Gordon Brown: Syria donors must show the way on global education funding

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Kevin Watkins, discussion moderator David Loyn, Julia Gillard and Gordon Brown Picture: Frontline Club

国产视频淧romises to children should never be broken.国产视频�

That phrase was famously uttered in 2006 by Nelson Mandela. The wording was slightly different but the meaning was the same when Gordon Brown made an impassioned plea for funding to ensure that every child in the world goes to school.

国产视频淔or all the promises we made we haven国产视频檛 put up the funds,国产视频� the United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education said at a panel discussion in London this week on funding education for Syrian refugees.

He said the new Commission on Financing Global Education 国产视频� which he is chairing 国产视频� has to remind world leaders that when they signed up to the Sustainable Development Goals they promised to deliver universal education by 2030.

And that has to start on February 4 when a crucial Syria donors conference is held in London 国产视频� with $750 million needed to put one million refugee children into school in neighbouring countries.

Money is also needed urgently to fund education in emergencies, with half of all the world国产视频檚 out-of-school children living in conflict zones.

Mr Brown was joined on the stage at the Frontline Club by Julia Gillard, Board Chair of the Global Partnership for Education, and Kevin Watkins, Executive Director of the Overseas Development Institute.

Asked about the role of the new body, he said: 国产视频淭he purpose of the education commission is to alert people to the fact that if you make promises 国产视频� such as the international community did in September 国产视频� that every child will be guaranteed not just primary but secondary education by 2030.

Syrian refugee children at a school in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon Picture: Claire Wilkinson/A World at School

国产视频淔or all the promises we made we haven国产视频檛 put up the funds. So we国产视频檙e going to look at how we actually finance the delivery of education over these next years so that we can indeed be the first generation when every single child can go to school.国产视频�

On the two million Syrian children living as refugees in countries including Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan, Mr Brown said he wanted to ask these questions.

国产视频淲hy after five years of this civil war is the fate of these children not being addressed?听Why is education for these children in particular falling completely through the net?

国产视频淲hy are most of them still out of school, on the streets, and why are they vulnerable to child labour, child marriage and child trafficking without the world doing enough about it?国产视频�

He said that if the $750 million is raised, the number of double-shift school places will be doubled in Lebanon, Jordan will double their number of refugee children in school and Turkey will move to educate large numbers of Sryian children in the next few months.

Kevin Watkins said progress had been made in educating Syrian refugees 国产视频� with enrollment in Lebanese schools rising from 60,000 to more than 200,000 in this academic year.

He said: 国产视频淚t demonstrates what is possible and invites us to hang our heads in shame at what we国产视频檝e allowed to happen.

Girls国产视频� education is vital says Julia Gillard 国产视频� these girls are at a school run by the charity听Khwendo Kor in Pakistan

国产视频淔our years ago an average Syrian child had the same prospect of getting through primary school as the same kid in a high-performing country like Thailand. They had a 70% chance of getting into secondary school.

国产视频淚n the space of a single generation, they国产视频檝e gone to education indicators close to Sierra Leone and听South Sudan.国产视频�

He said the current levels of funding for education mean there is 国产视频渮ero prospect of meerting the 2030 goals国产视频�.

Julia Gillard spoke about the importance of providing education for girls, admitting that there is now 国产视频渕ore energy around trying to do more for girls around the world国产视频�.

She added: 国产视频淭here is increasing evidence that girls国产视频� education is a transformative change agent not just for her but for her family and her community.

国产视频淎t current rates, it won国产视频檛 be until 2111 that the world first sees a generation of sub-Saharan African girls who universally go to primary and lower secondary education.听That means no one in this room will live to see it. It国产视频檚 too long to wait.国产视频�

But she insisted that simply getting children into school was not enough. The quality of teaching and learning also had to be a priority.

Watch the full discussion here