its 国产视频╮equests in 2013, compared to almost 90% for the food sector.

Aaron Benavot, director of the EFA Global Monitoring Report, said: 国产视频淭his worrying fall in aid is in the context of a $26billion annual finance gap for education.

国产视频淯nless this negative trend is reversed, the likelihood of reaching the global education goals is put at great risk 国产视频� all the more so if new education targets are set for 2030,

国产视频淲ith aid proving so volatile, governments must urgently improve their domestic financing, including better management of their tax systems, so as not to put their country国产视频檚 development in jeopardy.国产视频�

Youth advocates shocked and saddened by cuts in aid to education.