Youth advocates dismayed by drop in international aid for education
Education funding
Youth advocates have been shocked and saddened by the news yesterday that international aid for education has fallen dramatically.
UNECO国产视频檚 revelation that funding fell by 10% between 2010 and 2012 comes two weeks ahead of the Global Partnership for Education国产视频檚 bid to raise $3.5billion to help 29million children go to school in the poorest countries.
The decline in aid worries Philip Obaji Jr., an A World at School Global Youth Ambassador from Nigeria.
He said: 国产视频淚t国产视频檚 sad and unfortunate that, at a time when we need to be accelerating progress for education, funding is being cut.国产视频
But Philip added: 国产视频淥ur lives and futures are in the balance and this just聽energises聽us to accelerate our countdown campaign and organise more young people to reverse this trend.国产视频
Chernor Bah is youth representative on the high-level steering committee for the United Nations Global Education First Initiative and chair of its Youth Advocacy Group.
He reacted with shock to the aid figures, with only 18 months left to fulfil the Millennium Development Goal for all children to be in school and learning.
Chernor said: 国产视频淲hen young people gathered at the United Nations for the first Youth Takeover on Malala Day, we adopted and passed a historic youth resolution.
Chernor Bah with Global Youth Ambassadors at Countdown Summit
国产视频淚t called attention to the global education emergency and invited world leaders to accelerate action to address the huge gap that remained 国产视频 57million children out of school and more than 250million not able to read and write.
国产视频淯nfortunately, one year on, the news that education funding has been actually decreasing is shocking. In every survey and opinion poll conducted with youth leaders around the world, we rank education top or near the top of our priorities.
国产视频淚t is the best investment in our future 国产视频 and for a聽 peaceful and developed society. We ask our leaders are government to immediately reverse this trend and invest in our future by making education the priority it deserves.国产视频
Chernor said governments should be accelerating progress and increasing funding to education to secure the gains that had been made and to help the millions more not already helped.
He added: 国产视频淲orld leaders have a chance to do that at the GPE pledging conference on June 26. It国产视频檚 an opportunity to show commitment to education 国产视频 and in our future and our stated priorities as young people.
国产视频淲e should not only meet the GPE funding target but surpass it 国产视频 because what we have now is a crisis that requires an urgent response.国产视频
The drop in aid will affect children in countries around the world. Children like Celina Anupe, a 10-year-old pupil at Lolupe Mobile Primary School in Turkana, Kenya.
She walks for two and a half hours to get to school 国产视频 but it doesn国产视频檛 have any classrooms. Classes are held outside under a tree with the pupils sitting on the ground.
Celina said: 国产视频淚 start walking at 5:30 and I reach school at 8am.
国产视频淚 love the school because I国产视频檓 learning new things and at school we get given some food. My favourite subjects are English, CRE, the alphabet and Swahili. When I grow up I want to be a nurse and help people.
国产视频淲e don国产视频檛 have enough food and there国产视频檚 no water at this school. We sit outside on the stones and in the hot sun.国产视频
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