GPE’s $3.5bn mission to help 29million children go to school

Julia Gillard is on a mission. To raise $3.5billion and use it to help 29million children get access to quality education in 66 countries.

It国产视频檚 a daunting task 国产视频� but she is ready for the challenge and travelling around the world to persuade partners and governments to do their bit for the cause.

Ms Gillard is the former Australian prime minister who is now four months into her job as Chair of the Global Partnership for Education. The multilateral partnership is working to help the world国产视频檚 57million children who don国产视频檛 go to primary schools and millions more shut out of a secondary education.

She and her organisation are working flat out in the run-up to the GPE国产视频檚 Second Replenishment Pledging Conference on June 26 at the European Union headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. The money raised will be used to provide education access from 2015 to 2018.

As well as the $3.5billion needed from donors to support the annual schools costs of 29milion children, developing country partners are being asked to promise to increase spending on education towards 20% of their domestic budgets.

Ms Gillard says: 国产视频淲e are concerned about funding. We are concerned that of the money that goes into aid and development work around the world, education hasn国产视频檛 been holding its place and getting its share, although education is what truly transforms the future of individual lives.国产视频�

THE GPE has just announced that a distinguished group of global education leaders, education ministers and youth advocates will help it to ensure a successful replenishment conference and a revitalised education agenda for the post-2015 era.

They include United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education Gordon Brown. He said: 国产视频淪upporting the GPE fund to deliver results for out-of-school children is an essential aim in our quest for increased financing, improved delivery systems and heightened political will to make education a reality for every child.国产视频�

Another member of the group is Jacob Kragh, President of LEGO Education. He said: 国产视频淲e support GPE国产视频檚 dedication towards delivering good quality education to all children so that they can fulfill their potential and contribute to their societies.国产视频�

Ms Gillard has just been to London, where she said she is grateful to the United Kingdom 国产视频� the GPE国产视频檚 biggest donor nation with $770million contributed so far.

During that visit, she told the Sydney Morning Herald: 国产视频淚 know what it国产视频檚 like for donor nations to put taxpayers国产视频� precious money into supporting change in some of the poorest countries.

国产视频淚n the 59 countries we work with, I know what it国产视频檚 like trying to build an education programme from scratch or trying to get more money into schools.国产视频�

In late April, Ms Gillard was in Dubai to focus on partnerships with United Arab Emirates governments and organisations including Dubai Cares.

There she said: 国产视频淲e certainly want to make sure that there is a strong Arab voice around the table as GPE goes about its decision making.国产视频�

She told Gulf News: 国产视频淵ou would expect me of all people, having been a woman leading a nation in a world where it is still not very common, to say that girl education is vital.

国产视频淏ut is not just an emotional response from me. There is very hard evidence that shows that educating girls is one of the biggest single things that we can do to combat poverty.国产视频�

A blog Ms Gillard wrote for the Huffington Post sums up her ethos.

She wrote: 国产视频淎t a time when the world faces many threats and challenges, any failure to invest in education and to address inequalities in education has considerable global costs. Good quality education amplifies and sustains the impact of efforts across all areas of human, economic and social development.

国产视频淓ducation is essential to lifting individuals out of poverty. It is critical to empowering girls as they grow into women. Education is key to ending slavery.国产视频�