With the summer countdown on, 263 million kids never made it to school this year in the first place

“One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.”

― Malala Yousafzai

The White House released a budget request that would slash U.S. investments in the fight against global poverty. Just one of the many things on the chopping block: the chance for millions of children to achieve their simple dream – and their right – of an education. As the White House takes aim at funding for global education, a staggering 263 million children and youth are out of school globally. In places like South Sudan, a young woman is more likely to die in childbirth than she is to graduate high school.

Meanwhile, leaders around the world are starting to mobilize around a plan to give 25 million more children a quality education through the Global Partnership for Education. This is the only partnership of its kind dedicated exclusively to education in the world’s lowest-income and most fragile countries.

Since 2011, the U.S. government has made increasing annual investments in the Global Partnership for Education, helping drive its success. As the Global Partnership kicks off its fundraising drive for this ambitious new plan, it’s time for leadership, not retreat, from our elected officials. Now is no time to turn our back on the world’s most vulnerable children.

The Transformative Power of Education

Education is the opportunity every parent wants for their child and every child wants for building a brighter future. International law and basic sense say that it’s every child’s right. And an education can be transformational: Even just one additional year of school can increase a person’s lifetime earnings by 10%,dramatically decrease a young girl’s likelihood of contracting HIV, and make a child less likely to be targeted for violence or early marriage.

The Global Partnership for Education makes this opportunity a reality for more children, uniting government leaders in lower-income countries with international donors, the private sector, and communities. Together they develop, fund, and build lasting systems to educate the most vulnerable children, from preschool through high school. About 60% of GPE support is in countries affected by fragility or conflict.

The overwhelming share of investment in education for vulnerable children comes from governments in lower-income countries themselves. Donor financing helps bridge critical remaining gaps.

Now the Global Partnership is launching an ambitious new plan to give more children the quality education that is their right. If the world comes together behind its plan, over the next three years the Global Partnership for Education can support countries to achieve:

• 19 million more children completing primary school
• 6.6 million more children completing lower secondary school
• Training for 1.7 million teachers
• 23,800 new classrooms built

The Global Partnership is asking its developing country partners to allocate a full 20% of national government expenditure to education annually, and it is asking for a collective $3.1 billion from donor governments over 2018-2020.

Leaders like Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai have reminded the world that education is a human right — and that a quality education can radically change the trajectory of a child’s life. This year, the U.S. has a chance to do its part, investing in a brighter future for millions.

Read the Global Partnership for Education’s
​Case for Investment

Media Contact:

Colin Smith
[email protected]
+1 202.783.4800 x139