UK should spend more of its overseas aid budget on education says inquiry by MPs

Britain should spend more of its international aid budget on聽helping children around the world聽get into school.

That means increasing its聽proportion of spending on education聽from 8% to聽at least聽10%, according to Members聽of Parliament who have been investigating the UK’s aid for education.

国产视频淢ore than 250 million children and young people are currently out of school and another 330 million are in school but not learning. There is a global learning crisis,” said Stephen Twigg,聽Chair of the House聽of Commons聽International Development Committee.

国产视频淓ducation has been shamefully neglected by the international community and many national governments.”

Twigg said the UK聽had the opportunity to become “a global leader on education” – with聽the聽forthcoming G7 and G20 summits offering crucial chances聽to attract more funding to get children in the poorest countries into school.

国产视频 has been campaigning for聽G20 leaders – who will meet in Germany in July – to back a bold financing plan that could help to get every child in the world into school.

The聽International Financing Facility for Education (IFFEd)聽is also being supported by more than 20 major charities and campaigning organisations.聽They include聽Global Citizen, ONE, Save the Children, Avaaz, Malala Fund, Islamic Relief, VSO and World Vision.

Calls for the聽IFFEd to be established have also been backed by the聽International Development Committee.

It said:聽“There is currently no finance mechanism for education equivalent to those that exist聽in the health sector – such as GAVVI and the Global Fund –聽to galvanise innovation聽and funding for education.聽

“We hope to see this change through the introduction of a聽new International Finance Facility for Education, which we would like the UK to聽support in addition to its existing commitments.”

It went on to say聽that the G7 and G20 summits “offer crucial opportunities to galvanise the funding and drive needed to achieve SDG4” (the聽Sustainable Development Goal to ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning).

It added:聽“The UK has the opportunity to be a leader on global education, and we hope that this Government, and the future Government, will be committed enough to take up the mantle.”

The committee has been holding an inquiry on education for the past few months – including聽listening to evidence by experts from United Nations agencies and global charities.

In a statement today,聽it said the UK’s聽international aid spending on education lags behind health, disaster, and聽government and civil society.聽

The committee called聽for that to be increased to at least 10% of the overall budget, which was about $17 billion in 2016. It recognised that DFID had been a leader on education in emergencies – helping to deliver schooling to Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon.

But Stephen Twigg said others had to step up too. He added:聽国产视频淓ven though we know the benefits of education, there is not enough funding from the international community to deliver this, particularly in the low-income countries which need most support.聽

“National governments in low and middle-income countries should also be investing in their education systems.”

During the inquiry, the committee heard in January聽from Gordon Brown, UN Special Envoy for Global Education. He聽warned that a lack of funding is denying millions of Syrian refugee and displaced children an education.

He said聽half of all Syrian refugee children are still out of school a year after world leaders pledged to get them into classrooms.

Brown argued that at least 15% of humanitarian aid should go towards education – it’s currently less than 2% each year.聽

The committee also聽heard evidence of widespread support for the work of the聽Global Partnership for Education聽and the聽Education Cannot Wait fund.The GPE works directly with governments in developing countries聽to support national education systems.

The Education Cannot Wait fund was launched last year to deliver fund where it is needed urgently – during conflicts and in the wake of natural disasters or health crises.聽It is聽funding quality education for聽two聽million vulnerable children in Chad, Ethiopia, Syria and Yemen, over half of whom are girls.

Ben Hewitt, 国产视频’s Director of聽Campaigns and Communications, said: “MPs in聽the UK have criticised the international community for its shameful neglect聽of school children around the world and have highlighted a聽shocking decrease in the聽percentage of aid going to education –聽despite all the talk in support.聽

“But there is a chance to turn this around this year and the聽recommendations point to the opportunity, with the forthcoming 聽G20 meeting in Germany.

So the next few weeks ahead are crucial in putting in place the financing needed to get every child in school, by increasing the percentage of aid to going to education to 15%, fully funding Education Cannot Wait and the Global Partnership for Education and crucially establishing a new International Financing Facility for Education.

“Campaigners will be watching the G20 carefully to see whether the rhetoric on education is matched by action.”